You are You

Accept the Truth

**Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must, but take the step.**~Unknown

Now that you hopefully you have realized that you are only human comes a little harder step. You have to accept it. Sure, that seems easy but let me tell you it's not. Knowing is one thing but accepting it is another. You have to accept who you are as a human being before you can move on.

So, how do you do that? Stand in front of a mirror and stare at yourself. Look at who you are. Accept it. Because that is the real you and you can't change that. Sure, you can dye your hair, get a makeover, get plastic surgery or put makeup on but that only hides the real you. So stand in front of a mirror, with no makeup, no pose, no special face. Show the real you to yourself. Look at you. Aren't you beautiful.

Now, I want you to keep standing in front of the mirror. I want you to smile at yourself. I want you to look at you and list everything you see. List everything that makes up your outside appearance. Your hair color, eye color, size, height, weight, your smile, your eyelashes, your eyebrows, your skin color, your long or short fingernails, everything. Everything you see I want you to say out loud proudly. After that I want you to repeat after me... ' I AM BEAUTIFUL.' Say those three words over and over again until they sink in. Say them until you believe it. Now say... 'I AM __your name__ AND I AM BEAUTIFUL.'

After that,comes something a little trickier. I want you to keep staring at your reflection and go deeper. List some hobbies, interests, your family, your friends, your age, your grade, your likes and dislikes, things you can't stand, things you feel. I also want you to list some mistakes you've made. When you lied, cheated, messed up, or did something wrong, say it out loud. Also say things you are proud of, your accomplishments and goals. Now, say... 'I FORGIVE MYSELF. I HAVE LEARNED FROM THESE MISTAKES AND REALIZE THAT THEY MAKE ME WHO I AM. I ACCEPT THAT ALL THESE THINGS MAKE ME UNIQUE. I ACCEPT WHO I AM BECAUSE I AM BEAUTIFUL, INSIDE AND OUT.' Say it until you mean it. Until you start to feeling deep down in your gut that it's true. Say it loud and proud. Because why shouldn't you be proud of what you have become? You are unique and you are beautiful with all your flaws.

Now I realize that it's probably harder to forgive yourself for some things. Trust me, I know. I've been there. I know how hard it can be to forgive yourself for something horrible you have done. But it is possible. You can do it. I did. Don't make excuses for what you did. Instead, learn from it. Let it guide you in the future. If you do, then you will go farther. Forgiving yourself fills the hole inside you. The pit where your regret and shame stays is covered up. Because you can never really erase a mistake, you can only forgive yourself and try not to make it again. So whenever you remember that mistake, own up to it, apologize, and move on. Don't let it hold you back or drag you down. The longer you carry that burden, the worse you feel and your regret grows. So be free! Don't let it chain you to the ground. Don't carry it around on your back. Be free from it and forgive yourself. It may be difficult but it's worth it, believe me.

Forgiving yourself is a difficult task, but it's an important one. Just like owning up to your mistake. I mean sure, you don't have to randomly blurt out what you did or tell anyone you don't want to, chances are they've made a bad mistake, too. Owning up to it means not denying what you did, to others or yourself. When brought up, don't lie or make excuses. Laugh it off, because you have moved on and you won't let it hold you back any longer. Think about what you learned from it. Remind yourself that it can help you decide what to do in future situations. Accept that it happened, and what happened happened and you can't change that. You can only learn from it and keep going.

Why do girls specifically feel like they need to change how they look to impress someone? Seriously, you don't have to change what you look like to meet anyone's ideas. Don't let anyone else's opinions get in the way of who you are and what you look like. Don't let anyone tell you what to wear. Wear what you want, wear what makes you feel good about yourself. Don't let them tell you how you should look. If you don't want to wear make up then don't. If you want to color your hair then do it. If you want to wear sweatpants and messy buns, who's stopping you? The only one stopping you is you. So be yourself. Express your true self. Show who you really are on the outside and share it with the world.

Why do girls always feel the need to act a certain way around certain people? Always be yourself, no matter who you are with. Don't be quiet, speak your mind. If you are hungry, eat even when the people around you aren't. Jam out to your favorite song anywhere. Be loud. Laugh a lot. Don't be afraid to let someone see you cry. They can help you. Show emotion. You are not a robot. You have feelings. Don't let someone treat you badly. Speak up for yourself. Defend yourself and your friends, because they might not be able to speak up for themselves. They need you. Just like you need them.

You have to accept who you are to be confident. I mean, how can you be confident in yourself if you don't like yourself? You can't change who you really are. You can hide it, but not change it. You can dye your hair, get colored contacts, plastic surgery, use make up or what ever, but that disguises you. It's just a disguise, not the real you. But if you want to you can. But do it for you, not because someone else wants you to. Please yourself before you try to please others. You were made to be exactly the way you are. Don't you want to be that amazing person inside of you, no matter who that is. If she's sarcastic, or nice, or deep, or nerdy, geeky, or whatever. Let her shine through. You can't change who you are, so accept it.

**She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future**
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Hope you like it!
Please comment, vote and share! I'd love some feedback and to know what you guys think so far!
Btw... YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!!