Believe it or not, I know who you are. Actually, more than 60 percent of girls in the U.S. know who you are.
They know what you’re thinking as you pass a group of guys on your way to class. They know how you feel when you take three hours to pick the perfect outfit for a night out with friends. They know what runs through your head on those sleepless nights when you feel alone and worthless. Girls get the feeling. We all know the feeling.
We understand that you don’t think you’re pretty enough, skinny enough or good enough. We understand when your face isn’t clear and your skin isn’t perfect. We understand when your hair just isn’t working out and your makeup isn’t its best.
And yes, we glance over at the group of girls that started laughing the minute we walked into Chipotle. Oh, and we feel like crying too when they continue to stare at us as we eat our burrito.
The world thinks it's because we are shy or quiet. It’s not that at all. We aren’t the ones with the problem. The world has the problem.
It is not okay to say everyone is different, and then have size zero models walk down a runway. It is not okay for stores to only carry up to a size large. It is not okay for the idea of what “a perfect woman” is to be put into the minds of girls because in reality, there is no such thing.
So know this. You are beautiful. You are kind. You are caring. You are strong. You make people smile and you have people that love you. You are amazing. You are you.
Your skin, your face and your hair do not define you. Your body shape does not define you. Those girls laughing and staring in Chipotle do not define you. You define you.
So be better than your insecurities. Be nicer than those girls that laughed at you. Be a person who compliments others rather than criticizes. Be stronger than your weaknesses. Be happier than you ever thought you could be because in the end, life is short and you are too good of a person to let anything affect who you are.
Sincerely,
The girl who finally understands how to love herself.
“To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don’t wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live.-Alan Cohen
