As I sat down to write my weekly article, I thought I'd write about a specific topic that's been of importance to me lately especially coming into summer: self-love. It seems like a pretty simple concept. We all love ourselves, but do we really? When I took a step back and observed how I talk and feel about my body on a daily basis, I realized I don't. I, like most other girls, have struggled with body image issues and poor self-confidence for quite some time. I struggled with depression because of my negative body image at one point, and still struggle on occasion. So as I sat down to write a story on self-love, I realized, "How can I do that when it's something I still struggle with?

I realized I can't tell people how to love themselves, but I can tell people that they're not alone and provide encouragement to others who may be going through the same thing. The fact is that almost every girl struggles with self-love, and we may not even realize it. If you constantly compare yourself to other people and say how you wished you looked like them or beat yourself up for not having your "dream body," then you do not fully love yourself, and that's okay.

Loving yourself is knowing that while you may not look how you want to look, you are still beautiful and posses traits that make you unique. Loving yourself is being able to appreciate that maybe your arms are bigger than that of Victoria's Secret models, but rather than thinking you're fat or beating yourself up over it, appreciate your arms because they're strong and help you accomplish everyday tasks.

I tried to actively observe how women of all ages spoke about their body and what I noticed was surprising. From older members of my family to my younger friends in high school to girls my own age and older in my sorority, I noticed that most girls don't like their body and want to change some part of it, which was really eye opening and sad. These are girls who I've always thought were gorgeous and didn't have a flaw in sight and still don't. So to hear them making negative comments about their appearance made me sad. Especially because most of what people were pointing out were things that made them different from other people; their height, their facial structure, all things that other people thought they were beautiful for.

I had never realized how much other people struggled with self-love until I really listened to them talk about their bodies and shame themselves, and while it made me extremely sad to watch people go through this, it also gave me some weird form of comfort knowing that I wasn't alone.

Self-love is hard. Especially in a culture where the norm has become almost unhealthily skinny and encourages eating disorders, body shaming, and puts pressure on girls to look a certain way. As college students we have it especially rough. Going to school and being in this environment creates competition amongst each other and promotes body shaming, whether it be consciously or subconsciously, and even if some girls won't admit it, we all struggle at some point. It's normal and that's the most important thing to remember.

Self-love seems like such a cliché and simple concept but it's complicated and takes time to develop. Learning to love yourself means accepting yourself for who you are, knowing that you are enough and being grateful for the things you have and being understanding of the things you cannot change. You may not look like a Victoria's Secret model or some of the models that get posted on TFM and THAT'S OKAY. Let me say it one more time for dramatic effect: THAT IS OKAY. You are beautiful in your own way, whether it be your sense of humor, your intelligence, your mental strength, or physical strength, you are gorgeous and worth more than you may give yourself credit for.

The fitness models that you compare yourself to on Instagram have worked long and hard to get where they are, and while it's not impossible, if that's what you aspire to be then go for it! If you want to look like a Victoria's Secret model then set that goal! But you also have to also remember some of it is genetics. Those girls are 6 feet tall with an insane body structure that is specifically scouted by the company. If we put more of an emphasis on being strong and feeling good rather than trying to look like Candice (don't get me wrong I still love her), then maybe we could make a change.

Strong needs to become the new skinny. There's no reason girls shouldn't go to the gym and be in shape and be encouraged by others to do so. We need to make more of an effort to actively encourage each other to change the things we can, and accept and learn to love the things we can't. As cliché as it sounds, every girl is beautiful in her own way, and we're all strong as hell. We deal with PMSing once a month, bleeding for a week straight, all while constantly over-thinking literally everything, and we manage to look good while doing it (even if you think you don't).

If you struggle with self-love or just want to make a lifestyle change, start focusing on how you feel, rather than how you look. Don't focus so much on cutting calories or telling yourself that you can't eat that piece of pizza because it's "bad for you." Focus on eating foods that make you feel good and nourish your body, but still remember to treat yourself.

Find an exercise that you enjoy doing; if you don't like going to the gym or if running really isn't your thing, try yoga or kickboxing. Find something that you enjoy doing so exercise becomes a hobby, not a chore. It's important for us to be healthy and take care of our bodies for the future, because in the wise words of Elle Woods, “Endorphins make people happy, happy people just don't kill their husbands." Being healthy will make you feel better even if you don't believe it will, it is scientifically proven. We can all learn to be proud of our bodies for what they are and what they can do, and we all should.

Next time you feel down about yourself or start comparing yourself to that girl you went to high school with, take a step back and list off three positive things about yourself, no matter how hard it may be. Whether it be things as simple as you telling yourself you're funny or appreciating how strong you are, you may not realize it at first, but it will make a difference. Over time you will start to feel better and come to appreciate those things on a daily basis. Stay strong no matter what you're dealing with, and don't be afraid to confide in someone about it because chances are they've been through it or are struggling with it too. Self-love may be hard, but it's not impossible.