There she was, seeking validation again.

She looked in the mirror.

A little makeup on my face wouldn’t hurt today, she thought again.

She put up the camera,

Did some videos,

Added filters to make it look beautiful,

And tagged it: “Self-confidence is on another level.”

She wiped the makeup off once she was done,

Then scrolled through Instagram.

Her feed?

It was full of women more beautiful than her.

One hour of looking—

At the shape of their pointed noses, long hair, and perfect body shapes.

Sigh, she said.

She stood up,

Went to the mirror,

And compared every single detail.

From her face

To her arms

To her legs.

A tear fell from her eyes.

A second tear.

Then many more.

She cried—

Her face red, her lips shivering.

She hated herself—

Not because of her life,

But because of how she looked.

She lied about being confident.

She knew she wasn’t.

She wasn’t happy.

She thought she had to look happy for people.

She never liked how she dressed,

But the thought of "What will people say about how I look? About how I dress?"

Made life depressing for her.

She always wanted happiness,

But she never knew the key to happiness…

Was embracing herself.

Not looking at the beauty standards of today.

Accepting her looks, her body.

Embracing the insecurities.

And being honest with herself.

Because in reality,

Everyone’s insecure.

No one’s perfect.

But embracing those flaws—

That’s what makes you love who you truly are.

And knowing that your looks aren’t all that matter—

Your personality, your hobbies, your knowledge, your kindness...

They all play a big role

In how you carry yourself.

But little did she know…

Sighhhhhh...