My entire life, I, like so many other women and girls out there, have struggled with self-esteem issues. Growing up, I was constantly comparing myself to everyone around me. Was I smart enough? Pretty enough? Strong enough? Skinny enough? Was I enough? Did people like me for me, or did they just pretend to like me and gossip behind my back? I spend a lot of my time questioning everything about myself, but who could blame me? Society instills in us that we have to be, look, and act a certain way in order to be loved, happy, and feel good about ourselves. I hate it.
There are so many girls (and guys) out there who do not realize their full potential because they are made to feel like they do not measure up to society’s standards. And honestly, most of the time they don't measure up to these magical standards that are said to be the "keys to happiness;" they surpass them. Who cares what size you are or if you have the “right” clothes, hairstyle, or make-up on? Who cares that you live in a certain area of town, or that you like a different type of music or movies than everyone else? When did it become more important to have society's approval than to actually like ourselves? What really matters is what is on the inside. I know, I know. That saying is about as cliché as it gets, but hear me out on this one. I believe that if the entire world would stop judging others and themselves, so harshly for what they aren’t, and start loving them for what and who they are, this world would be a much happier place.
Recently, I have decided that I am going to start loving myself, and valuing myself for what I am. This is not an easy thing to do. There are some days when I wake up and instantly think about all of my insecurities and shortcomings, and just want to crawl back into bed and start crying. But then, I will step back, and think about everything that is good about myself. (I do not say that in a conceited way, but in a way where I give myself encouragement.) The other day, in my psychology class, our professor told us that we have the ability to "trick" our minds into believing what we think is reality. Basically, if you are always thinking about how much you hate yourself or how you are not "enough," you will have a negative attitude all of the time and be more prone to being sad or depressed. On the other hand, if you think positive thoughts you will be a more upbeat person. Easy, right? Not always. Some days, it is hard to think positively. I totally get that. but it is so, so worth it. You are so worth it. Every single person on this earth deserves to be loved, and who better to love you, than you?
