Just the Way You Are

"When you smile...The whole world stops and stares for a while...Cuz' girl, you're amazing...Just the way you are." The theme of the day is self-acceptance. Today, my mom and I stopped by the book store looking for something to occupy us for a while, and what I didn't expect was her picking up a self-help book. I have no problem with them, but they just didn't seem like something my mom would read. It's called Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres, and it is amazing. I'm already halfway through it, and I can't put it down. It really taught me something (I know, hard to believe). Ever since I was twelve, and maybe a smidge before that, I've struggled with who I am. I never really accepted myself. Anytime someone would tell me I'm pretty, smart, or even amazing, I never believed them. The school I went to was a major benefactor to it. I didn't feel accepted. It felt like, when I wasn't looking, people were making fun of who I was and the way I looked. Guys were my biggest offenders. And while I know that I shouldn't care, I did. I couldn't help it. No matter how I tried to avoid it, I couldn't. My imagination scrolled through all the possibilities they could be thinking...'Wow, what a big butt,' kept reoccuring. I'm not saying that I'm not still that way. I am. But I want to change. I want to be proud of who I am. I am beautiful, smart, funny, and perfect the way I am. People may have been telling me that for years, but I finally believe it. I'm exactly who I'm supposed to be. To quote Ellen, "To me, beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin."