Social media has determined that beauty depends on the way a person's Instagram looks. Instead of being comfortable in our own skin, we work hard to be the "perfect" person with a themed Instagram page. In order to feel beautiful, you have to spend a lot of money on the cutest clothes and expensive makeup. In reality, the highlighter on your cheekbones does not make you glow.

I do love to go shopping for cute clothes but wearing those clothes every day does not make me feel beautiful. Whether I am wearing a nice sundress and heels or a Sigma Kappa t-shirt with athletic shorts, I feel beautiful because of what I am feeling from the inside. I don't spend all this money on clothes and makeup in order to feel confident, beautiful, and strong.

Growing up watching YouTube videos on how to contour my nose or get the perfect beach wave hair I discovered my own beauty trick. The best part about it is the cost. FREE, that is what the price tag is on my daily beauty regimen. Being a college student I have to budget my money which means all my money goes to food and gas, to go to the store and buy my food. I spend a total of $8 on my makeup, and that is mascara.

Happiness is the key to beauty. A smile that shines with true joy can turn someone's appearance completely around. I feel beautiful when I am happy, and when I am smiling so much my eyes squint, I cannot control the laugh escaping between my lips.

For me, it is those I have surrounded myself with. There is a not a day I can recall that I don't have a smile on my face. My best friend inspires me every day to not only constantly work towards bettering myself and being a good role model but being happy. Having people in your life that work towards happiness is a major key to gaining your own happiness.

In a world with so much darkness, where people are constantly bringing themselves down, there needs to be someone who is not afraid to let the light in. Although some days you may not feel like smiling, finding joy in even the smallest thing can turn your day around. My happiness is through people in my life, but that does not have to be yours. The thing that makes you the happiest does not even have to be a living thing. A song can be the item that just brings you utter bliss. Whatever is it that makes you smile will also make you feel the most beautiful.

Go out into the world with the goal of smiling every day. When you do, you'll see the world from a completely different side.