I’m sure I’m not the only person who looks in the mirror sometimes and hates what they see. I find myself actually searching for flaws to make myself feel even worse. I’m the worst about making sure that I know every single thing that is wrong with me before someone else sees it. So why do I focus on the things that I think are wrong with me when there are so many things that people compliment me for?

I haven’t gotten to the bottom of why I search for flaws, but I have learned to accept a compliment when I receive it. So as I sit and write this I have several flaws that come to mind, but I also remember the compliments that I am given.

These are the reasons that I love myself:

1. My smile

Wow, this one has not always been easy. Growing up I always got picked on because I had a gap between my two front teeth. It got to where I hardly ever smiled, and when I did I never showed my teeth. My mom always told me to smile more because I was beautiful, but I didn’t feel it. When I got to college I finally had the opportunity to get braces. Since I’ve had braces I’ve become a whole new person. I smile all the time, and I love showing off my teeth. (I still have the braces.) Because of me smiling all the time I have people compliment my smile. I had someone tell me that I have a million dollar smile, and someone else told me that my smile lights up my whole face. Because of people like this I have learned to love my smile.

2. My personality

Man, I know this makes me sound like I think a lot of myself, but I’ve come to love my personality. I’ve always been super shy, but over the past couple of years I’ve opened up a little and ventured outside my shell. I laugh all the time, and I’m always making little jokes (some would call my jokes sarcasm), but I love to make people laugh.

3. My heart

I have a big heart. I love everybody and I would do just about anything for any of my family or friends. When I love, I love hard. My family absolutely means the world to me. And my friends, I am always there to support them in everything they do. I don’t always agree with them, but I support them no matter what because I love them.

4. My brain

This one is weird I know, but I love it. I’m nowhere near being a genius, but I know things and I feel like what I know is important. And I know my brain will get me places in my future, because I make good decisions.

5. My salvation

Wow, of course she threw this one in there. Yes I did, because this is the thing I love most about myself. God has saved me from heartache that was unnecessary, but gave me heartache that was necessary. He is the reason I am the person I am today. I owe everything to God.

To be honest, this was hard to admit. It’s not about making myself look good, it’s about letting everyone know that they should love themselves as well. What you love about yourself could be anything. I know I’m not in love with my looks, but since I don’t love my looks I make up for it by loving other things about myself. We all struggle with accepting ourselves. But trust me, you're not the only one who loves those things about you.