To say that a person is handed their strength would be a mere fact of inaccuracy. In order to acquire personal growth, one must first realize their self-worth. Regrettably, for many college-aged students, more specifically girls, realizing their self-worth is eerie and challenging. With so many unrealistic standards that society requires us to live up to, it becomes almost effortless to fall into the trap of "I'll never be good enough."

We've all been there, felt pressured to mold our body and depict the lean look, not getting accepted to the school you've dreamt about, made a haunting mistake and became the talk of the town, experienced rejection and heartbreak from someone you've loved, had a low blow from a person you thought was your true friend. We are molded to have fragile hearts and high hopes, yet we all get let down. Ironic isn't it? No matter how highly your friends and family members think of you, nothing they say will make a dent in your life until you are able to believe them.

So how does one learn to gain confidence and learn to appreciate themselves? Sadly, there is not a cut and dry answer. There is not a set of guidelines that tells you how to alter your confidence. There is no switch that you can turn on and off.

It is pointless to trigger sadness that you have worked to conceal. We don't need to put energy into relationships with people who will not reciprocate the effort. Who you choose to surround yourself with, reflects the person that you are. Some of us are too in denial to admit it, but we can easily be negatively influenced by our peers. You should fill your life with people who challenge and push you in a positive way. Lastly, turning to God should always be a priority to finding your worth. He does not make mistakes and He created you for a purpose.

After adjusting areas of my life, I was able to look in the mirror and smile at what I saw. I gained pride in who I have become. I focused on my strengths while working on my weaknesses. Yes, I still have days when I let people get to me more than I should allow. I still have occasional tears when I become stressed. I have learned to not let my sorrow consume my spirit. Instead, I'm able to deal with it and move forward. I'm able to do this because I am worth it, and so are you.