We have all felt insecure about ourselves at some point in our lives. We have all looked at other girls and felt terrible about ourselves. How many times have you started your day worrying about how you look? Many of us have forgotten how beautiful we are since all we do is compare ourselves to others.

The concept of social media has really changed the way that we see ourselves and other people. We constantly scroll through Instagram, Facebook and VSCO feeds, which make us feel awful about ourselves. We are beginning to measure one's beauty by how skinny we are and the way that we appear on the outside. Doing that is wrong and before social media, none of these thoughts mattered. We did not worry about the way that we looked and did not compare ourselves to others. Now, we are constantly trying to find a way to feel loved. We are constantly tracking the number of likes and comments that our photos get on social media. We need to move away from our phones and computers so that we are not constantly comparing ourselves to others. We all want what we can’t have.

In today's society, women are so concerned about their body type. Think about how many different detoxes there are today. Think about many times you say that you are “going on a diet." How about every time you track your calorie intake? Society is making people rethink the way that they should look. We now think that you can only be beautiful if you “have the perfect body.” Beauty is not defined by your looks, body type or size — It’s much more than that. Being beautiful today seems so exhausting. Why do we find it so challenging to remember that we don’t need to be stick-thin?

I write these thoughts for all of the times that people have thought or said “I look like sh*t.” You are beautiful! Beauty is on the inside, not on the outside. It is beyond the way that we look. Beauty is the way that you light up from talking about something that makes you happy and that you truly love. Beauty is the kindness in your heart that allows you to smile at strangers. Beauty is being able to laugh about your mistakes. Beauty is the ability to love. Beauty is being confident. The moment you understand these realities, the more beautiful you will appear and the happier you will be. We are all beautiful in our own way, so stop letting others bring you down.

Live your life and stop focusing on other people around you or who likes and comments on your photos — it will only make you feel worse. You are the only one that is holding you back from seeing your true beauty. Stop scrolling through your social media feeds. I challenge you to put your phones down, stop comparing yourself to others and remember that you are beautiful!