Whenever my friends and I need a good laugh, we like to look through our pictures from elementary school and middle school. After all, there’s nothing better than reminiscing about the chubby days, or the braces and frizzy hair days.

Our generation has put a lot of emphasis on the fact that puberty can work wonders. We even have a word for that transition from the awkward phase to the grown and beautiful phase: "glow up."

This term seems to refer to a person's appearance, but shouldn't puberty be about more than just our looks? Or rather, shouldn't we stop and appreciate the way we are at the moment?

Yes, our self-esteem does improve after puberty, but not just because we become more attractive physically. After puberty, we also have a better sense of self, an idea of what we want out of life, and a greater understanding of other perspectives.

The real "glow up" is when we are OK with being alone, OK with conquering challenges, and OK with facing reality. A "glow up" does not have to be about having perfect eyebrows, clear skin, and a perfect figure. When it comes down to it, growing up is about so much more than just achieving society's standards of beauty. And instead of rushing the process, we should enjoy ourselves at each stage of life.

As a child, I sometimes wished I were older. I was surrounded by many older cousins and I often played games that allowed me to act like a "grown up." But personally, I would do anything to go back to being a little kid again and I'm sure many others feel the same way. So, just think about how life will feel as an adult. We'll all long for that time as a teenager when we had privileges and lots of freedom, but barely any responsibilities.

This is why it's important to appreciate each stage of life.

You don't have to wait until you look a certain way in order to say you've achieved a "glow up." You should appreciate your flaws and quirks.

And you should enjoy being the person that you are in this given moment.

Don't wait around for your baby fat to disappear, your body to mature, or your hair to grow. Don't look ahead so much.

The real "glow up" is when you're comfortable with yourself. It's when you feel fulfilled, and don't feel the need to look ahead at everything that's yet to come.