We all go through the times when we don't feel as beautiful as we truly are. Somedays I could stand in front of a mirror for hours and point out every single thing I think is wrong with my appearance. I have been a long time struggler with my weight, the way my face looks, the clothes I own, and tons of other things that make me feel ugly sometimes. I envy the beautiful, skinny girls I see everywhere and often find myself saying downgrading thoughts in my head. Why can't I be as skinny as that girl? Why can't I look that good in a bikini? Why can't my hair look that perfect? Why do I say these things to myself? Because media and other trends have portrayed only skinny, tall, clear faced women to be the beautiful ones.
But I am beautiful. I know I am, I just sometimes doubt how beautiful I really am. And no I'm not saying that I'm the prettiest girl to ever walk the face of this earth, but I know that I am beautiful in my own way. And when I have doubts I can tell myself this:
1. God took the time to make me exactly as he wants me to be.
I was not just thrown together. God has paid attention to each and every one of us, and has made sure to make each of us individual. We are a masterpiece created at the hands of God.
2. God loves me for who I am.
What artist doesn't love their masterpiece? God loves us because He created us and has proved it by sending his son to save each of us. How cool is it to know that someone loves you so much, he would sacrifice his only son to save you? If that doesn't make you feel beautiful....
3. "She is clothed with strength and dignity. She will laugh at the days to come." -Proverbs 31:25.
This verse is taped to my mirror. And there's a canvas with it on my bedroom wall. And it's my cell phone background. It is amazing and gives me the confidence to feel beautiful every single time I read it.
4. I am not alone in my feelings.
I know I am not the only one that does not feel beautiful sometimes. And it is not that other people don't feel beautiful about themselves that makes me feel better. It is that other people will understand my lack of confidence sometimes, and we can have the opportunity to lift each other up from our doubts.
5. Who is going to remember this?
No one is going to remember that acne I had on my chin that monday morning before finals. In ten years, people are going to remember the intentional conversations and adventures you had, not that bad hairdo.
6. I am beautiful in my own way.
I am my own person and no one else is like me. I am special because of that and because I am special I am beautiful.
7. I am the best version of myself, and everyday that best version gets better.
Again. There is only one me and no one else is better at being me than me. So if you ask yourself, "Who is the best me?" the answer is always going to be you.
8. I can gain some worth from the opinions of others, but the only worth that will ever make an impact is the opinion I have of myself.
If you surround yourself with people that make you feel beautiful, you will feel beautiful. For a period of time. Eventually that worth you feel from those people will fade and you will be back to where you started. The only worth that will last is the worth you give yourself.
9. I must love myself before anyone can love me the way I want to be loved.
Everyone has that desire to be loved by someone. It's the way God made us. But we can't experience that feeling of being loved until we love ourself, just as the Lord loves us.
10. I am perfectly imperfect.
I am NOT perfect. Lord knows I am not even close. But I am perfectly imperfect and that's what makes me truly beautiful.
11. I will substitute "who cares" for "what if."
Everyone has their own standards of beauty, so who cares what other people think? Don't keep asking yourself what if you were ten pounds lighter or what if you had blonde hair instead of brown. Those what ifs will just bring you down. So don't think about them.
12. I will focus on the good and positive things, not the negative ones.
There's always going to be something you won't like about yourself. But instead of focusing on that one thing, focus on how something you like about yourself. Your eyes, hair, humor, which are anything but negative.
13. I am fabulous and I can strut like Beyonce.
If nothing else works, just tell yourself that you are absolutely fabulous. And then walk around like you are Beyonce cause everyone knows how fabulous she is.
