Dear beautiful reader,
I've been in your place. I know what it's like standing in front of the mirror, not liking anything you see and just feeling disappointed. I know what it's like to not feel good enough and I know what it's like to look at others and just sigh with envy. I don't know why you don't think you're beautiful enough or good enough but I know the various reasons are seemingly endless. Whether you feel this way because you are lacking validation from someone or you are just plain hard on yourself about how you look, it is possible to love yourself and you can love yourself. You just have to start small.
You know those moments when you have on your favorite outfit or your makeup just looks really nice and you don't want to step away from the mirror? Maybe it's when you have your prom dress on or maybe it's when you've spent 2 hours doing your hair. Whenever you have these moments, hold on to them. Realize them and memorize every detail of them; what you're wearing, what time of day it is, how it makes you feel. After you recognize these moments, repeat them.
Repeat them every single day for as long as you need to because it is so important to love yourself every day, even if it's just for a moment. If you feel beautiful and happy in your party dress and heels, put them on and dance around your room for a bit. If you feel beautiful when you're winged eyeliner looks perfect and you have bright red lipstick on, do your makeup and take as many selfies as you desire. Do these things over and over and document them in your mind.Yes it is important to love yourself when you have no make up on and are dressed like a hobo, but loving yourself in a face full of makeup is a good start. Because I think loving yourself at all in any way is a marvelous place to be.
Even more than that, however, do not spend all your time striving for beauty. Do not strive to be just beautiful, strive to be radiant. Strive to leave your mark on people's hearts. Let your kindness and inner beauty flow out of you and touch others. Show the world that you have something more to offer than superficiality. Don't conform to the idea that your outer beauty is all you've got to give, you are so much more than what you see in the mirror. You can reach people and help them and show the world that there is so much more to life than being physically appealing. This will not only affect those around you, but by bringing happiness and positivity to other people, you will soon begin to feel great about yourself. Appearance means so little when your heart and soul and mind have so much to offer.
To close out this letter I want to tell you that regardless of what you see in the mirror you are beautiful. There is beauty in every single person on this planet and it is so important to see that beauty in not only yourself but also others. You deserve to love yourself every single second and that is possible (even though it may not seem like it). You deserve to be happy and you deserve to feel beautiful. Find what makes you happy and do that over and over until you feel fulfilled. Reach other people with your kindness and be kind to yourself. Love others. Love yourself.
Love,
The girl who used to not be able to look in the mirror without crying who is now happier with myself than I have ever been before.
