“Nobody Ever Told You”, Carrie Underwood

This is for the ones who think they are too big, too small, too thick, too boney, too boyish, too girly. This is for the ones who think they are ugly. The ones who think they should hide out. The ones who let their external appearance determine their internal feelings.

Deep down, we all feel the same. We find things that are wrong with us. We wish we were different. We compare ourselves all day long—to those around us, to the models, athletes, and celebrities that flood magazine covers, to the prom queen or king, to the girl or guy who stole our crush.

Why can’t we just be happy being us?

“Nobody ever told you, you shine like a diamond, glitter like gold, and you need to know what nobody ever told you.”

We fill our days with cover-up, work outs, and eye liner, an expensive attempt to feel better about who we are. We hope the mask on our face helps heal the wounds on the inside. We wear baggy clothes and padded bras, and we never feel comfortable in shorts or a bathing suit. We feed ourselves lies. We aren’t worth it. We aren’t pretty. We aren’t desirable. We deserve this.

Well, the voices are wrong.

“Shine your light, show the world. Don’t be shy, don’t be scared. You don’t have to hide under there. Let’s throw away all the magazines, turn off the static on the TV. Wish you could see yourself the way I do.”

There is no one else in the world that is YOU. You are the only one. Give yourself permission to love yourself. Be proud of who you are. Own your imperfections—your crooked smile, your acne scars from 9th grade, your unruly hair. Whatever it is, don’t let it make you feel embarrassed or want to run away. Take a moment and notice what you love about yourself. Inside and out, it’s all you, and the rest of the world has no right to take it from you.

“All hung up on the negative, doesn’t have to be the way it is. Wish you could see yourself the way I do.”

And if nobody ever told you…

You are beautiful. You are beautiful. You are beautiful.

Today, I am beautiful too.

—Jessica