Pretty

There was a time in my life when I'd had a burning question, that I could never seem to answer. As hard as I'd tried, I just couldn't answer it. When I'd attempted, I didn’t trust in my answer. As a teenager, I would always manage to find something wrong with me, although I’d considered myself as a decent girl. Growing up, although there may have been a lack of resources at times, I took pride in my appearance, had great hygiene, carried a great since of style, I was loving and kind to others, strong when I needed to be, and I was a great friend. Still, that wasn't enough to answer that burning question. Friends and family would often lend their support, answering the question for me, offering one opinion after another. Sometimes, I'd listen...believing them and, on other occasions, I'd question their responses. They knew the REAL me and cared about her. I would constantly search for the answer because I'd lacked confidence. I remember my first breakup, crying to my dad, sharing with him how it just wasn't fair and, how it really hurt my self-esteem. The loving God-fearing dad my father was, always seemed to have the right response when I'd needed it. I remember him saying, “Sweetheart, it’s not that your self-esteem is low; actually, it’s the opposite. Your self-esteem is very high, that's why you're hurt. You can't believe that someone would do this to you”. What a response! My point is, in life we'll always have struggles, and things that are important to us. How you view and value yourself, is your kryptonite. What you see in the mirror trumps what the world should see. That infamous question that I could never seem to answer for myself was: Am I pretty? I know you’re thinking: Is she serious? Yes! Very serious! The point is, the more I started loving myself, excepting who I am, and realizing that God has made me uniquely different, with inner beauty and intelligence that exudes the fleeting exterior, which will one day shrivel beyond what Botox and fillers can solve, answering that question was no longer an issue for me. It no longer mattered what others thought of me. What mattered is what I thought of myself. When you hear the term "Be your authentic self", that means to be who God has made you to be. Stand strong in your confidence, and learn to love yourself just the way you are. And. when it’s all said and done, like myself, you will never need others to answer that question again. Always remember Dolls: a genuine soul will attract more good than a beautiful face.