Dear you,

First, let me start by saying that yes, I am talking to you. I see you. I can see your struggle and I am here to go through it with you. Because I, too, am in the same boat. Let me tell you, it makes me feel better knowing that I am not alone. And you are not alone, either.

Self-worth is a term that is easier to say than it is to feel. Today's society is flooded with motivational movements -- from commercials to songs. But as neatly as one can wrap it up and hand it to you, it's a lot harder to actually uncover it.

It wasn't always this way. I mean, look at children. They could care less what others think about them, impressing people, or trying to catch the eye of potential suitors. They run around without a care, only to be interrupted by hunger or exhaustion.

Then, everything changes. Suddenly you have grades to take care of and a social life to maintain and a friend group to keep up with and potential relationships in the works. You feel you are expected to fit a perceived mold that the environment you are apart of has created, and if one thing just doesn't fit then everything won't fit.

But I have good news for you: there is no mold. Molds are templates that are used to make uniform and identical cookies, and obviously we as humans are not identical at all. (We also aren't cookies but that is beside the point).

Do not be shaken when you see that someone else is a better fit than you are in something. It does not mean that they are better than you. It does not mean that you are imperfect. It just means that you fit into something better and you just haven't found it yet.

I know, I know. It's a hard pill to swallow, especially if you know you worked so hard at shaping yourself into what you thought was the ideal fit, only to find out that you weren't. Those thoughts of "What's wrong with me?" or "What did they have that I didn't?" intrude your mind and plant themselves there until they take root and consume you.

The problem with those thoughts are obvious, but let me remind you again. It is not you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. It's easy to think that you are at fault and something about you was wrong, but please be assured in the fact that it's simply not the case.

And please, here me on this one, do not ever change who you are. You are who you are for a reason and you were made to be something great -- even if you don't know what it is yet. Don't compare yourself to others who seem like they figured everything out (newsflash: they probably don't) and just keep on working on you. Strive for what drives you. Be motivated in your passions and work to your goals.

It's a long road to self- acceptance, and it's a road that I am still on to this day. But perhaps the biggest step you can take is the fact that you are satisfied with who you are and not wanting to be anyone else. And it is in that mantra where you can move forward to starting to see the value in you.