Where does beauty come from? Who defines beauty, who gets to decide what is beautiful and what is not? What is the criteria to be beautiful, and where are the requirements? The fact of the matter is that it does not exist. The cliche is that beauty stems from within. Yes, we all come from different shapes and sizes, different religions and cultures, different souls and different faiths. Different—that is what we are, so how can we label one specific thing as beautiful?
To be beautiful, you need to love yourself, be comfortable in your skin and most importantly, accept who you are. Yes, looking at media and even at our peers makes us feel like we are not that kind of beauty that is classified as society's definition of the word. But it does not mean that we are not beautiful. Being beautiful comes from doing what you have always wanted and not letting anything stop you. Being beautiful comes from seeing the good in people when their exterior screams out evil. Being beautiful comes from being able to be strong at our lowest points, to see the sun and pick ourselves up, to get that dirt off our shoulders. Being beautiful is looking past the remarks, the "you can't," the "you're not good enough," and taking it all as a grain of salt. A compilation of this all signifies that we are beautiful to be ourselves, to be strong and to make a difference, first and foremost for ourselves and for others. Our strength and our rise is beautiful. Just because we do not have the perfect smile with cute dimples and wear a size two and still have a cute butt with long wavy hair does not mean we are not beautiful.
Although we will have our moments and feel like we do not look like models and Instagram-famous girls, we should know that these factors are not what make us beautiful. Having an abundance of likes and a plethora of retweets over a silly little selfie does not determine if we are beautiful or not. In the grand scheme of things, these posts will mean nothing down the line. Do you really believe that a picture of yours from two weeks ago will determine the value of your beauty for the rest of your life? Absolutely not.
Do not let someone tell you what you are not when there is no definition. Do not let the Internet and social media make you feel like you are not beautiful when there is no clear definition. At the end of every day, wake up and smell—not the coffee or the roses or the sunshine—but smell and taste the chance of eagerness and the chance to be something and someone you were not yesterday. Let out your inner beautiful. And if you need to, blast "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera every single morning as you start your day to remind yourself that you are beautiful, that no one can tell you otherwise or make you feel differently. Wear a smile on your face and your heart on your sleeve because you are and always will be beautiful with that mindset.
