Like most girls when they’re six, I was in love with the idea of being a princess. They got to wear big colorful dresses and sparkling tiaras. Their hair was long and beautiful, and their voices sounded like angels. I looked up to the princesses I saw on TV, and despite knowing that I could never be one of them, I hoped that in the future I could feel as beautiful as them. As I grew older, I made sure to get my nails done, straighten my hair, and never leave the house without mascara. As a fifteen-year old, doing my hair and makeup still excites me, but I’ve realized the only true way to feel as beautiful as those princesses is to learn to love myself. Learn to love my laugh, my smile, my eyes, my spots, my nose, my style, and everything about me that makes me special. I know it may sound cliche, but ever since I gained the confidence to look in the mirror and be proud of who I saw in front of me, I’ve never felt more beautiful. I used to feel really insecure about my stretch marks, which I got at twelve years old. I never knew why I had them at such a young age and it disturbed me after people started pointing them out. I would always wear sweatpants to try and cover them up, and I remember constantly googling how to get rid of them. One day, I was sitting with my friend, and I noticed the stretch marks on her leg, similar to mine. I asked her about how she got them, and she told me that it was normal and that many girls get them during puberty. Hearing her say this made me realize I had nothing to cover. My stretch marks were a sign of growth and they were nothing to feel ashamed of having. I know a lot of girls struggle with insecurities, and I was one of those girls, but the only way to overcome them is to accept them. Once you accept your insecurities, you’ll feel so much happier and more content with yourself. Which is truly how our favorite childhood princesses felt. So to whoever’s reading this, I want you to look in the mirror and, instead of noticing the things you don’t like about yourself, try pointing out the things you do like.
matcha for the mind 