I have always hated the concept of numbers. I am not very good at math and I have a fear of checking both my bank account and the scale. Unfortunately, numbers are a very vital part of our lives. I need to keep track of my finances to make sure I don't go into debt, I have to keep track of my weight to make sure I am staying healthy, and I have to maintain my GPA so that I don't fail out. However, I think that we all focus a little too much on numbers to the point where we let it define our self worth. You are not a number. You are a person, and each and every one of us on this earth is an equal -- except for Beyoncé; she is clearly number one. Here are a few things I believe as a society we focus on way too much in regards to numbers.
Weight. As the famous Regina George said, “I want to lose three pounds." Ladies and gentlemen, your weight does not define who you are. I think it is important you keep track of your weight to make sure you are staying in a healthy range. There is a difference between focusing on being healthy and focusing on being skinny. No one is going to notice those three pounds you lost due to water weight. What people will notice is if you care for your body and treat it the way it deserves to be treated, you will both look and feel better. Your weight says nothing about your character, but how you treat and care for yourself does.
GPA. I get that your grades are important, and your GPA plays a role in your future career or schooling, but too often, we spend too much time worrying over a number we think defines our intelligence. In all honesty, school is not for everyone and some people really struggle with testing. You can understand the material you are being taught, but still not be able to memorize an entire textbook for an exam. I am not saying school and your GPA doesn't matter. I am saying that five years down the road no one cares if you had a 4.0 in college. Relax, live a little, and never let anyone tell you that you are not intelligent, including your GPA.
Likes. This is perhaps the most frustrating because filters are both a blessing and a curse. The rise of social media has created the concept of “likes" and people believe that the more likes they get, the more they are liked. This is not true. People can do magic on Photoshop, let me tell you. There may be a variety of reasons why you are not getting a lot of “likes." Many people do not understand the concept of social media courtesy. What is that, you make ask? This is when you blowup your follower's timeline or friend's Facebook page with post after post after post. No one wants to see just you! If everyone on Instagram posted picture after picture, I would just delete the app. For my lost souls who do not understand this, limit the amount you post. I promise we care, but we want to see some variety up on our timelines. Also, posting pictures at 8 a.m. or 2 a.m. are not the most strategic time periods. Chances are people are drunk or sleeping.
If you feels you don't get a lot of likes, don't let that impact what you think about yourself. You are beautiful, and you are worth way more than a like. If you are someone who gets millions of likes and you are not a celebrity, put those tatas away and don't let it go to your head. You are still not better than anyone else.
Age. I think this is something that is really underrated. We focus so much on wanting to be a certain age. You can't wait to be 16 so you can legally get your license, you cant wait till you're 18 when you're a legal adult, or you can't wait until you are 21 so you can legally drink. Your age says a lot about you but it still doesn't say who you are. We need to step back and appreciate the age we are because you will never be as young as you are right now. I think this is something to keep in mind as we age as well. Just because we grow older, that doesn't mean we are any less beautiful or handsome. I think that if anything we become more beautiful. As we age, we become wiser, and hopefully kinder if we live life in a moral manor. Age is just a number, and like I said you are not a number.
What it comes down to is we focus too much on external beauty, and not enough on internal beauty. We have developed a scale to judge external beauty and that can really take a toll on someone's self esteem. Unfortunately, these numbers aren't going anywhere and neither is the judgment. Do your best to love yourself, and don't let the superficiality of our society tell you that you are just a number. You are not a number, you are a person, and you are worth it.
