Some women and girls put a lot of pressure on themselves to look, dress, or act a certain way. It’s actually really hard not to do this in a society where females are constantly bombarded by media images telling them to have perfect bodies, eat salads, wear makeup, and just be perfect. With celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Gigi Hadid always being praised for their beauty, it’s hard not to compare ourselves.
A wise person once told me a saying that really stuck, and now I say it to myself every time I feel like things aren’t going the way I want.
“You are perfect the way you are, and you are perfect the way you are not.”
If you can apply this saying to your own life, it can really change the way you view yourself. Maybe you’re not the thinnest, the prettiest, or the smartest according to the media’s definitions but you are you. That is the best thing you can be. It’s important to remember that things usually happen for a reason. All the struggles you experienced shaped you into the person you are today.
You are your own biggest critic, but imagine how much easier your life would be if you focused on your good qualities. Tell yourself that you are kind, or funny, or strong.
Apply this to other aspects of life
The great thing about this quote is that it is applicable to almost every situation. For example, say you are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic after a long day of school and you really just want to go home. Instead of being frustrated, think “this is perfect the way it is, and perfect the way it is not.” Obviously, sitting in traffic for 20 minutes is not perfect, but if you actually do say this to yourself, you’ll see a change in your mood. You will feel calmer and more at peace with the situation at hand. You can’t just snap your fingers and make the traffic go away. Don’t be miserable because of something you can’t control.