Throughout our lives, we look at photos of picture-perfect women in magazines, movies, and television.The truth is, however, there is no such thing as a perfect person. We have been brainwashed into thinking that we have to be this tall, skinny, and beautiful girl, when in reality, you are perfect just the way you are!
Whether you are a size two or a size ten, it doesn't matter. Whether you wear the entire make-up department or keep it simple, you are still beautiful.
So many girls, including myself, have gone through a time in which they don't feel beautiful. They see all of their friends, who all happen to be drop dead gorgeous, getting all the guys, and we find ourselves in the background wondering when it will be your turn. So many girls let the idea of not looking like the girl on the front cover of a magazine hurt their self-esteem that they end up starving themselves to get thin or binge eating because they see no point in changing themselves.
We get so worried about being "pretty" that we end up looking like something completely opposite of who we really are. You think that if you have this shirt or that pair of shoes, then you will be pretty. If you wear this brand of make-up, it will make boys notice you. If you act this way and put yourself out there in this manner, then you will finally fit in.
We get sucked into thinking that all of these things are true and ultimately end up hating the person in the mirror. Beauty is not about a pretty face; it is about having a pretty heart, a pretty soul, and a pretty mind. Beauty from within, the beauty that we receive from our Heavenly Father, is far more beautiful than what any make-up or outfit can give us. You must be the girl that you want to be, not the girl the world wants you to be.
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see a girl who constantly changes to try and meet all the hottest trends? Do you see a girl who looks completely foreign to her friends and family? Or do you see a girl who knows her worth? Who knows her beauty? A girl who stands confident in who she is? A girl who builds others up with her words about how she didn't let her self doubt change her?
When your beauty shines from within, you are able to shed that self-confident light on other girls who feel the same way you felt. You are able to show them that they were made in God's image, and there is no greater beauty.
"Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, magical person that you are" (Mandy Hale).
