We live in a world dominated by social media. You could ask anyone on the street and I can guarantee you they have an Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Your rank in society is now based on how many likes you get or followers you have; opposed to the kind of person you are. While social networking can be a positive when it comes to keeping in touch with friends or family that are a decent distance away, it is also a pivotal turning point for peoples self esteem.
Social media outlets are a cutthroat place. You’re criticized for not being pretty enough and then being too pretty. People will call you fat whether you’re a size zero or a size 12. With such a negative environment people begin feeling insecure if they don’t get a certain amount of likes on a picture of them when another person can post the same picture and get 200 likes more than you. Personally, I believe that this needs to stop. I wish we lived in a world that lacked when it came to social media, but we don’t. We can though start having more self confidence and believe in ourselves instead of comparing ourselves to others.
So girls (and guys) stand up for yourselves. Believe in yourself. You are beautiful. No one is going to care if you applying for a job as a teacher and you don’t have a six pack. No one is going to fire you for having too many freckles or frizzy hair. No one is going to reprimand you for being in too good of shape or having big muscles. No one is going to care.
At the end of the day, it’s about being the best person you can be. I personally have struggled with a lack of confidence over the years. I was bullied in middle school by girls who mean absolutely nothing to me now. At the time it seemed like their opinion about me mattered but in reality it didn’t because I’m doing well now and they’re the ones with the issues. I always felt self conscious about my body. I felt that I wasn’t skinny enough or that my arms were too big, but you know what, I love my body and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m athletic, and I’ve always been bigger but I don’t care. It took me a very long time to realize it, but I am beautiful; just like everyone else in the world. No two people are the same; everyone has different physical attributes that separate them from the rest of humanity.
At 20 years old, I am finally comfortable in my own body and I can finally say that I have self confidence. You can’t let people hold you back or belittle you. Whether it’s a parent, a boyfriend, a friend or even just irrelevant people at school you need to remove them from your life because you deserve so much better. Do whatever makes you happy. If you want to get in shape then do it and give it all you got. It’s the moments when you throw yourself into something that make you happy; that's how you will finally start to feel confident. Confidence needs to come from within, not the amount of likes you get on Instagram. Newsflash -- half the people on Instagram edit their photos, anyway, so they don’t even look like that in real life.
So, when the day comes to an end, be happy with yourself. Be confident and stay fierce because at the end of the day we're all beautiful in our own way.
