Growing up during the reign of the Kardashians, Photoshop, and double-zero-size supermodels, it isn’t easy being a girl. Society is constantly telling women we need to make changes in order to be seen as beautiful. It also tells us all that beauty is something that can be measured. Whether that beauty is measured by how much you weigh, the price tag on your clothes, or the number of likes on an Instagram picture. In my personal opinion, beauty has no definition because beauty comes from within each individual. Every single person in this world was born to be different, and it's about time we celebrate all the diverse qualities that make us who we are.
It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from within you—the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. This beauty will never disappear and it is worth very much to God. - 1 Peter 3:3-4
This is one of my favorite Bible quotes, and for a good reason. This verse says that materialistic objects aren't what make you beautiful, it’s what is inside of you that truly is beautiful. Something as temporary as looks fade and disappear, but your personality and inner beauty will never diminish. Most people believe that beauty is something to be seen with the eye however, beauty is actually naked from the eye—it comes from a place within. Beauty starts from the inside and will radiate out in all of the things you do with love.
“You don’t have to try so hard, you don’t have to bend until you break. You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up, you don’t have to change a single thing.”"Try" - Colbie Caillat
"Try" is a beautiful, empowering, uplifting song that is relevant to all young ladies. Fitting in is an urge that most people feel in their lives, especially at a young, impressionable age. This song lets you know that you shouldn’t have to try to be anything, you shouldn’t have to try to lose weight or try for a guy or girl or even lose your innocence just because it feels like everyone else is doing it. Celebrate your individualism and make sure that you love who you are because that is the only person that matters.
“Believe in yourself and you can be anything” - Unknown
My mama has told me this quote from a young age, and I use it as a constant reminder that I can do anything because I am who I am. College is a very stressful time: picking out a major followed with all of the grueling coursework that comes from it can be discouraging. You start to question yourself and doubt if you would make a wonderful teacher or scientist or whatever you want to be once you graduate. Believe in yourself, power through your midterms, and do the best you can do. Imagine your future, don’t be afraid to dream, then fight like hell to make those dreams a reality. I believe in all of you, and it’s about time you start believing in yourselves as well.
“My great hope for us as young women is to start being kinder to ourselves so that we can be kinder to each other. To stop shaming ourselves and other people: ‘too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, too anything.’ There’s a sense that we’re all ‘too’ something, and we’re all not enough. This is life. Our bodies change. Our minds change. Our hearts change.” – Emma Stone
I believe it’s time for all of us women as a whole to ban together to start lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down and allowing others to do the same. Once we start nitpicking all of the qualities we don’t like about ourselves, we enable others to do the same. However, once girls start to compliment themselves, they are seen as cocky or conceited. This double standard needs to stop! Society, media, strangers, friends, family, and most importantly, you, need to stop the shaming of ourselves and others. When you hear someone complimenting themselves, applaud them for doing so, and encourage them to continue to find more and more parts they love. Inner beauty is something we should all celebrate.
Living in a world trying to manipulate what society deems as beautiful can be very difficult, especially as a young woman. However, if we all remember that beauty doesn’t have a definition, and that beauty comes from within each individual, this world would be a more positive, uplifting place. Cherish and love all of your wonderful qualities that make you, you and remember that you are Be-You-TiFul!
