“Just because you don’t look like somebody who you think is attractive doesn’t mean you aren’t attractive. Flowers are pretty but so are Christmas lights and they look nothing alike.” -Unknown

Growing up, I always had trouble accepting who I was and what I looked like. I was never the skinniest, or the prettiest, and that always held me back from showing my true personality. After many years, I've learned to accept who I am and not care what others think. Don’t get me wrong, there have still been times where I missed going out with friends because I couldn’t find an outfit that would hide my arms or make my stomach look flat. But looking back, every single time I have regretted it and I have friends that can attest to that. If I go out in something I don’t feel 100 percent comfortable in, I don’t wake up the next morning questioning why I wore what I wore. It’s a new day and I have other things to worry about. Why should we care what others think of us? If someone doesn’t like you based on the way you look, that’s their problem and THEY are the ones who need to fix something about themselves.

However, if you do want to change something about yourself make sure you’re doing it for yourself and not the irrelevant boy who won’t give you a second glance, or the girls who would make fun of you for looking different than them. If you want to lose weight, good for you! A friend of mine once asked me what my reason was for wanting to lose weight and I told him that I was doing it for the “revenge bod.” I wanted to get back at every single guy who had ever turned me down because of the way I looked. Every time I tried to lose weight for that reason, I failed. Now, five tries later and a whole lot of sweat, I’m finally starting to see my hard work pay off. This time however, I am doing it for myself. Just imagine how much more energy you’ll have and how much happier and confident you’ll be. Don’t worry about what others think because the chance of having someone in your life for a long time that didn’t accept you for who you are, is .03 percent give or take.

When it comes down to it, we don’t have all of the time in the world, so focus on yourself. Eat that extra piece of pie...or don’t. It’s your decision and only yours.