An open letter to anyone struggling with their body image:

I’m writing this to you because I have been there. I know exactly what you’re going through and it’s the worst. You look at yourself in the mirror and only see the flaws. Why is it that we are our own worst critics? If you go to your TV guide and choose any random show, I bet the main characters are nearly flawless, radiating beauty or handsomeness. I want to be the hero or maybe even the villain, but the media tells me that I can’t because I haven’t reached "physical perfection." The movies show me that only the people with gorgeous faces and chiseled bodies could ever be a main character in a movie or TV show. I know that you have felt these sensations of inadequacy like I have.

Instead of living up to the unrealistic standards set by the media, create your own movie. Create a movie, your movie, your life, where you take the lead, you take the charge and never look back because you can be that successful and confident person that the world tells you is impossible. I mean, consider fingerprints, your fingerprint. Your fingerprint is entirely unique to you; 7 billion other people in the world and you have a fingerprint that is yours alone. This isn’t confined to fingerprints, though. Your jawline, cheekbones, nose, hair…it’s all entirely unique to you. There really is no need to compare ourselves to others because there is no “attractive person” template. There is no mold that we must fit in order to be physically attractive because it’s totally subjective. Other people tell us our noses or waistlines are too big, which then infiltrates and brainwashes our own opinion of ourselves. It’s time for us to stop listening to those around us who are just trying desperately to sell us beauty products or people who are tearing us down to build themselves up. It’s time for us to regain our confidence by looking internally. Let’s stop looking to others for affirmation, but rather look to ourselves for this love and support. If we can begin to disqualify the derogation that others inflict on us, we can then begin the road to loving and embracing ourselves.

Some people say not to look in the mirror, to cover up all the mirrors in the house so that you don’t have to confront the way you look. I propose uncovering your mirrors and taking time out of your day to look in the mirror at yourself. But don’t think of who you wish you looked like, or what feature you wish looked normal. Because normal is boring and looking like someone else is boring. Look in the mirror and think to yourself about how incredible it is that nobody else has the exact same number of freckles on their cheeks as you or the exact same forehead length as you. Once you can see how incredibly beautiful you are purely as a result of your uniqueness, you’ll never even desire to be compared to Ryan Reynolds or Megan Fox again, because being you, authentically you, is the most beautiful trait anyone can possess.