To any girl who is reading this who doesn't think they're pretty enough,
I want to tell you that you are beautiful. I want to tell you that that thing you are so ashamed of is the single thing that makes you, YOU. Don't think about that "ideal" body type because let's face it, it's impossible to get that. Don't change who you are just to get a few extra likes on Instagram or get that boy to ask you out. Newsflash: life isn't all about breaking 300 likes on Instagram. And if a boy only asks you out just because you suddenly "got hot," then he's not the boy for you. Sorry.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't strive to be healthy. Take care of your body, make sure you're putting the right nutrients into your body. Go to the gym to stay fit. Don't go to the gym to "get skinny." I thought for a long time that if I ever got skinny, I would finally get that boy in my history class to notice me. But you know what? Sure, looks can get you far, but it's what inside that counts. It's how you apply and carry yourself. Whatever your insecurities may be, keep your head held high.
Don't ever think that you're not pretty enough. What does being pretty entail anyway? According to Google, pretty means "attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful or handsome." The example is "a pretty little girl with an engaging grin." There is no skinny ideal body type in there. To be pretty, just be you and smile. That's when you look the most attractive.
Sure, you can eat only lettuce and go to the gym every day. What's that going to get you? Instead of dreaming of a "hot summer body," focus on other things. Read a book. Write a novel. Catch up on homework.
You are pretty enough. Don't ever let those blonde skinny girls on Instagram with 1,000 likes let you think otherwise. Don't look at them and then look at your own body and think negative thoughts. You wanna know a secret? They probably have something on their bodies that they don't like about themselves. If we all just embrace the thing that we hate most about ourselves, then we wouldn't have any insecurities.
Next time you're scrolling through Instagram or at the gym slaving away on the treadmill, don't automatically hate your body. Instead, look yourself in the mirror and point out all the great things about your body. Because you are enough. You are pretty enough. You are beautiful.
