We are told at a young age that being beautiful is important, we should wear makeup and form fitting clothing to make ourselves attractive and socially acceptable to society or for our future romantic endeavors. Since when was being attractive a priority ? I was not taught self acceptance at an early age, I was ridiculed for my personal appearance and shunned by my peers; I did not care for myself or love myself. As the years go on however, I have learned that what makes you a beautiful human being is the compassion you have for others, the qualities you posses that make you intelligent and thoughtful, the way you treat yourself and those around you, and there are many more but those are just to name a few. I used to obsess over wanting to be gorgeous like the other girls in my high school who other people seemed to like more, or even models and musicians. I didn't start realizing until recently that what makes me beautiful is the fact that I am not like anybody else, and with keeping that in mind I have started a journey of self acceptance and self love. I am not exactly where I would like to be just yet, but I have made peace with myself and I am continuing to learn more about who I am as I grow; I am taking care of myself and not just my appearance but my mental health and general well being too. I am more comfortable with who I am and with my body, I am more confident than I have ever been and I am so fucking proud of myself and the fact that I was able to over come self loathing. I think it is important for us to empower each other and value our positive qualities. I think we should be celebrating the good things that make us who we are, we shouldn't be mocking each other or putting each other down for the way we look or represent ourselves. I know that is an impossibility, but I honestly see that some people do build each other up instead of tearing each other down; and those are the kinds of people I surround myself with. It took me almost twenty years to learn how to love myself, and I have come farther than I ever hoped to. I hope you all learn to accept who you are no matter what your "flaws" may be.
