1. Never be ashamed of who you are
Too often, girls are afraid to wholeheartedly embrace what makes them irreplaceably unique. You are the only you, and that’s something pretty special. Flaunt what you love, and it’ll bring you to other girls who are just as proud to be themselves as you are.
2. Use rejection to build yourself up
Rejection is terrifying, whether it be from a crush who doesn’t reciprocate feelings or from your dream company telling you that you didn’t get the job you so desperately wanted. While it’s heartbreaking in the moment, using your rejection will only make you stronger and more prepared so that next time you put yourself out, you’ll be more likely to get what you want.
3. You are worth it
NEVER let your worth be defined by someone else. You are special, and you deserve the world. And that can’t be determined by anyone but yourself.
4. Your beauty is not defined by someone else’s standards
You are not the girl in the magazines. You are better. You are real, and you are beautiful because of that. Beauty exists in your crazy laugh, your kind heart, your desire to travel, your love for helping others, your love for art, and much, much more. The definition of beauty is not skin deep, it lies in who you are as a person, and every girl needs to know that she is beautiful because of what makes her herself.
5. Don’t waste your time on toxic relationships
Letting go of a toxic friendship or relationship isn’t easy, and sometimes it feels impossible to cut it out of your life for good. But once you do, you’ll realize that you deserve a friend or significant other who treats you well because you deserve it. Surrounding yourself with people who love you for you will not only make you life so much better, but it’ll make you a genuinely happy and loving person.
6. Life will get hard, but you will get through it
Those 2 a.m. meltdowns that leave you reconsidering your life choices are terrible, but they do happen. It’s important to allow yourself to feel lost, but it’s even more important to push past it. Dwelling on hardships will only add stress to your life that you don’t need. Put on some lipstick, listen to your Girl Power playlist, and push through. You’ll thank yourself later.
7. Don’t measure your worth based off of another woman
It can be intimidating to measure yourself to a collegiette who always has perfect winged eyeliner or who has the internship that you so badly want. Instead of putting yourself down because of another woman’s success, use that to motivate yourself to be a woman that other girls look up to. The best collegiettes are the ones who build each other up, not tear each other down.
8. Give thanks for your friends
Too often, we take for granted how amazing our best friends are. Take a moment once in a while to let them know how much you appreciate them for always having your back and being there for you through everything, from a crazy night out to all of the silly little memories you make together.
9. Take chances
As if you haven’t heard the saying “You’ll never know unless you try” every time your mom tries to give you advice- but it’s true. Putting yourself out there in the world is the only way to get great things in return. Taking chances is the best way to learn, and you’ll make a whole lot of memories along the way.
10. Treat yo’selfEat that beautiful, sugary cupcake or buy yourself those shoes you’ve been eyeing for online months. You deserve a little indulgence once in a while, and you should never be afraid to pamper yourself. You deserve it, after all.