Dear Everyone,

There’s a message I’ve been trying to get out to all of you for a long time.

You are beautiful.

Yes, you. You are amazing. You might be thinking something like “well, Mo, how on earth can you say that?” because maybe you think “I’m not skinny.” Or “I have a big nose” or “I have acne.”

That’s where I’m going to stop you. I’m going to urge you to quit thinking like that. Those sorts of worries you have about your appearance don’t define you and never will. They set you apart from others, sure, but, that does not mean you’re anything less than wonderful.

Take me for instance-- I, by no means, have flawless skin. I don’t conform to our society's ideal body type either. Yes, I’m self-conscious. Yes, I struggled for years to love myself. I had cystic acne for around six years. I’ve never had a flat stomach. But, do I still try every single day to love myself and the body I was given? Absolutely.

Growing up, my mom had to deal with me coming home crying when kids in middle school and high school told me I was fat or that I had a “pizza face.” There’s a piece of advice she gave me that made my brain take a pause. She said;

“Your body is a temple. Treat it as such and love it as such.”

This struck me. If I treat my body as a temple, I have to be nice to it. I have to take care of it and love it. Not everyone goes to temples, just like not everyone has to think I’m “cute”, or “pretty,” or anything else. But those who do, love it just as much as those who made it, because it was made and maintained with such care.

Now, as a 20-year-old college student, I make sure I remind myself of that. That if I love myself, that will reflect outwards. I cannot poison my brain with toxic thoughts that most of the time are minute or that nobody else sees.

So, back to you, you beautiful soul.

You are not defined by the number on that scale. You are not defined by the ridiculous BMI. You are not defined by what society likes to call “flaws.” You are not flawed. Like, okay, what does “flawed” even mean? To compare something that is supposedly “flawed” you need to have something that is “perfect.” Which nobody is (as we all learned from that one "Hannah Montana" song. Please tell me I’m not the only one who remembers that).

Imagine if the world didn’t seize every opportunity to flood us with outrageously photoshopped models every time they got? If you didn’t see photos of unrealistic people, would you be as hard on yourself?

Or, imagine your best friend right now. Okay, got it? Tell me about them. Are their eyes glimmering? Do they spread joy every time you see them? Do they pull off every single item of clothing they own? Are they handsome, beautiful, or what-have-you? Now, imagine you are your own best friend. Imagine you are looking at yourself through your best friend’s eyes. I can promise you those same lovely descriptors would be used to describe your radiant existence.

What I want you all to do is just try to practice self-love. Realizing you are more than what your brain is convincing you that you are. What I’m trying to let you know is that, yes, you are absolutely beautiful. You are wonderful. You are talented. You are you because you are the best at being you. No matter your size, no matter your features, no matter what anyone ever tells you.

So wear what you want. Sing at the top of your lungs. Paint anything and everything that comes to you. Look in that mirror and say “hello, beautiful!” at least once a week - even if you don’t believe it now, because after time, your brain realizes the truth all along; that you are, in fact, beautiful. So, celebrate your features, celebrate your body, and above all else, celebrate you.