In a world with social media on the rise and society becoming increasingly picky in terms of women, it is inevitable that women, especially, are going to compare themselves to other women.

I am not here to say that every woman is unhappy with herself and therefore looks to compare herself to those women who surround her, but rather I am here to say that I don't compare myself to other women because I am unhappy with myself. I do not compare myself to other women in an attempt to make myself feel better. I compare myself to other women because social media and society force me to.

Dear women in society I compare myself to, this one is for you.

I want you to know that I compare myself to you because I look up to you. Because you are superior to me and I want to be like you. I compare myself to you because I want to be better for myself and seeing you thrive and grow makes me want to do the same. I compare myself to you because you are beautiful — like, strikingly beautiful. I want to be strikingly beautiful, too. I compare myself to you because you are graceful.

You hold everything in your gentle hands as though it is glass. The way that you treat everything, from your steering wheel to the fork you hold at dinner. That is how I want to treat the world that surrounds me. You are a swan. I want to be a swan. They are so gentle, so humble, and so beautiful.

I am not a swan. I am more of an Eagle. I'm bold, loud, and always searching for adventure. Society wants women to be swans. This is why I compare myself to you.

I compare myself to you because Instagram tells me that my size 14 jeans make me unworthy of love and happiness, but your size 6 is desirable and deserving.

Society constantly tells me to compare myself to you. I do not compare myself to you because I am insecure — I'm not. I do not compare myself to you because I am unhappy — I'm not. I compare myself to you for the simple fact that I adore you. I adore the way that your smile acts like the sun. I adore the way that your laugh fills any room you're in. I adore you, so I compare myself to you.

I do not place blame on society for me comparing myself to you. I do not see it as bad for me to compare myself to you, because we are both beautiful. We are equal. We are the same. I am not superior to you and you are not superior to me.

I adore you, you should take pride in the fact that I adore you so much to the point where I want to change myself to be like you.

You are the American girl that Carrie Underwood sings about. The one that is described in The Great Gatsby. You're the daughter, friend, woman, and co-worker every woman wants to be like. You, my dear, are a trendsetter. You make me want to be better for my sisters who surround me.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be like Gandhi or Gloria Steinem. These people were trendsetters of their time and comparing yourself to a trendsetter? That's pretty cool.

Take pride in comparing yourself to trendsetters. Take pride in who you are, who you have been, and who you are becoming. Take pride in comparing.

Love,

The eagle in the flock of swans