I grew up always being told I was beautiful, cute, pretty, etc. This was probably because I am the baby of the family as well as an only child. I have always been a confident person, so of course I find myself beautiful. But I know I am not perfect and that not everyone was raised in the same way that I was.
When I began asking collegiate women if they thought they were beautiful, I received mixed responses. Some said, “Yes, of course.” Others just did not want to answer and they told me they weren’t going to respond. The ones who did answer gave me very similar responses – what most of the women had in common is that they said they loved themselves.
The first person I asked if they thought they were beautiful was myself. My immediate answer was yes. My mom always told me I was so I was raised believing that I was beautiful. Even after multiple weight fluctuations and dress sizes, I thought I was beautiful because I love myself as a person. And if I am going to spend about about 30 to 50 minutes everyday on my appearance, I better love myself.
Next, I asked my roommates if they thought they were beautiful. One of them answered in a nonchalant way, “Sure, why not? Should I hate myself?” When I asked her why, she said that she has to love herself before she can expect anyone else to love her. My other roommate, while eavesdropping, answered with a single yes. When prompted as to why, she responded, “Because my mom said so.” I was pleased to discover that I have been living with girls who see themselves as beautiful, for similar reasons that I see myself as beautiful.
I also asked some of my closest friends. One replied, “I’m beautiful!” She then clarified that she likes the way she looks and isn’t actively trying to change anything about herself. Another friend agreed and said, “I wouldn’t change anything about myself … that I can’t change. I don’t know how to explain it but I find myself beautiful.”
I asked some more girls and received comparable responses, except of course for those who refused to answer. One of my favorite answers was this: “Anyway I think the answer can change daily or hourly depending on the person and the conditions of life at the moment but on a general level YES. If you need further detail contact me during business hours.” She is right. Some days we feel more beautiful than other days. It can change weekly, daily, or even hourly depending on if we have our period or are suffering a breakout or if our makeup is on fleek. As some of my friends put it, we can’t change who we are (unless you’re willing to pay a pretty penny, of course) so we have two options: we can love ourselves and think we are beautiful or not.
Asking this question to my friends and roommates, who are a diverse group of people from different backgrounds and majors, I realized that I surround myself with gorgeous, beautiful, confident people who love the skin they’re in.
To all the women who decided to not answer or who answered that they don’t find themselves beautiful, just remember to love yourself because you are beautiful. True beauty has no rules or standards. Yes, we all have bad days, weeks, months, even years, but at the end of the day, it’s important that we love ourselves. Whether it’s the way you look or what you value, find a reason to #LoveYourself and never forget that that’s one of many things that makes you beautiful.