imageSeriously though, you just wanted to post a few selfies, didn’t you? You were at home like “I wanna post these pics. I need to fake nominate myself for this Pretty face challenge” You were like “These pics need to be seen, Ima act like Michelle and Dianna nominated me” “I need some likes.”

Do you sis, do you! But I see you posting all them pics every other day, seeking validation without anybody fake challenging you.

Who told you you were beautiful? When did you realize it? DO you realize you ARE beautiful without having to hear someone tell you through a Facebook challenge post?

Many times we lack a certain amount of confidence within ourselves and we feel the need to seek outside attention to seem worthy. This goes back to my previous blog, Impressing those who don’t matter. The only person that needs to know and understand how beautiful we are is ourselves.

As a child, I never knew that. I wasn’t born with the beautiful hair. I was the “dark one.” Today, I look back at childhood pics and I thought I was pretty. I don’t remember ever hearing it. I have memories of jumping out of the car to visit a family member. I would run with excitement and literally get pushed aside because I wasn’t the princess.

Disclaimer: For those who know me and my family, I do not speak of situations with just my sister. These were episodes with cousins, friends, distant relatives.

Anywho, I remember the dreaded back to school shopping. I would always get twins outfits along with others. I’d go to school and literally get laughed at because I didn’t look the same in my outfits. I remember my hideous eyeglasses in the 4th grade which brought on so much more teasing. I remember the Jheri curl that I requested but kept a lot longer than I wanted. More teasing. Teachers, constantly telling me I wasn’t like my sister year after year.

The only thing from my childhood I remember hearing was how bad I was….never that I was beautiful (or smart). Well, Mrs Martin did once pull me aside and tell me “you are NOT like your sister, or anyone else. That’s what makes you special.” Unfortunately, I only had her for one year. That next year, I literally spit on a teacher. (Remember, I was told more times how bad I was versus how beautiful, evil vs good).

I just wanted to be beautiful.

I am. So are you.

So while we shouldn’t need Facebook to validate our beauty, we can use it to express ourselves and show others how confident and proud we are of our beauty. No matter how others may see us, if we don’t see our own beauty and self worth, all those childhood bullies win. Those bullies who laughed at our clothes, our hair, our teeth, our shapes, our size……show them who we are and let them watch us in all our beauty. But, if WE don’t believe it ourselves, start there first because NOBODY else should matter…..and start with the children. Children become broken adults who seek Facebook validation…..

“Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful” peace!