I'm 21 years old and I still catch myself standing in front of the mirror looking at the woman staring back at me. I nit pick the tiniest of things that I hate, like the wrinkles on my thighs, or the dry skin that is sometimes in the crease of my nose.

I'm 21 years old and I still have a hard time being in public without the thought in my head of what people may be thinking about me.

I'm 21 years old and I'm so self conscious and yet so confident. How can that be?

There is a quote somewhere that says, "People are too busy panicking about everyone else noticing every tiny thing that could possibly be wrong about them to notice any tiny thing that could possibly be wrong about you."

So why do we do it? Why do we care so much about what other people may think about us, when the most important thing is how we think about ourselves?

I know that it's the world we live in now. It's the way we treat others and the way we treat ourselves. I know that's not an excuse. But I know that growing up with every week bringing some sort of comment about someone's or my own looks has made me this way.

We can't post a picture on social media with out thinking twice how we look, but then having it be a misconception of our lives because we made it seem so perfect in the moment.

We want affirmation. We want comments and likes on our lives and how we are living them. We all know that people's social media accounts are depicted that way. We know that no one is perfect, even if their pictures tell us otherwise. Yet, somehow, we always want to achieve that perfection. We pick ourselves apart because we think we aren't good enough.

It's taken me a very long time to be able to look at myself and list things that I love! But my goodness, shouldn't we be able to do that?

Think about how insanely amazing it is that this world created us, perhaps created the dimple by your lips, the creases in your palms, the grooves in your bones and body. So carefully and yet, instantly chosen for you and only you.

I know it's easier said than done. Being able to appreciate and accept your body and your mind for how it is, no questions asked. It's so easy to tell others how we should treat ourselves, when I know I can't do it either.

What I'm saying is that we need to remind ourselves of how beautiful we are, myself included.

We are imperfect. Wired for bumps and bruises and struggles, but we worthy of love (especially loving of ourselves).

I was never meant to be a skinny tiny model. Maybe you weren't meant to be a weight lifting champion. We are all so different. None of us the same.

We are beautiful. For you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Fearfully, fearless... no fear. We were made with out fear.

For you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

So you, should not be afraid to express the body and soul you were given, ever.