Numbers have dominated this generation. Although we are stuck momentarily, we have the potential to escape. It is time that we acknowledge the plethora of ways in which numbers have influenced how certain concepts and ideas must be viewed by not only ourselves, but the individuals surrounding us.

PART ONE

The most prominent form of which numbers have been detrimental to our society is in correspondence with body image. Even though this is a sensitive topic to discuss, it is one that must be addressed in an appropriate manner.

Growing up, I have never been the type of person that was petite or extremely fit. On the contrary, I have also never been the type of person that was overweight or had excessive fat content. Because I was more of an athletic build and never on either end of this so-called “body image spectrum,” a lot of people would assume that my body was normal and completely healthy. However, many would be surprised to hear that I have always been struggling with accepting my physique.

Back in middle school, everyone went through that super awkward stage. It was inevitable. I never really felt the need to stress about my appearance, and no one else necessarily judged my appearance, either. Honestly, though, no one really cared simply because people were not judgmental of each other.

Eventually that awkward stage vanished once high school started. We all began to grow up and mature a little bit day by day, which led to the judgmental phase. High school often felt like a competition that never ended; a competition that I never wanted to exist in the first place. A lot of my peers often felt the need to compare as many attributes as they possibly could with others to prove that they were far superior. It was awful to deal with. Why could I not just live my life how I wanted to without the fear of being criticized by others?

Day after day, I would somehow come across a new physical characteristic that would be considered a “flaw.” I began to feel so self-conscious to the point where I was never happy with my body. Those flaws began to take over. They followed me into the dressing room at clothing stores, where I was reminded that I could not wear that cute top because I did not have the right figure to pull it off. They followed me into the bathroom, as I would weigh myself and frown upon the number that was shown on the scale. They followed me into my sports, because I wanted to be super fit and muscular, but never was. No matter how hard I worked to be happy with myself, it was never enough. I was kind of trapped and did not have a single thought as to what I could do next. But then, I came to the sudden realization that I was stressing on this a little too much. Why was I overly worried about something that hardly mattered?

Now, I am starting to learn how to love myself and my body image. I love my freckles, as they represent a sky filled with stars waiting to be connected into further constellations. I love my eyebrows, as they are fierce, just like my personality. I love my smile, as it symbolizes my happiness and joy that I find in every single day. I love the shape and color of my eyes, as they serve as a way to look deeper into my soul.

This is just the start, though. By no means does this mean that I will stop working for the body that I desire. Rather, this is just a way for me to realize that I should focus on loving myself no matter what, simply because this is the body I was given and I should use it to my advantage. I would much rather live my life to the fullest and embark on the journey of a lifetime than feel stuck worrying about how I look.

I hope you feel this way, too.

Our society’s beauty standards and definitions for “perfection” has become quite outrageous. I am not perfect, and I bet you are not perfect, either. We are all composed of flaws. I do not even like calling them flaws because I am a firm believer that flaws are actually flawless, as they are what make us unique. You should love your smile even though your teeth might be a little bit crooked. You should love your thighs even though they might be a little bit bigger. You should love your tummy even though it might not be tight and toned. You should love your hair even though you might be having a bad hair day. You should love yourself, inside and out, completely.

All you need to remember is that:

• You are more than the number that you see on the scale.
• You are more than the number that you see on your clothing tags.
• You are more than the number that you see when your height is measured.

You are perfect just the way you are. Embrace everything that you have and work harder for the things that you want. Fall in love with yourself. Love yourself during the highs and love yourself during the lows. Love yourself every single day of the week and share that love with others. Only you have the power to determine your happiness, so why should you let something like body image control that? Be bold, be brave and be beautiful. You are more than just a number.