Each time I look in the mirror, I see so many imperfections. I see my face, and I hate it.

I'm not going to lie. It is my biggest insecurity.

I constantly mess with it, then it turns red, then I put on cover up to try to hide it, and that only makes it worse. I know I shouldn't mess with my face; I know it only makes it worse. Yet, I still do.

This has been a constant, daily cycle since I was in seventh grade.

Though, in the past year or so, I look in the mirror, I look at my face, and I smile a little. Not because my face is amazing or beautiful or perfect, but because it is imperfect.

I smile because even though I still hate how my face looks, messing with it isn't going to help it at all.

I smile because I realize I'm getting better.

Little by little.

Day by day,

Gaze by gaze.

I'm realizing that I'm beautiful no matter what.

Since I began to grasp this last year, I started singing to myself.

"What do you mean Amelia? Why on earth are you talking about singing to yourself when you're talking about how we should love ourselves through our imperfections because they are what make us beautiful and all those other stereo typical cliches."

Well. I sing to myself every time I look in the mirror now.

I sing that song that goes, "And you are beautiful, no matter what they say."

I sing those lines over and over and over and over again until I leave the mirror.

Sometimes it takes five minutes. Sometimes it takes two hours.

It all depends, but I believe the two most important words in those lyrics are 'and' and 'they.'

'And' is used to conjoin two thoughts together. I have all these thoughts about my imperfections in my head, and then the thought that I am beautiful no matter what they say.

The other key word in that phrase is 'they'. In my book, more often then not, they is me. There are all these different ideas and 'voices' in my head telling me everything bad about myself.

I'm sure you've been there before at least once too.

So, I have to constantly remind myself that I am beautiful no matter what I say.

From this, every time I look in the mirror, I smile a little, and I sing to myself, "And I am beautiful, no matter what I say."

And so are you.