Okay here's the deal. I want you to get up, yes you, right now. Walk to the closest mirror and look at yourself. Really inspect every aspect of you. Now say this, "I am beautiful." Good, now say it again. But do you believe it? (You really should.) If not, say it again. And again, until you believe it is true. My mother used to make me do this when I felt bad about myself. I didn't always want to do it but it really did help, especially when I was questioning my self worth. In the craziness of life we often forget to recognize the beauty that we behold in ourselves and on the outside of ourselves.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that outer beauty doesn't matter, because I know how hard that is to believe for girls and women (and guys too). But I will tell you that your inner beauty will forever outshine the shell that you are put in. The outside of you doesn't define YOU, and whoever tells you differently is very very wrong. However, you need to be able to recognize the beauty you have in all that you are.

Your body is a body worth loving. You shouldn't be harassing yourself because you don't look like that Victoria Secret model that "slays" the runway, or that Hollister model with his chiseled (fake) abs. There's this idea in society that we all have to look the same. But the funniest thing to me is that this is a completely impossible and ridiculous standard to try and follow. Not a single person on God's green earth looks, acts, or is exactly the same. We were created to be individuals that are beautiful in our own ways (this includes personality).

Would you like to know something else? You're beautiful because you are YOU. Because of your stretch marks, because of your acne scars, because of your pudgy cheeks. You should be reminding yourself of this everyday too. I know reading the words of a stranger, and trying to believe that they are true is difficult, but PLEASE trust me on this.

Another thing all of us should be keeping in mind, is the power of cheering on others. If someone feels beautiful or good in what they are wearing, who are you to judge? Think about the last time you walked out of the house feeling that "DAMN I LOOK GOOD" attitude, and remember that the person you might be judging could be having a day like that!! And what would be the point of bringing them down anyways?

And a last thing. When I say that your body is a body worth loving, I don't mean it should only be loved by another person. I mean it should be loved by you. You should be recognizing the worth you have. The worth that you usually associate with your looks, is the worth that you should associate with your good good heart. Whoever you love should love all aspects of you. Including your crinkly smile, your "big" thighs (trust me, they are fine the way they are), and even your messy hair. Because these aren't flaws, but quite simply are just some things that enhance your unique, natural and flawless beauty.

Your body type doesn't define you, and neither does your weight. You are beautiful. YOU are beautiful. You ARE beautiful. You are BEAUTIFUL. Do you believe me now?