Stop Trying So Hard

So lately this topic has been laying heavy on my heart. The fact that women in my generation are so obsessed with the fact that they have to be a perfect size, have a perfect personality, and enjoy all the things a "perfect" girl would. Colbie Calliat, in 2014. released a song called, "Try," which put emphasis on the idea that women don't have to fit the "perfect" mold that society seems to call for these days. It was one of the most inspiring songs I have ever heard, and when the world gets to me I listen to it as a quick reminder that I don't have to try so hard for anyone. The simple fact is if I want to wear makeup I do it for me, not for anyone else. The picture below is a picture I had someone take of me a sisterhood event, while I was running a 101-degree fever, not wearing any makeup, and had only eaten Chicken Noodle Soup and saltine crackers that day. This picture is me real, raw and exposed.

The simple fact is that God made all things perfect. You are the perfect version of you, not anyone else. You shouldn't compare yourself to Susie Q because Susie Q isn't you. Even identical twins have slight differences that make them unique and perfect in their own way. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, "Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." There is not importance in the outward appearance in God's eyes. A person can be the most beautiful person in the eyes of the world, but to the Lord, they could be considered uglier than dirt. Lately, that has been my focus as I go day to day living in a house full of great, beautiful girls. I have started to aim to admire someone else's beauty without questioning my own. I have found that not only do I have a better attitude towards myself and my appearance, but I also have a more positive attitude. Once I stopped making working out a chore and decided to do it because I actually really enjoy running, I found that I am in better shape than I have been in since high school.

In the end, the only thing that matters is the fact that you were beautiful on the inside. Yes, being pretty is cool and exciting, but taking care of your body, and your mind is even greater than that. So be brave, be cool, and be the best version of yourself that you can be, because everyone else is taken.