As a kid, I cried myself to sleep. This wasn’t because I hated bedtime. It was because I hated mornings, especially knowing that I had to go to school.

It wasn’t the learning aspect because I have thirst for knowledge. I was fearful of the words that came from my peers. I knew what was happening and what was going to continue because it happened every day.

“You aren’t good enough”

“You aren’t smart enough”

“You aren’t pretty enough”

“You aren’t skinny enough”

These echo through my head, and they once consumed every thought I had about myself. If you are told something every day, you start to believe it. It starts becoming your identity.

I tried to fit in. I went to an exercise class. I died my hair and got the name brand clothes. I got contacts, and this was all in elementary school. I was changing who I was when I didn’t even know who I was.

I was told I wasn’t enough. I was told I wouldn’t amount to anything. I was told that I would never be loved.

I was the joke of the class, and not everyone knew.

I hid away this part of me because I thought that hiding it would make it go away. I thought that I was protecting the people who doubted me, which made me doubt myself.

I never knew if I was strong enough to defend myself against their jokes or their statements about me.

I always thought that if I did one more exercise video or one more math problem, I would be enough.

I never was…to them.

However, one day, I woke up to realize that those words were only words. The people behind them couldn’t hurt me. I realized that believing in myself was most important. I believed that I could prove them wrong.

Now, I thank them. I thank them for not believing in me and telling me I wasn’t enough. I thank them because they made me the best me I could be.

Begging to not go to school and crying in the bathroom once I got there was all worth it. I have flaws. Everyone does, but without those flaws, I wouldn’t be me. You wouldn’t be you.

I am enough. You are good enough.

When you feel like you’re not good enough, remember how loved you truly are. Look at the people that surround you. They love you more than anything, and they believe in you.

When you feel like you’re not good enough, remember you are here for a reason. God makes no mistakes, and you are no exception to that. Trust in Him and realize the true beauty your life holds.

When you feel like you’re not good enough, remember how far you have made it. You’ve faced turmoil, but you have survived every single time. You are a fighter and you always will be. You are stronger than any difficulty that you may face.

When you feel like you’re not good enough, remember no one is perfect. Everyone has flaws and everyone makes mistakes.

Choosing to learn from your mistakes will help guide you to self-acceptance. What makes the difference between people is if you accept your own flaws. Embracing your flaws will lead to true internal happiness and an improved self-worth.

When you feel like you’re not good enough, remember everything happens for a reason. You may not understand why you are in such dark place, but eventually, you will see that it was only a step toward your future. What’s meant to be will be.

When you feel like you’re not good enough, remember that failure is part of success. You can’t know what works if you don’t first know what doesn’t work at all. To be successful, you must experience what failure feels like. Let failure motivate you to never feel that feeling again.

The most important thing is how you move past what is hurting you, whether it be a personal issue or one caused by a separate source. Move past the hardships. Don’t dwell on them.

When you feel like you’re not good enough, please remember that you are loved. You are loved. You are so worthy. Nothing you can do, say, or feel can ever change that.