There are plenty of joys of being a teenage girl. Your parents give you a little more freedom, you can get your driver's license, and you can even go out on dates.
Ever since I was a little girl, I was totally hooked on the idea of being a teenager. I literally couldn't wait. I got an early subscription to J-14 magazine. I had everything all planned out; my parents would buy me a cute pastel pink car; I would be the most popular girl in school, and the captain of the basketball team would be my long term boyfriend. But I soon found out that not everything can go your way.
One thing J-14 didn't warn me about was all of the insecurities that come along with being a teenage girl. All of a sudden, I started hating myself for no reason. I started obsessing over what I was going to wear, how my hair would look and what kind of make up I would use. And most of all, I started to care too much about what people thought about me. When I turned 13, it's like my life magically became harder.
I was bullied and teased through elementary and middle school mostly for the way I looked so I understand the feeling of insecurity quite well. I wasn't very good at fitting in or following trends. Neither was I good at keeping up with pop culture since I grew up in a house speaking German and French and listening to Classical music. I was different. And when you're different, people feel uncomfortable. But that doesn't mean you have to change yourself.
When you feel insecure, you start to question yourself. You start considering dressing like everyone else, talking like everyone else and leaving your old self behind just to fit in and feel better about yourself. But believe me, changing yourself is never the answer. You are one special person. Yes you, the person reading this. It doesn't matter how much you weigh, where you buy your clothes, what kind of music you like, the color of your skin, or anything for that matter. If you get nothing else out of this, I want you to know that, okay? Okay.
For my fellow teenage girls reading this, here are a few little things you can do to make you feel better about yourself everyday:
Pamper Yourself
It's more than okay to take some time for yourself every once in a while. Make yourself a bubble bath with scented candles, have a cup of warm tea, (green tea is the bae) or buy a new nail color and paint your nails. Make sure you turn off your phone while pampering so you can have all of your focus on you. Because you're amazing and worth the time. You can answer that cute guy you met at your friend's party later.
Make a Happy Playlist
I personally think that a happy playlist is something everyone should have. I have at least two! A happy playlist is nothing more than a playlist of your favorite happy songs that make you feel awesome about yourself. Here are a few songs from one of mine:
What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction
24/Seven by Big Time Rush
Wings by Little Mix
Headphones by Britt Nicole
Roar by Katy Perry
Encourage Yourself
As silly as it sounds, positive words can go a long way. Especially when you speak them out loud. Get in your mirror and say some nice things to yourself. Here are a few things I say:
"I'm perfectly me, and no one can change that."
"I am beautiful just the way I am. My so called flaws are what make me...me!"
"I like myself. And if someone else doesn't like me, then they need some serious help."
I really hope that you got something out of reading this post. I'm here to serve. ^-^
And always remember. You're perfect.
Perfectly you.
