Dear girls everywhere,

I'm sure you have all felt self-conscious at some point - whether your hair was too frizzy or your braces were too tight or your face had one too many blemishes on it. I'd like to start off my saying trust me, I've been there.

I was the girl with long, lanky limbs that grew faster than the rest of her body. I was the girl that wore way too much makeup because she didn't like the way she looked without it. I was the girl who stood in front of the mirror for hours, trying hopelessly to figure out what to do with her hair or her clothes or her makeup because nothing ever really looked perfect.

Perfect. That's the word that was the problem.

There will always be a girl who you think is prettier than you - a girl whose silky, smooth hair makes her look like she walked straight out of a Pantene commercial. A girl whose flawless skin makes you wonder if she ever went through the agony of feeling a zit form beneath it. A girl who just looks like she lives inside of a J. Crew store because damn, how is her wardrobe always so on point?

But there comes a time in your life when you have to stop comparing yourself to other people. That girl walking down the street that you so desperately wish you could be has bad days too, just like the rest of us. In the words of Hannah Montana, "nobody's perfect." Once you start to realize that, you'll be much happier with yourself.

I know it sounds cliché, but you really are beautiful the way you are. Dressing to the nines with a face caked with makeup may make you feel better for a short period of time, but in the long run, being able to walk around comfortably and confidently in a tee shirt and sweatpants with your natural hair tied back in a ponytail and a makeup-less face will lead to a much healthier life.

Honestly, people don't care as much as you may think they do. The next time you stand in front of the mirror, anxiety filling your veins over which necklace you think will look best with your dress, ask yourself, "does it really matter?" Will the necklace you choose increase or decrease your worth as a person? Will people scoff as you walk by, wondering who in their right mind would pair that accessory with that outfit? The answer is no. How you look is nothing to stress over. To be blunt, everyone else is probably too focused on themselves to even notice.

Being self-conscious with how you look all the time is no way to live. I know it's a hard lifestyle to shake, but once you stop comparing yourself to others, once you stop caring what other people think, once you stop focusing on this intangible idea of perfection, you'll be so, so much happier.

Trust me. I've been there.