To the teenager who feels he/she isn’t good enough,

First of all, you are good enough; you are more than enough. You are all kinds of wonderful. School is hard, and you try your best. You cry because of that bitch who gossips, or that dude at the gym who smirked while you lifted the bar while he did five times that. I want you to know that you are so much more than you perceive. You are so worthy of everything great. I want you, for just this moment, to look at yourself. Look in the mirror. If you don’t like what you see, then go get a different mirror. John Green once said, and I’ll tell you this right now, too, “If people were rain, they’re all drizzle, and you’re a hurricane.”

Forget about the girl or boy you endlessly pursued despite her/him never giving you the time of day.

You are worthy of being pursued. You stress over the texts that they took a day to reply to. You stress over taking the perfect Snapchat with ideal lighting and come to realize they opened it but never replied. You feel like you've put so much effort into something that was a waste of time. This person constantly made you wonder what was wrong with you. You often tried to figure out what they liked, and you changed yourself for them. Please listen to me when I say that you deserve someone who will like you for you, and if they don’t, then THEY are not good enough. You will find someone who loves who you are and what you stand for. You will find someone who wants to take pictures of you and with you, who will listen as you cry and giggle over your dark past. You will find someone who wants to know how you like your coffee, and will cherish the fact you eat your pizza with a fork, and that the cheese cannot be too stringy. You will find someone who will solely invest in who you are and the person you want to become. You will find someone who will challenge you and be your number- one support. Have enough respect for yourself to not to take any excuses for less than you deserve. You deserve to receive the love you are willing to give.

Do not ever undermine your value and self-worth; when you're feeling down, consider these things:

Forget about that popular kid you always compare yourself to.

You are two different people, two different lives. Don't strive to be that kid; be you! As cliché as it sounds, there is only one of you. Don't try to be like someone else. You have a persona that is so different from anyone else in the world. Maybe they were always smarter than you, had the clothes you wanted, or always had people worshipping their arm. But in twenty years, who is actually going to care about that? In twenty years, you are going to be living a life with your beautiful significant other, with children who look up at you both with unconditional love. You will have brought a beautiful life into this world. You will have a career that drives you insane, but you (hopefully) adore. Just because you aren't like someone else, does not mean that you aren't good enough. And if you're happy with how your life is, then there is no need to be just like someone else. You ARE good enough to be yourself.

Forget about that 'C' you once got on that test.

A year ago today, what test were you preparing for? Do you remember? No. Because now it does not matter. It in no way has any effect as to who you are. Grades do not define you as a person. You are more than the C you just got on that calculus test. You are so caught up in building a good school resume, you lose sight of the true gift of learning: growing. If you don’t receive an ‘A’, you are not stupid. If you receive a ‘D’, you are not stupid. You are learning. You are growing. If you aced everything put in front of you, then you would be taking for granted the gift of an education. We are not perfect beings. Nobody is. There are 7+ billion other people in this world with you, and not one single being is perfect. If you learn from your mistakes, and you allow yourself to grow from that, then you’re doing pretty damn good; pat yourself on the back every once in awhile. Do you really think in twenty years from now, your coworkers are going to care about the fact you failed a Spanish test your sophomore year in college? Or that you were that kid who got straight A’s back in high school? Probably not. Grades are only a number, and they don't define how smart you are or how competent you are. As long as you are working your hardest to get where you want to go in life, you ARE good enough.

Enough with that 5 pounds you’re trying so hard to lose.

You are beautiful. Embrace every curve you have (or don't have). Just because you don't have the thin figure of that model on Vogue, or the curvaceous body of Nicki Minaj? Can I just mention that term... Umm, what’s it? “Photoshop”? Yes, that. It is a thing, and honey, there is a whole lot going on with that. Sometimes you might look in the mirror and hate the way your thighs rub together, or you might see some stretch marks you want to get rid of. Part of knowing you deserve better is embracing yourself and loving who you are and what you look like. Learn to love those freckles awkwardly scattered on your nose, those scars that all have a story. You don't need to lose ten pounds to fit the “norm”. What even is “normal”? Weight does not define a person, either. Work for whatever makes you happiest. If you are a gym freak, then go at it. Good for you. But if you want that cupcake, then honey, I hope you devour it. You ARE good enough and deserve to love all of your beautiful self.

Please, with all my heart, please, know that you ARE good enough. You are beautiful on a 360-degree angle. You are smart, and hold strong to your own ground. And you, of all people, are so deserving of a love that is like the perfect storm. You are all kinds of wonderful. If people were rain, let the crowd be drizzle and you be a hurricane.

Much love, from the girl who once thought she wasn’t good enough, too.