I can honestly say in my short but long 20 years it has taken me a long time to "love myself". Even now I struggle with being okay with just being me. In today's age it's hard to be comfortable in your own skin, well for some of us. I was an athlete all through high school, and I was involved with so much my parents could hardly keep track of me. I was skinny, and never really had a problem with acne or anything but I remember looking in the mirror thinking "you could lose a few pounds," or my favorite (because it's still an apparent feature of mine) "why can my hair be straight and pretty instead of curly and big?" I know what you're thinking, you always want what you can't have. I want a smaller waist, different hair, money to buy the best make-up, and my list could go on.

Here's my question: Why? Why do I want these things? Why do I want to change my beautiful curls into something they aren't? Why do I want this extremely expensive (but incredibly wonderful) make-up? Why do I want a smaller waist? I can tell you it isn't because of my health. Most of all, why can't for just one day I look in the mirror and think, "you are drop dead gorgeous, and any man with eye's can see that." Here's why: we always want what we can't have.

I will never be a size 2 in pants, my hair will probably always be a curly mess, my make-up wont last forever, and over time my body will age as it's supposed to. I won't be young and 20 forever. You know what though? That's okay.

Here's the thing, we as women are uniquely and individually beautiful. We range in all different shapes and sizes. Some of us have more junk in our trunk than others, and that is okay! Some of us can wear a crop top while others can't, and that is okay! Some of us like to eat a whole box of Mac-N-Cheese for dinner sometimes, and that is okay! We all have something in common though; we all at least want to change one thing about ourselves. We can't just accept who we are and be okay with it, sometimes it's not humanly possible especially when we know we can be better.

So here's the thing, if you want to lose 30 pounds then get out there and do it! If you want to eat a whole pizza by yourself and watch Netflix one night, then do it! If you want to rock a crop top, go out and have fun with your girls, then do it! Our goal is to be the best we can be. If you can do that than no one else can ask any different of you.

I challenge you all, men and women, to start loving who you are more. Wake up in the morning, look in that mirror and say "hey good lookin', we are going to kick butt today." Or when you get on that scale and you see you've gained a pound, say "that's okay, i'll keep working hard." Stop beating yourself up for reasons that just aren't good enough. Get out there and face the world with your head held high.

If you be yourself, love yourself, and work hard for what you want then life will become a whole lot happier.

As for myself i'm working on this everyday, and it's time that I love me for me.

"Today you are you, that is truer than true, there is no one alive who is youer than you." -Dr. Seuss