For the longest time I can remember my insecurities. I never looked in the mirror and told myself the things I liked best. I never said how much I loved the little girl staring back at me. Or even to the teenager who listened to My Chemical Romance and Brand New. And to the scared 23-year-old who had no clue what to do with the rest of her life. Every day you wake up not knowing what is to come that day. The constant unknown begins to eat you alive and you find yourself hating things about yourself. You begin to hate the girl you've become. With a complacent feeling, you wonder if you'll ever find someone who will love you. Someone who will erase all of your flaws. Someone who will tell you how beautiful you are and remind you of your worth.

Be that someone.

Instead of relying on a man to come and save you, save yourself. Look in the mirror and remember how much you love your freckles. Those little love handles that you hate so much? Remind yourself that body makes you a woman. Being able to see your rib cage? You have an amazing metabolism that everyone is envious of. Those gorgeous colored eyes bear your soul more than you'd ever know. You. All of you. It's an everyday lovefest that you should have for yourself. No one will ever understand your beautiful inner thoughts. Those so called flaws you think exist? Find a way to turn them into unique positives. That burn mark you received when you were 16 is now a permanent marking that makes you different. Those scars that you have all over your body show just how strong you actually are. You can conquer all.

Say love to yourself. Love comes from within before it can come from anyone else. You can't expect your garden to grow if you only speak to it in negativity. So I challenge you to love yourself. Love your friends, and teach them to love themselves too.