I am going to cut to the chase: when I was younger, I did not feel particularly pretty. After all, I did not have the physical features that were generally considered to be attractive. Mind you, I fully understand that what is or is not attractive is subjective. But during the ages of 12 to 15, that concept was not well understood by me or by anyone, I suppose. How could we? Anything slightly “unusual” or “different” about us made it automatically more difficult to fit in. Needless to say, whether it was because of the teasing or the bullying, or a combination of those things, along with personal insecurities concerning what I deemed as my flaws, “beautiful” was not something that I felt.

Looking back though, I know exactly what moments in my life (which I will definitely never share in a public medium — so have fun guessing, readers) changed my thought process. These were events that did not necessarily make me feel beautiful — but they taught me how to stand up for myself, how to believe in myself, how to be confident. I will admit that a large part of my confidence, or rather realizing my own personal strengths, occurred when specific moments in my life showed me that how I interact with others, how I behave and carry myself in public can truly impact how others perceive me. Again, this was not a realization of how others can think I am beautiful; rather, this was how I learned what can make people respect me and not regard me as someone who is timid and insecure.

With all of that said, as I changed my tone of voice or the pace of my walk, I realized that I felt self-confidence. It was not necessarily a fake it 'til you make it situation, but it was a change in perspective. All of a sudden I started to feel more invincible, and eventually my insecurities started to disappear. Now I am not going to exaggerate; there are days and moments when certain insecurities can pop back up — but those are momentary. For the most part, I can say that how I walk, carry myself, or like to perceive the world is through my own confidence, through a sense that I have power over my future, over my actions, over how I am looked at as well. I do not know if being confident makes someone automatically beautiful, but what I can say is that it certainly makes anyone — no matter how they look or what flaws they have — feel beautiful.