Always being slightly bigger than your friends while growing up is never a walk in the park. You were always so self-conscious about your body. People tell us to "love our bodies" and "be confident," but how can we do that if being plus size is negative in today's society?

In today's society, being plus-size is supposedly the worst thing you can be. Being plus-size, you never had a thigh gap, your thighs have always jiggled, you always had a double chin and your stomach has always been round.

You are automatically shamed for the clothes you wear, the number on the scale and the food you eat. People lie and tell others you have to look a certain way to be accepted in society.

People should not have a say in your size. You should.

I never could see a difference in people's personalities — whether they are a size zero or a size 18. I have grown up to educate myself that being plus-size is actually not the worst thing you can be.

You should be happy with your body because size does not matter.

Growing up, if you wore anything beyond a large, you were body shamed. You could have the prettiest face, the cutest laugh, the longest hair and the best heart, but you'd still be ugly to people because you were overweight.

Growing up plus-size, you definitely encountered many struggles. Your self-esteem was never satisfactory, your mind was always wondering if you were "too big for this" and you were always the odd one out of all your friends. I myself was always told that "it wouldn't help to drop a few pounds" or "you should not be wearing that outfit" or "you can't possibly do sports."

The reality of that was that I adored playing sports. I played softball for nine years of my life. I could be more athletic than the "thin" people. Doing gym in school was not ever difficult for me, and neither was running around the bases. I generally enjoyed working out.

So, just because I don't wear a size two does not mean I can't play sports. Also, I love wearing outgoing clothes and radiant colored clothes. Just because I wear bigger sizes does not mean I shouldn't wear modernistic clothing.

I have just as much right to flaunt that strapless dress as you do.

Going shopping with your friends is supposed to be fun. But being a few sizes larger, it was never fun. When you would go to the mall with your friends, they never wanted to shop at Deb, Rainbow, Torrid, Lane Bryant and The Avenue. They wanted to shop at Hollister, American Eagle, Forever 21, Aeropostale and Victoria's Secret.

The stores they wanted to go to never carried your size. But even if you were lucky enough to find a store where you both could shop, you wandered away into the plus-size section.

And it was never convenient being plus-size and shopping because you could never find anything. When prom season rolled around, you tried just about every store in your county to find the most impeccable dress.

I have personally learned to just go clothes shopping by yourself or to go online shopping.

Summer is the worst for a plus-size girl. You could never wear a pair of shorts without pulling them down every 10 steps. You literally always had chub rub (which is the absolute last thing you want), you would always need to wear a pair of shorts underneath all your dresses and you could never wear a good bathing suit because it is almost impossible to find a swimsuit under $100.

We get so irked when we see "plus-size models" and they are not even plus-sized! All the clothing you buy is so much more expensive. Then, just when you pick up a piece of clothing you like, you try it on, and it looks absolutely horrific.

You try endlessly to lose a few pounds, but it almost seems impossible. But after all the downfalls, you realize being larger is not the worst thing you can be.

I'm a plus-size girl, living in a society that only cares for the "skinny." We try and try to be socially accepted and to be seen for what's on the inside.

The bodies we have are not a reflection of who we are. I grew up to learn the size of my body does not determine my capabilities or my self-worth.

To the plus-size ladies out there, don't let anybody make you feel inferior.

The number on the scale does not reflect your personality. True happiness will always come from the inside. Your curves and your edges don't define you. Everyone is their own kind of beautiful.

Lastly, don't let your weight stop you because the only person who can hold your weight against you is you.