OK, everyone. Grab a couple friends and sit in a circle. We’re going to do a little exercise that I participated in with my sorority sisters today.

This might be difficult for you, but bear with me.

Here’s how it works: you’re all going to go around and share something you feel insecure about. For me, I sometimes struggle with the fact that I’m not smart enough or talented enough to be with the people around me. School has always been something I’ve enjoyed, but it can get really hard and really overwhelming for me, especially when I feel like everyone around me is getting 4.60 GPAs without any stress.

Once you’ve done that, turn to the person your right, and give them a compliment. While it was hard for me to be vulnerable and share something I struggle with, it was so incredibly easy for me to turn to my best friend and name every characteristic about her that I admire.

In turn, I had no idea that my sister on my left saw me as a role model. This activity was taken from the curriculum from my sorority’s philanthropic organization, Girls on the Run. While this program is designed for girls in grades third through fifth, I have recently found out how much it means to me and how much it has impacted the way I view myself as a strong woman.

I know I’m not alone when I say sometimes, I look in the mirror and I’m not happy with what I see. I’m not a size two, I’m pretty short, and I think I have a big nose.

Internally, I struggle with feeling anxious and feeling like I’m not good enough. It is so easy to overanalyze all of the little things about yourself that you feel unhappy with, but it is so hard to admit all of the things that you love about yourself.

I don’t know if it’s a purely societal thing, a purely internalized thing, or a mixture of the two, but why have we made it so hard to name the things you’re happy with?

Is it a fear of sounding arrogant or self-centered?

Whatever it is, it doesn’t make sense to me. Why should I live my life by tearing myself down?

Thanks to one short lesson from the Girls on the Run curriculum, I have decided to take a conscious action towards putting myself and others up. I felt absolutely ridiculous sharing my insecurity with a group of women who clearly did not agree with me. It was so hard to say because, in my mind, I already knew they would think I was crazy for even entertaining the thought that I’m not smart for one second.

The point of this activity was to remind us all that you are your own worst critic. Your friends, your family, your professors, and your dogs think you’re an amazing person with a gorgeous soul and a thirst for success. Girls on the Run is truly a beautiful and preventative organization working to instill this healthy set of thoughts in girls’ heads at an early age.

The lessons and messages are so applicable to every woman, whether or not you have participated in the program. It taught me that next time I look in the mirror, I’m going to tell myself how good I look and how proud of myself I am for being exactly who I am.

I know it won’t be easy, but I invite you to join me in the movement. Let’s build each other up, not tear each other down.