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At one point in my life, I was caught up in how I thought I was supposed to look and act, instead of setting my own standards.
In seventh grade, one of my classmates compared me to another girl. It wasn’t an insult, or even that mean, but it felt like she had seen all of my flaws.
After that, I felt like I had to spend lots of time in the mirror fixing my imperfections.
I piled on as much makeup as I could, thinking it would actually change how I felt inside, but instead I felt trapped.
I began to write positive messages to myself on my bathroom mirror in bright red lipstick, saying “You’re beautiful,” or “Love yourself.” I remember smiling and feeling relieved the first time I woke up to them. I made sure to read them whenever I went into the bathroom. But over time, I became so used to them being there, that I didn’t need to pay attention to what they said.
I feel like I accomplished two important goals by learning this lesson: getting over a huge insecurity and solving a problem in my own unique way.