Stay Beautiful

You guys are amazing! This was sent in anonymously.

Perceptions of beauty,

Are so completely messed up these days. What kind of world do we live in if 'beautiful' is considered a size double 0? That is so far from realistic it's sickening. Nobody can look like those models in fashion magazines, showing us what's "in" or "out" this season. Those girls hardly eat, and they are far from happy. No person, especially young women, should everthink that that's what they need to look like to be considered beautiful.

And what happens when girls realize that they don't and can't look like that? They resort to unnatural forms of beauty: cutting, anorexia, bulimia, dying their hair, wearing obscene amounts of makeup, making sure that they only buy name-brand clothing. What does all of that lead to? Changing the amount of food you eat [or don't eat], changing your hair color and changing your outside exterior completely can't ever change who you are on the outside. You can still be absolutely miserable and hate your reflection in the mirror. Your perceptions won't change, no matter how much money you spend on being someone else.

Perfection is an epidemic. A deathly, deathly epidemic. There is no cure for the disease of wanting to be perfect. Nobody can ever attempt to describe and deal with everyone's perception of themself and fix it. It's impossible. There is only one way to fix this: be ourselves.

As cliche as it sounds, we all have to accept who we truly are. And whether you're a size 4 or a size 14, it doesn't matter. Everyone has to realize that they have special qualities that make them who they are, a certain... jenasaqua. And each person has at least one thing that they love about themselves. For me, it's my eyes. They change color depending on what I wear, and I always get compliments on them. When I get those compliments, I grin like a fool.

So I've come up with this concept, something to stop this cruelty that is plaguing young women [and even men] across the world. A list of essentials that every person needs in their arsenal:

1. Give a compliment to at least one person every single day. It's only a sentence. "I love your hair." "You look pretty today." "That dress looks so cute on you!" Though it might seem like something inconsequential, it could be the only nice thing that person hears all day. All week, even. It might make their day go from horrible to slightly better. And even if they smile for a brief moment, it's a smile, nonetheless.

2. Smile. Even when you don't feel like smiling, smile. It's scientifically proven that it takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown. Even the action puts you in a better mood.

3. Laugh. Everyday. It's good for your heart and soul.

4. Don't be quick to judge people. Judgement is what has led us to this problem in the first place. Meet people before you even start to think of judging them. They could be the sweetest person in the world, and you would have no idea if you chose not to befriend them.

5. Accept your flaws, and accept others flaws. Everyone has them, whether we admit it or not. And everyone, at least once in their life, has cried over those flaws of theirs. You don't have to highlight them, but they also don't have to rule your life.

You are who you are. And that you? They are absolutely beautiful.

I love waking up to read all of your comments and love for this blog. This is all for you! Keep sending in your reflections, pictures and comments to loveyoubeautiful@gmail.com and follow us on twitter @loveubeautiful :)

Each and every one of you is worth it <3