You are beautiful. PERIOD.

I am completely for changing something about yourself physically if it makes you feel good. As long as it's for you, and no one else. Hell, I want to get a tummy tuck because of the extra skin left by pregnancies. But it'd be for me, not my husband. There are so many things out there today that tell you what beautiful is... Things that make you go look in the mirror, and pick yourself apart for all the flaws they lead you to believe that you have. I have been doing that for as long as I can remember.

Girls are mean. They just are. We are competitive, and judgmental. Even when we don't mean to, sometimes it comes out. I was an awkward child. I was really skinny, had huge glasses that made me look like I had eyes 10 times bigger than everyone else's, and I had frizzy hair that was totally out of control. I was uncomfortable in my own skin. Still am at times. My mom wasn't really into a lot of girly things, so if anyone did my hair, it was my dad haha. He didn't do a bad job, surprisingly. And a little off topic.. I remember that and it's one of my fondest memories of my dad.

Anyway, when I was 16, I lost the glasses, found a hair straightener, and FINALLY started to *ahem* develop a little bit. Then, I still felt awkward, but got a lot of compliments from people, and of course boys. I couldn't understand what they saw in me. Every time they'd compliment me, I'd jump back and say "no I'm not" to pretty much any compliment they gave. This used to really bother one of my boyfriends in particular. He'd get so mad at me that I put myself down all the time. He saw something in me that I never did, until now. I had a beautiful heart all along. No, I wasn't the prettiest girl in the world, but I was beautiful to him.

Now here I am, married to someone who's seen me at every stage of my life. We have 3 beautiful children, inside and out.. And I'm doing it again.. STILL. Every time he compliments me, I blow him off.. He's started complimenting me less through the years, probably because he got sick of me saying something negative every time he'd say something nice to me. I'd stand there in the mirror, and see some grotesque monster that somehow, only I can see. I think they call this distorted mirror syndrome?

I stand there and put myself down because I break out a lot since having kids. My hair is going grey at a very young age. My stomach has too much extra skin, and fat. My behind isn't big enough, my toes are too long, my teeth aren't white enough. I could go on and on.. But I need to stop. I am who I am. I am beautiful the way that I am. Sure, I can change some things about  myself, and if it makes me happy, then who cares? But I will not stand there in the mirror anymore, and see all the negatives about myself. We're not here long, and if we're lucky to live long enough, we'll all have wrinkles, and probably end up being able to tuck our boobs into our pants (insert giggle here).

What's important to me right now, is being happy.. And teaching my kids how to love themselves, because I never learned that as a child. I was too busy listening to all of the negative comments, and bullying, to see how amazing I am JUST being who I am :)

I have come a long way, but I still have a long way to go. But I am going to work on it very hard, and I hope you all do too if you've struggled with this as well. Please, watch this video, and take the time to see all of the beauty in yourself <3

http://mashable.com/2013/04/15/dove-ad-beauty-sketches/