If you have clicked on this article, you have probably felt insecure at some point in your life. Insecurity can have many different forms. Some girls feel insecure because they feel like they don't quite fit in with anyone. Some girls feel insecure because they believe they aren't pretty enough or they aren't skinny enough. Many girls feel insecure because of a condition or abnormality they were born with. Many girls feel insecure because they don't feel like they're as successful as they should be. Insecurity doesn't always just mean that you don't feel pretty enough.
All of my life, I dealt with insecurity issues ranging from being insecure over my weight, looks, academics, popularity and so many other things. I constantly had this little voice in my head telling me that I wasn't good enough, that I needed just a little more make-up, that I needed to lose just a few more pounds and that I needed to study just a few more hours even though I knew the material like the back of my hand. Growing up a girl, this is a taunting voice to hear especially when you hear it almost everyday.
As girls, we have it instilled in us from a very young age what the expectations of the "All American Girl" is supposed to be. I learned that she was a 5'6, tan, physically fit, has facial features chiseled from stone, straight-A student who was involved in every extracurricular activity offered. I tried to be this girl for so long- well, except the 5'6 part, the Lord only blessed me with 5 feet and 2 inches.
The more I tried to be this girl, the more unhappy I was. At 11, I didn't want to live anymore because I was bullied for some reason that made me believe I wasn't a good enough person. At 13, I wanted to starve myself because I was a size 6 and not a size 2. At 16, I cried myself to sleep at night because I felt so much pressure to be someone I wasn't. At 18, I developed anxiety and fell into a depression that caused me to lose 30 pounds in a month, my hair to thin excessively and my grades to slip farther than they ever have because I couldn't handle the pressure of college and everything else that was changing in my life. I was a literal train wreck.
You're probably wondering at this point why I am telling you all of this. It's because I want you to know you're not alone. You may think that all of your friends don't deal with the same issues you do, but if they were being 100% honest, they would tell you that they deal with it, too. Some girls hide it a lot better than others. The girl that you think has it all together and has this fabulous life is probably the same girl who's more insecure than anyone they know. I learned how to hide mine very well and because I suppressed all of my emotions and insecurities, I only hurt myself more. It wasn't until the end of my freshman year of college when I finally learned to be honest with myself. I finally had to face the truth.
It's time for you to face the truth, too. We're all a mess and we all have the same insecure thoughts. But, we don't have to let them control our lives. God has made you divine, special and one of a kind. There is not another girl on Earth who can fulfill the important plan that has been developed for your life; it's only for you. When I face times of insecurity, or I wonder how I'll ever measure up, I have to stop and make myself think of three positive things about myself. Once you find these three things, that one, simple insecurity feels so small and unimportant.
"You're not alone for I am here
Let me wipe away your every fear
My love, I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest night
And I'm the One who's loved you all your life
All your life" - "You're Not Alone" by Meredith Andrews
You are loved far beyond anything you could ever know or imagine by a Man who not only created you, but sent someone to die for you. You have purpose, you are special and you are loved despite any insecurity you deal with. I pray that God will reveal to you just how truly amazing you are. In case you ever need any reminders, below is a list of scripture for the bad days:
~Ephesians 6:10-14
~Romans 10:12
~1 Samuel 16:7
~1 Peter 3:4
~Ephesians 2:19-22
~Psalms 46:5
