At the end of the day or the end of your life, all you really have are you and your beliefs. With that being said, who cares what people think of you. It is not like impressing the world is going to make Justin Bieber choose you over Hailey Baldwin. Fine, you want Harry Styles? Well, nobody even knows what he is doing anymore... like honestly, does anybody know what he is doing anymore?
But in reality, the only person you should be worrying about "winning over" is yourself.
If you can say that seeing pretty girls with pretty faces or the picture perfect couple every time you open your phone does not decrease the minimal self-confidence you have, I am proud of you. However, for me, that is not the case. It seems that every time I open my phone, my self-worth seems to decrease like the battery on an iPhone 5 without a charger... fast. The groundbreaking solution that I have been trying to discover ever since I begged my mom to let me have an Instagram when I was thirteen is that "those people" are just people too. No, like literally. They are not some artificially made human that is here to ruin your life. They have flaws and imperfections but maybe they are just better at hiding them then we are. Either way, there is nothing wrong with you.
You do not need two cups of flour, half a cup of sugar, one large egg, and half a stick of melted butter to create a happy life. There is no recipe; it is simply just making the most out of every situation. Capture the simple moments because those are the ones that always turn out the best. The worst thing that could happen to any of us is to lay on our death bed and just think "Did I care too much?"
If it does not make you happy DO NOT DO IT. Sounds simple, I know, but I promise you that you do not have to post a picture with that girl who is your friend but is not really your friend just because you think she would be upset if you posted a picture with someone else. Plus, you do not need friends like that anyways. But really, do not overthink everything; just do what makes your heart happy.
Sometimes you just have to be a little selfish. No, I am not asking you to be the next Sharpay. You do not need iced tea imported from England, however... lifeguards from Spain would be nice. But in all honesty, this society throws expectations and standards on us like we are dogs playing fetch. Say no! You do not HAVE to be everything they tell you to be and more. You are beautiful!!
It might seem like I need to practice what I preach, and unfortunately, you are correct. I am not a perfect human being with perfect advice so here is my imperfect advice: be a kind human, be a giving human, be a caring human. But never be a human that lets others tear happiness from you. After all, we are all perfectly imperfect and imperfectly perfect. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made and nobody can take that away from you, so do not let them try.
Do not let your life go by living in the fear of embarrassment. Embrace the journey.
P.S. There is nothing worse than letting a moment go by without saying I love you. Everyone always deserves a lil' bit of love. Just imagine a world of love, for others and for ourselves.
