Just a thought.

This week has been really rough on a lot of people.

It seems that people have been overly stressed and distraught this week more than any other. And I've noticed other people haven't been helping the situation.

On Monday, a girl came crying into class because her boyfriend found another girl more attractive than her.
On Wednesday, a girl openly confessed that she, if given the chance, would pay for surgery to change her entire appearance.
Every single day, I hear in a classroom, a conversation, in the halls, girls not making peace with their looks.

And who's to blame them?

Two days ago, I walked past a group of people sitting in the hallway for a life-management class, when someone called my name, I turned around and waved at two cheerful grins looking back at me. I smiled and continued walking to my classroom. Only later did I find out by a friend of mine that a girl, who I've never met in my life, told the group of people after I walked away that, "She has a cute style, if only she was prettier."

My initial reaction to this was complete anger. I wanted to confront this girl because I was so hurt. Never have I ever been told something that happened behind my back. But the more I thought about it, the more sympathetic I became towards this girl. How manipulated are her thoughts that she can't find the beauty in everyone?  To bash a complete stranger to a group of people?
Realizing that words hold so much power, I myself felt empowered, and I have decided that the next time I see her, I am going to compliment her.

You will find help in yourself
when you help another.
You will find love in yourself
when you love another.

Society has created women to be an iconography of perfection. Skinny, tall, and glamorous is tossed in the face of every woman like some sort of checklist to be completed before being taken seriously in this world. Intelligent, strong women are put aside when compared to women who "beautiful" according to society's standards.

Every woman deserves the right to always feel beautiful, so I'm making a personal goal -- to never hold back a compliment.

Silent compliments aren't much use to anyone.

 

Life can be rough. We don't need any more negativity to make it worse.

No mistakes. There's nothing to be afraid of. You are beautiful :)

And then I felt alive.