We see it every day. The perfect captions on a filtered and highly edited photo of a girl that may or may not attend your university. She’s tan, she’s pretty, and she never seems to run out of outfits to wear. Her photos are all perfect and she has somehow managed to get that 4.0 GPA, the cute boyfriend, and have a social life any New York socialite would envy. She is well traveled and she snagged the greatest internship there could possibly be. All in all, her life is one that leaves you green with envy and leaves you questioning where you went wrong.
I feel this harsh feeling in myself daily. I always feel as though my clothes aren’t good enough, I’m not pretty enough, and that though I have a significant number of accomplishments, I’m still not reaching the level of beauty and success that these girls are reaching. Every day I look in the mirror and hate what I see. I stare at my closet and run through everything I own and try to find an outfit that wouldn’t make me hate the way I look. I have perfected the lining of my lips, the application of false eyelashes and have an entire page on my notes app dedicated to Instagram captions, but it is still not enough.
It’s hard to ignore that feeling, and every day more and more girls fall victim to the perfectly Instagrammed lives people post about. But you know what? It’s OKAY to not look like that girl in the Instagram picture with 2k likes. You’re not that girl in the picture, you’re YOU, and no one can steal that. You are your own individual. You are witty and funny. You may not have the latest designer clothes, but you don’t have to because your style is still amazing. Whether it came off the rack or out of a thrift shop, you still rock that outfit.
That girl in that Instagram picture makes her life look perfect, but in actuality, her life may be anything but. People are constantly fighting battles we know nothing about. Everyone’s journey through life is different and has their high point and low points, and although all we see is the high points, it’s just a small glimpse into that person’s life.
Your worth is not measured by your looks, your clothes, your social life, or the number of followers you obtain on social networking sites. Your worth is based on who you are as a person. You are kind, smart, and caring. You are worth more than money or fame. You are a unique individual that shines her own light onto all those she comes across. You are YOU, and that is something no one else can say.