Being a recent high school graduate, I look back on the past four years and wonder what I wish I would have known when I was a freshman. Everyone learns lessons throughout their high school years and life in general, but there are definitely some that are more important than others. For me, being confident in who I am all four years of high school would have made my experience much better.

Up until probably the second semester of my senior year, I dealt with insecurities mostly about what other people thought about me and how I measured up to my peers. I am a serious Christian and always knew comparison never ended well, but I just could not help it. I fell into the trap of comparing myself to others around me quite frequently. This was the root of my lack of confidence. Actually, I would go as far as to say it is a root of anyone's lack of confidence especially in the age of social media, followers, and likes.

The most ironic part of it all is that most people really thought I was confident. I had many people ask me how I was able to just not care what anyone ever said about me, and I would never really have an answer since I actually did care a lot about the opinions of others. I attempted the "Fake it till you make it" motto, but truth be told, it never worked for me. There was only one thing that successfully did that job: the Bible.

I was raised in a Christian home, so reading the Bible was a common thing for me. I knew that God called me beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made, and chosen. It wasn't that I was unaware of those words: I just did not really believe them if I am being completely honest. It was weird; one day I just decided I wanted to see myself the way this book described me as.

I prayed that God would start showing me what He sees, to let me see this beloved daughter He talked about. It was not before long that I caught myself smiling more and comparing less. I started to see my peers as the amazing people God made them to be but still not better than me. I recognized that every person is special to the Lord and that He has given us all admirable qualities. It transformed the way I lived.

Believing what the Word of God says about me completely changed the game for me. It all came down to knowing the Truth and letting that Truth set me free. When I realized that Jesus Christ thought I was worth sacrificing His life for, it did not seem that difficult to have self-confidence. Was I exactly like the people around me? No, but I was exactly who my God created me to be. That is more than enough for me, and I believe with all of my heart it can do the same for anyone.