Numbers. They’re arithmetic values that surround us on a daily basis and sadly in today’s society, “determine” who we are as individuals. We have been trained to think that numbers determine our worth as human beings and anything less than the societal determined “average” number puts us on a scale of failure.

I am here to tell you today that we are worth more than the number on the scale.

We are worth more than the size of our jeans. We are worth more than our test percentages. We are worth more than our GPA. We are worth more than the followers and likes we have on any social media platform. We are worth more than the annual income our jobs will make. We are worth more than all these numerical values that we have trusted and depended on to determine who we are for way too long.

We are all so focused on numbers that we often lose sight of what’s actually important in the one life we are living in, and that’s just us living the best life and making it worthwhile. We should be focusing on feeling good about ourselves and being in good shape for our unique body types instead of comparing it to everyone else’s.

We should be focusing on the effort and hard work we put towards a goal we set for ourselves instead of putting ourselves down if we don’t get the specific grade we wanted.

We need to stop thinking we are "nothing" or a "failure."

We should be posting photos on social media, not for the validation of our peers, but because we personally want to share a special moment with everyone else or because we feel good about how we look. We shouldn’t belittle other people’s jobs if they make less than $100,000 a year or think we need to have a job that satisfies this aspect in order to be "happy" or feel "fulfilled."

The things that should actually matter to us is what’s going on in the world and if we’re playing our part in helping others in need and if we’re being the best version of ourselves because we want to be, not because there are expectations we “need” to fill.

We should be thankful for the little things in life and not worry so much about where we belong on the scale.

We are all going at our own pace in learning new things and understanding everything that goes on around us, so we shouldn’t fall into the trap of having the mindset of getting to the “finish line” at the same time.

So, the next time you feel bad because it’s not the number you wanted to see, pick up your head and remind yourself that no number will ever define who you are. Remind yourself that you are bigger and better than just some number.