I don't remember the exact moment when I looked in the mirror and first thought that I wasn't pretty enough. The concept of "enough" is one that many of us have struggled with at some point or another. The struggle of enough comes in many forms and can include not feeling smart enough, not feeling skinny enough and not feeling brave enough.
When I looked in the mirror and thought to myself that I wasn't pretty enough, it changed how I viewed myself and how I interacted with the world around me. I spent a good amount of my life believing it, especially during my awkward junior high years. There were days where I would think that I looked pretty, but then I would compare myself to the girls around me and decide that I wasn’t. My confidence diminished because of a comparison.
It’s funny, really. We look at someone and instantly realize all of their unique features that make them individual and beautiful, but we fail to notice those same things in ourselves. No matter how many compliments I would receive, I just never saw it and never felt pretty enough. All I was capable of seeing were my own flaws and imperfections.
The longer I was unhappy with my appearance and wishing I were different, the harder I thought about what it takes to be genuinely pretty. I started asking myself what “pretty” really is. What does it mean? When I started asking myself these questions, I came to the realization that beauty cannot be measured only by your appearance and that I was shaming a creation of God.
You’ve heard it a million times, but I’m still going to say it again. God made you fearfully and wonderfully. He makes no mistakes. This means that every flaw and imperfection that you have found about yourself is perfect in his eyes.
Beauty is not defined by the amount of likes you get on an Instagram post. It’s not defined by how many guys are giving you attention. It’s not defined by your weight or the size of your jeans. Beauty is character, confidence, kindness and passion. True beauty is reflected in your heart and soul.
I will never be thin enough, have perfect hair or have the straightest teeth. I will never be pretty enough. Regardless of those things, I will still be enough. Because what good is it to just be pretty enough if what’s on the outside does not reflect what’s on the inside?
Nobody gets to decide what makes someone pretty enough, which is why I will no longer strive to be something so unattainable as such. Beauty comes from the inside out and what’s on the inside is so much more valuable than what any physical appearance has to offer. So, instead of worrying so much about how you look, start worrying about who you are. If you have a good heart and a caring, intelligent and hopeful soul, you will radiate beauty, because these are all traits that overpower straight teeth and a small waist any day. Without these things, you are simply a body wasting away.
“You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” – Song of Songs 4:7
