Accepting and loving my body is something I have had immense difficulty with over the years. Especially going into college where all I've known it to be is what I've seen in movies and on TV.

The so-called 'norm' of what is considered 'beautiful' today seems to be these stick-thin model-like girls who barely weight 100 pounds or celebrities who have curves that have been surgically altered to the point where it's unattainable for a typical person to acquire such body characteristics. Listen, I understand fully that not every body type is the same — some of us aren't blessed with long legs and perfect bone structure.

Now, when I say 'perfect,' that in itself is a huge problem. Our society has trained me, and many other young women around the globe, into considering what is 'perfect' and 'imperfect' on a human body. It's sad truly. I look in the mirror and I can't even accept myself sometimes — I can't even except who I am because of how society has molded my brain. I know I am not alone when it comes to this issue.

Hollywood has made me believe that weighing over 130 is not okay and that wearing anything above a size 2 is considered 'plus size.' It's disgusting to think that our society is training so many young girls into hating themselves for the way God made them.

We all need to take a step back and consider how we make people around us feel. When I say that, I'm really talking to the heads of big business; i.e., advertising agencies, modeling agencies, talent agencies. We all ned to focus not on how people look and whether or not they are considered 'beautiful' but instead on the beauty ofsomeone and the good and kindness they can show us from their hearts.

I'm sick and tired of feeling that I am not good enough or that I don't measure up to people's expectations when it comes to myself and my body. As I approach 20 years old, I've come to realize that the less I care about what people think of me, the happier I become. Now, that being said, it's pretty much impossible to stop caring what people think altogether — that's a part of human nature, to feel like you need to be accepted. It's not something we can necessarily all control. However, it is something we can try to take the focus away from.

So I'm writing this article to bring to light the terrible things that society makes young girls feel. I'm writing from the perspective of a girl who has faced this hate and judgment head-on and first-hand. I've felt ashamed of myself one too many times to not finally stand up for myself and say something about how I feel.

I hope others will stand with me and share their stories as well. Body positivity is something that should be a daily focus — it's something that women (and men too!) should be able to embrace fully. No one should have to feel as if they're not good enough because of the standards and 'norms' of society.

When it comes down to it, we are all of the same design. How you choose to define yourself is up to you, and how to choose to treat others is up to you as well. Learn to treat others with love and respect, and in turn, they will do the same to you.

Side note: There has been some progress in the world of modeling in recent years. The magazine Sports Illustrated just featured it's first plus-size model, Ashley Graham, on its annual Swimsuit Edition.