I'm beautiful. And so are you.

Beauty.

The source of lust, love, envy, self-deprecation, low-self esteem, vanity, and discrimination among many other things.

But what is it? 

The question that many people aren't asking.

They assume that being 'beautiful' is what they see on their magazine cover: the perfect airbrushed skin, pristine hair & makeup and an almost non-existent waist.

Those people aren't real. They are commericalized, and fake.

And more importantly, they give women (and men too) an unobtainable goal to work towards, leading industries such as cosmetics, gyms, and clothing to boom.

If you can't fit into that pair of jeans, 

If you can't seem to get rid of that acne no matter how many different creams you use, 

If you aren't allowed to wear makeup

If you don't have a flat stomach,

If you don't have the drive to work out to have the muscles that all the girls 'swoon over'
Then  you don't seem like you are good enough.

I see so-oh-so many girls at my secondary school: orange from fake-tan, their face caked with makeup: crowding around the bathroom mirror to apply yet MORE concealer.

I guess that's okay, if it makes you happy, but I doubt it does. 

Self confidence comes from within, not from a tube; and no matter how you try to kid yourself that you are confident because no one else can see your external flaws, you still know that they're there. 

You'll know that you have that spot under all the concealer, 

and even deeper; you know that you need to learn algebra, work on your organization skills, think before you speak...

What I'm saying is, all of these vain things are just cover up's NOT solutions.... if you aren't comfortable with yourself.

Work to fix those things that you are unsure about, not cover them up. Obvious right *dripping with sarcasm*

So instead of skipping dinner in an attempt to be slimmer, or straightening your hair because you can't stand your curls, sit down; and think. 

Think about who you are, what you have achieved, and if you are proud of yourself, your choices, your character.

And if you are not, endeavor to change it. 

Write down some of  your more achievable character goals on a sticky note, and stick it somewhere you'll be able to see it every day. Then, hopefully you can accomplish these things, causing your confidence to increase, and you won't have to hide who you are. 

'Confidence is more beautiful to see than anything else.'

And if you want to lose a bit of weight, wear a bit of eyeliner, lift some weights when you ARE confident with yourself; its fine because you know that you'll be just as contented with these things, as you were before, as you are not hiding behind them.

 I think that I'm beautiful.
            And I think you are beautiful too. 

                                                            Now its time for you to think the same.

*Sparkle*---

Rachel   xxx