When I was a little girl, I thought I was hideous.

I hated my skin, my lips, my hair, my face, my acne, everything. Boys never really liked me. All my friends were naturally beautiful, but me? I was the ugly friend. The Black friend. The fat friend. I have always been the fat one. All of my friends have these bodies and I would have killed to get rid of my tummy. My stomach is what made me want to cry. I felt disgusting every time I ate. It would hate whenever my family forced me to feel like being fat was not okay. It forced me to think that I wasn’t right or acceptable. For years, I felt so insecure and depressed. I didn’t want anyone to look at me or notice me because I was unhappy with myself. That is, until one day I woke up and said, “I am a size 11. I do have a belly. My thighs are thick, my boobs are big, and I have acne. I am not perfect at all- but I am beautiful, and I am.happy with who I am.”

I was in the eighth grade when I told myself this and gained confidence that year. My confidence only grew more and more each year. By my senior year of high school, I developed into this funny, sarcastic, confident human being. I had friends, teachers liked me, and by then, I had a few boyfriends here or there (honestly, it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be). I also ran for homecoming court and nearly won. I took a risk that year, and I came out of my shell more than ever. People liked me, no matter what I looked like. Most importantly, I loved myself, more than I have ever loved myself. I know I’m beautiful, I know I’m funny. I know how brave and strong I am. I met my worth. I am perfect just the way I am.

Never let others take control of your happiness. You are your own best thing and if someone tries to say something different, then they don't deserve to be in your presence unless they are trying to benefit you. The moral of this story: You may not love yourself right now or appreciate your body, but believe me when I say that one day – hopefully, soon – you will wake up and have that same “aha” moment I did all those many years ago. When you do, it will change your entire perspective and mindset as it did for me.

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball