Sometimes I Feel Ugly

Self-love is a topic so prevalent in today’s society, yet so lacking. We live in a time where we can go to the explore page on Instagram and see every perfect cookie cutter girl imaginable, and then we look are ourselves with a feeling of hopelessness. No matter how great you can portray yourself in pictures, you will still feel inadequate compared to the girls with the perfect tans, teeth, hair, and bodies. I know this is such a cliché topic, but it’s so extremely important.

One of my friends is one of those girls, I look at her and think “Wow I would kill to look like that”. Not to mention every guy falls in love with her. But, she has the same problems as I do and never sees her own beauty. The thing is, every single girl feels this way at some point. That is why it is vital for us to stick together. Imagine if we continuously built each other up with confidence and support. I know I sound like a Sunday school teacher but seriously, imagine the world if we weren’t so competitive? We are the same gender, we face the same difficulties, why are we not filled with love for one another?

We have been raised in a culture to see other women as competition, not as fellow heroes and role models. I’ll admit it, I have been the mean girl. I have judged and gossiped about other girls. We all have, but we all know the honest truth, it is only because we want to convince ourselves that our lives are better and that we are not secretly struggling as well.

Across the world, women are facing serious problems; they are oppressed, beaten, enslaved, and silenced. We are so extremely blessed to have the opportunities to use our voices and to speak out, yet we still cannot fathom being happy for and supporting one another. We are lucky enough to be witnessing a time where women are rising up, fighting for equality, and standing up for other women across the globe. This empowerment is moving across nations, why can it not exist within our small circles?

All in all, being a woman is something incredibly special and it is something to be proud of. Yes, I am featured in some tagged photos that have to be some of the ugliest pictures I have ever seen. Sometimes my outfit looks terrible, my face looks like death, my hair is an ugly color, and maybe I’ve eaten too many bagels. But, it’s refreshing to know that I have an entire gender standing behind me and cheering me on, and I hope every one of you reading this feels the same.