I know that I am beautiful. To many, that may sound like a cocky statement. When I say I know I'm beautiful, people are taken aback. They say, "Oh she thinks she's better than me." Guys will try to hit on me by saying, "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" To that, I respond yes. Yes, people have told me I am beautiful but more than that I have told myself that I am.

I noticed that some guys will use whatever insecurities they may see that I have to their advantage. Guys will often say I don't need all that makeup and that I'm pretty without it. Well, I know I look fine without makeup but I choose to wear it because I enjoy it, not because I'm insecure. If someone were to tell me that I was pretty, of course, I would say thank you, but it is the compliments that attempt to coin me as a meek insecure girl that bother me. The ones that cut my confidence down so that they can come in and tell me things I already know.

Thanks for trying, though.

Don't get me wrong, I love compliments. However, I don't need them to make me feel better about myself. I am at a place where I can look in the mirror and be happy with what I see instead of getting the approval from others to validate that. I feel like guys feel uncomfortable when a girl knows that she is beautiful even before he told her.

Shouldn't everyone be like that, though?

The only approval that should matter is yours. Not the number of likes you get on Instagram and the retweets on Twitter.

Of course, I have my insecurities just like everyone else. But I don't let them hold me back like I used to. I don't use them so others can tell me I'm pretty .

We all have flaws and that is what makes us all perfectly imperfect.

I guess the point of this article is to let you know you're beautiful and you should know you're beautiful. Knowing this does not make you cocky or narcissistic. Nor does it make you vain.

Don't let anyone make you feel bad for loving yourself!

It took a long time for me to have the confidence I have today. I used to be that self-conscious girl who felt the need to get the approval of others about my beauty and would be torn down if someone thought I was ugly.

Now I can say F anyone who doesn't see the beauty I possess. Inside and out. And if anyone believes that that makes me stuck up and vain, then that person needs to reevaluate how they feel about themselves because everyone should know they're beautiful and own it.

There is nothing wrong with being confident. (: