It all started with a bad haircut and a dye that wasn't what I wanted. I really kind of hated what I got, but I'm not changing it for now because I actually learned a lot. In a society driven by looks and outer beauty, although that's starting to change, I often thought that what I saw as a flaw other people did too. I wanted to dye my hair a pretty silvery brown color, but I got an almost auburn color. And everyone said it looked great and that they loved it, but that didn't make me feel any better because I still wasn't happy.

And, I know what you're thinking: oh, you'll never be happy with yourself until you learn to appreciate your inner beauty and stop caring about what other people think! But I don't care about what they think, and that's exactly my point. I couldn't feel beautiful or happy with myself or confident because I wasn't confident with my new hair. And it isn't about any type of unrealistic beauty standard, it was about what makes me feel invincible. And, sometimes, dare I say it, outer beauty sparks self-confidence and makes me feel beautiful inside.

So here starts my unpopular opinion. We shouldn't let someone else's standards become our own, especially with relation to our bodies, but we shouldn't let the term outer beauty become some monster word that no one wants to use, either. Because outer beauty isn't synonomous with society's expectations. A lot of people feel confident and happy when they feel like they look good. And I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Don't tell me you've never had a better night because you felt like your entire look was on point, or that you've never walked a little taller because your eyeliner was perfect that day. The problem isn't at all with outer beauty, it's with other people telling us what we should look like (or act like, or be, or say, for that matter).

So pay attention to your outer beauty if that's what fuels your fire, and if it doesn't, great! Go out and find what does make you feel like a million bucks (donuts usually make me feel like that). For me, my hair wasn't what I wanted and I lost some of my confidence, even though other people liked it, so, when my bank account isn't suffering and its been long enough that I can dye my hair again, I probably will. And if you don't feel one hundred percent confident with yourself, find what will get it back and go for it!