I myself am guilty of this. I constantly beat myself up about the smallest things. It's true that we're our own worst enemy. We tear ourselves apart, piece by piece, finding every imperfection there is. But here's the thing: You think of 10 reasons why you aren't enough, and I can think of 100 of why you are enough.
To the ones who think they aren't enough,
OK, obviously something happened to make you feel like this, whether it was bullying, a crappy school year, breakups, losing friends or maybe you didn't get called back to a sorority you wanted. The possibilities are endless, and each of them seem like the end of the world. Many times, I've found myself saying, "Screw it, I'm done, this is it." But it's not even close to being it. You will be OK, I promise.
First, know this: you are enough. It's as simple as that. So you don't look like a Victoria's Secret model. So you didn't make the Dean's List. Or that boyfriend you thought was "the one" really isn't the one. Listen, there are millions of other guys out there who will fight to be your one. You aren't alone. I've been there and done that to each and every one of them.
Here's the thing. Just because you don't look like a VS model doesn't make you ugly. In fact, it makes you different, and different is good. God designed us to look the way that we do, so you look like this for a reason. Maybe you think it's a curse or maybe you think it's a blessing. Either way, you are gorgeous, inside and out. If we all looked the same, this sure would be a boring world.
And not making the Dean's List or even being on honor roll? Guess what? That doesn't make you stupid. It just means that you had your butt kicked in one of your classes, or maybe more than one. Either way, you aren't stupid, despite what others might think. I went from having great grades in high school to having not-so-awesome grades in college. And yes, I felt stupid, as I was used to constantly hearing, "Oh, my daughter got amazing grades this year, and I am so proud of her." I felt stupid with every comment like that, but I'm not stupid. I just didn't adjust as well as I would have liked, but that's OK.
Relationships suck, no matter what. No relationship is perfect. None at all and those who say, "Oh, we never fight or disagree"? They're lying. So as you're scrolling through your Instagram feed and you beat yourself up when you see a cute couple with all the comments, like, "You two are perfect!" or "Goals," just remember they were once dealing with the same thing. They once dealt with breakups and being hurt and being single. I mean, I highly doubt that they were both born on the same day at the same time and started dating right then and there. So, yes, I am guilty of beating myself up over this, too, but I realize that being single doesn't make me ugly or anything like that. It just means that my time hasn't come yet. So if you hate being single, just know you're enough for someone who just hasn't arrived yet.
Life isn't always what we want it to be. Take it from me. Things don't always work out how we want them to or how we planned. My senior year of high school, this is what I predicted my freshman year of college would be like: Being in a sorority, having lots of friends, getting amazing grades and yes, I had hoped for a boyfriend. Here's what actually happened my freshman year. Yes, I joined a sorority, but I couldn't afford it. I made a few friends but we grew distant. My grades weren't god awful, but they sure as hell weren't what I wanted, and boyfriend? Well, instead, I got myself involved in a big mess with a guy and ended up just getting hurt. Nothing that I had planned came true. And it took me awhile, but I realize that this doesn't make me a "failure" or a "loser" or any other negative thing. It just means that I'm one of those that had a pretty crappy freshman year, and as I've been told by many people, I'm not alone and that it's common.
So don't doubt yourself. Don't tell yourself that you can't, because guess what? You can! It's this thing called life that we all deal with, and it can be our best friend or our worst enemy, but either way, remember this: You are smart ,you are gorgeous and you are not a failure. And most importantly, no matter what happens, you are enough. So just do yourself a favor and look in the mirror. Look right at yourself and say, as loud as you possibly can, "I am enough."