What does it actually mean to be beautiful or gorgeous or even pretty? Too many times have I heard someone say, “she’s pretty in the face” or “she could be pretty if she did something else with her hair” or “she would be pretty if she didn’t have all those tattoos.”

Society has developed this so-called image of what the word “beautiful” actually means. By society’s standards, if you don’t have a “perfect body”, blue eyes, and long blond hair, then you aren’t pretty. Ah, and there is another one; “perfect body.” Who decided that perfect meant skinny, and pretty meant you looked like a model that you see in a magazine. That’s not fair.

Every single person on this earth is different and unique in their own way. Just because someone doesn’t meet the criteria of a supermodel should not mean that they are not considered beautiful. According to society’s norms, cellulite is ugly. It’s not considered pretty if you don’t have a thigh gap. Like seriously, who made all of these “rules?”

The truth is that the women in the magazines don’t even look like the women in the magazines. Photoshop has come such a long way and if you find some of the before and after pictures, sometimes it doesn’t even look like the same person. It is honestly mind blowing. And because of this, it is causing all women to have insecurities because they try to achieve this so-called “perfect” image that is actually not realistically possible.

Being heavily involved in fitness myself, I know from experience that your body will not look the same every single day. Certain foods can make you bloated. There are numerous factors that go into play. The fitness models you see on Instagram don’t always share the “bad” day photos. They only post the “good” day photos.

The truth is, everyone is beautiful. We were all created in God’s image and God makes no mistakes.

Stop letting society decide if you are “beautiful” or not, because you are. True beauty is not defined by the body you were given. The body is simply a shell of who you are. Your beauty should be defined by your heart and your character, not because you don’t wear a size 2. That is straight up horse shit.

Besides, think of about how many people are actually on this earth. If everyone looks like a Victoria’s Secret model, how boring would that be? There wouldn’t be any type of diversity. Why would you want to be just like everyone else? God blessed you with the body you have for a reason. Embrace it.

Don’t get down on yourself because you don’t look like the girl on the cover of a magazine. The majority of women have cellulite or stretch marks. These are normal things that happen to women, especially with age. Instead, think of those marks as memories. Maybe the stretch marks are from a baby, which is now a huge blessing. Maybe you have cellulite because you had lots of late nights drinking beer making memories with your friends.

But regardless, don’t think of yourself as not beautiful. Every single person is beautiful in their own way. Instead of trying to look like the girl in the magazine, you should strive to look like and be the best version of you. Don’t try to be like everyone else. The moment you learn to embrace your own beauty will be the moment you actually start to feel beautiful and comfortable in your own skin.