Dear all young girls out there,

Society and media are different today than they used to be and it’s hard to stay true to who you really are. But please, do what makes you happy and be 110 percent your true self. You will thank yourself for it later.

All of those flawless girls out there on Instagram, don’t feel pressured to look or be like them. A lot of those images are edited and covered with filters; that’s not how they look outside of social media. Every single one of you out there is beautiful just the way you are. Every feature about you is what makes you an individual rather than just another face in the crowd. Embrace every single one of your features and learn to love them. If you’re smaller than other girls, embrace it. If you’re bigger than other girls, embrace it. Love yourself whether or not you have the “perfect” body. Notice how perfect is in quotations, there is no such thing as the perfect body. It is just something that the media has tried to push upon you. Everyone has the perfect body. Remember to always love yourself no matter what.

Do whatever makes you happy. The only way that you can be truly happy is if you are being true to yourself and doing what you want. When you are participating in something that you don’t enjoy you’re not going to be happy. So why do it? If you like science, pursue it. If you like fashion and beauty, pursue it. No matter what it is go for it. Don’t be afraid of others judging you for it. Most of the time those people are just jealous that you are out there following your dreams while they are just following other people. Be a leader rather than a follower. By doing what makes you happy, and following you dreams, you could inspire so many other young girls to do the same.

Don’t live to impress other people, live to impress yourself. So many people are going to tell you “you won’t make friends if you do that” or “boys aren’t going to like you unless you look a certain way." All of that is so ridiculous. If someone isn’t going to be your friend because you look or don’t look a certain way, or if you do or don’t do a certain thing, then good. Your friends shouldn’t judge you like that. Your friends should be people who like you for who you are no matter what you look like or what you are interested in. Don’t worry about looking a certain way to get a boy’s attention. If a boy, or anyone else, is only concerned with your look, then they aren’t worth it. The right person will like you for more than that. They will like you for your personality, your morals, the little quirks you have and they will think you’re absolutely beautiful just the way you are. Live to impress yourself. Do things you’re proud of, things you are passionate about and don’t worry about what other people think. The right people will come into your life and they will like you just the way you are.

To all of the young girls out there, society and media are going to try to influence you in so many ways. They are going to tell you that you need to look a certain way and like certain things. They are also going to tell you that if you don’t do any of that then people aren’t going to like you. Don’t listen to them. Be you, pursue your dreams and impress yourself. Later on in life, you are going to be so glad you did.