Last month I participated in the “Love Yourself Pretty” series over at Flats to Flip Flops. I loved it so much I wanted to share it with you here.

I am so glad that I am sharing in this great “Love Yourself Pretty” series. Most of the time I don’t like to get super emotional or really put myself out there, but this series seemed like a great time to. Too often as women it is easy to see ourselves through a distorted image (you know like those carnival mirrors). I know that I have and still see myself completely off from what is truly there, but I try to keep myself on track. No matter if the world sees us as pretty or not (TRUST ME, we are all pretty and beautiful, even incredible), it won’t matter unless as women think we are pretty in our own mind. 

I think my key was finding out who I am and loving myself for it. You remember high school right? All those times when you wished you could look like that one girl, or your hair was different, or you could just be more outgoing. Then I sometimes would try to do that. Dress like someone else, act like someone else, be someone else. We all did. Am I right? 

Fast forward a few years. In college I embraced this quote by Oscar Wilde, 

High school would have been a little easier (possibly more fun) if I’d learned that sooner, instead college was fun because I was myself and knew I was pretty (despite the imperfections). 

If I wasn’t going to be me, love myself and think I’m pretty, then who else would see me for how special I was (and each one of us are). It was really fun to find me and less exhausting than trying to be someone else.

Let me tell you about some of the things I learned about who I am.

1. My style is pretty girly. I love lace, bows, ruffles, pearls, you know girly stuff sometimes with a vintage flair.
2. I love to read and get caught up in a good story.
3. I like to think I’m super organized, but I’m not really.
4. I like people, but I’m super protective of my personal space.
5. I love to laugh (sing along with the Mary Poppins song if you know it).

There are so many more things, I could tell you about myself, but really I started seeing myself as pretty when I knew these things. Maybe girly clothes make me feel feminine which makes me feel pretty. Whether you are a book nerd or not, you can still be pretty. 

I really do love to laugh and sometimes can’t control my laughter (ask my husband, when I’m tired I go crazy). I recently went on a church camping trip with some teen girls from my neighborhood. They are so full of life, but are just like I was in high school. They don’t really see how pretty and special they are. One of the girls has said she never laughs with her real laugh, because she hates it. Well one night we finally got her laughing with her real laugh. She was a bit upset that she was laughing her true laugh, because she thought everyone was making fun of it. In reality everyone actually loved her laugh because it inspired others to laugh with her. 

Sometimes whether we think we are pretty is like this girl and her laugh. We don’t like what we see (or hear when laughing) so we try to avoid it. We bury our beauty, rather than radiating it. If you don’t think you are pretty, if you think you think something isn’t just how it should be with your body, mind, or spirit, I invite you to look inward. Find out who you are and remember to Be Yourself. No one else will be you and realize how pretty you are, if you don’t take a little time on yourself.

What helps you remember to be yourself?