I never thought of myself as pretty. I was smart, and kind, and sympathetic, and sensitive, and a good listener and hard working. I am still all of these things. But I never said I was pretty.

I see girls today who try; they try hard to fit in, to look a certain way, to fit a beauty standard set in magazines and social media that is not in any way realistic. They want to be pretty, sexy, gorgeous, hot. They want to stand out, be the girl that girls want to be and guys want to be with.

Sometimes, I feel like I should be like them. Sometimes, I think that maybe, just maybe, if I dressed differently or did my hair differently, somebody would look at me differently. Sometimes I feel low because I don't exude confidence like they do; I don't fit into their beauty standard. I can't pull off the outfits they chose to wear or the way they kill their hair slowly with heat.

Sure, I'll wear a dress and straighten my hair, but I still don't fit that ideal that no one will ever fit.

Why do we even try?

Why is it that some girls feel so pressured to look and dress a certain way, to act a certain way? Why is it that promiscuity is okay for young girls? Why is it that girls will look at you differently just based on your personal style and clothing choices? I don't get it.

As I get older, I begin to realize that it doesn't matter. What social media says is beautiful doesn't matter. The "ideal" beauty standard doesn't matter. Dirty looks from other girls don't matter.

What does matter is that you are a decent human being; that you are kind to others, empathetic to their needs. It matters that you believe in yourself, that you have passion. It matters that you have dreams, whether they are big or small. That's all that matters. Not how you dress or how pretty you are. Because everyone, and I mean everyone, has a part of themselves that is beautiful. It can shine through bad moods and stress, through makeup and clothing; it can shine through anything you put over it. But nothing, nothing can dim the beauty that is life itself. So just know, because you are living, breathing, reading this...you are beautiful to me, and you are loved.