“My thighs are too big.”

“I wish I had her hair!”

“She looks so pretty, I wish I looked like her.”

“Jeez, I need to lose weight.”

“My arms need to be as big as his.”

“I wish I could lift as much as he does.”

We live in a world where are constantly comparing ourselves to others. Social media, magazines and television do not help the cause. Every day we scroll through Instagram and see countless models and fitness pros that we wish we looked like. We see perfectly elusive, sculpted bodies, beautiful makeup and dazzling clothing. We wish to be anything but ourselves. There are celebrity endorsements everywhere trying to convince people that they should be more like them, and buy a product that will “help” make that happen.

I am a victim of body shaming, and I am working hard to make it stop. I feel as though I can only improve myself. When I look at myself, I see an 18-year-old girl who could pass for a seventh grader. I am too fat. I am too ugly. I am not good enough. Even though people tell me otherwise, I cannot blind what my eyes see. But no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we work out, how many makeup tutorials we watch, we will never be like anyone else and that is how it is supposed to be. Being who we truly are is more than good enough.

There are always going to be people that are better looking, nicer, or smarter, but everyone has aspects about them that make them special and unique. There will always be unrealistic expectations of both women and men in our society, but we all need to start loving ourselves instead of bashing the negative parts. I try to pick out the good things about myself, such as my curly hair, selflessness and creativity, and ignore the parts that I am self conscious about such as my body shape.

If more people could celebrate the good and not dwell on the bad, then our society would change completely. More people would be confident in their own skin, and not try to be something that they aren’t. I believe that everyone should do things that they love, be kind to people and be the best version of themselves. Stressing over the things that they can’t be is unhealthy.

Celebrate who you are! Do things that you love. Eat a cupcake if you want. Go to the gym if you want. Stop trying to be like everyone else, and be you (I will try to take my own advice).