So, this past week I had been thinking a lot about the word “pretty.” Silly I know, but being a woman in this world is a bit hard sometimes. This week I really focused on those who were surrounding me. People I know, but also strangers too. I will admit that I eavesdropped on A LOT of conversations…just real casually tho. Some of these conversations put a dagger in my heart. I “casually” listened in on a convo that a group of high school girls were having in Forever 21. Throughout this convo, they were all talking about the things the wish they could change so they could be pretty. One mentioned how she was “too fat” to look good in anything in the store. The other was looking in the mirror fixing her hair with a “I look disgusting” look on her face. Another one of the girls was on Instagram talking about every “perfection” of this woman on her screen…I left that store feeling sick. You guys…that was me. As much as I hate to admit it, it still is me at times. I saw myself in every single one of those girls. Why do we do that? Why do we talk to ourselves in a way that we would never talk to anyone else?
After that experience, that is when I began to think about the word “pretty.” We all must know that “pretty” isn’t all about having a pretty exterior. It’s about having a pretty heart and a pretty mind! My friend said recently (when it came to a convo about guys and dating hahaha) that “a beautiful face catches the eye, BUT a beautiful soul conquers the heart.” . So Pinteresty, but very much the truth. That saying can be applied to so many different things. For me, I am trying to focus on being kind. Serving others. Being strong. Although I have many moments where I am picking myself apart, I would much rather have someone be my friend or love me because of my pretty soul.
“REMINDER: You are under no obligation to look pretty. Not when you are lying around the house, not when you go to the grocery store, not when you sit in the class room, not when you go to the gym. You are never obligated to get dressed up just so you are pretty for OTHERS. Pretty is not the rent you pay to exist in this world as a woman.”
If you like to get “suited up” like me, do it for YOURSELF. But also suit yourself up with all of those other things I talked about: love, service, strength, charity, kindness, etc. Let’s all help each other. Encourage each other. Serve each other. Lift each other. Let’s all take a step back, especially this holiday season, and find the REAL and TRUE beauty in every single person around us! xo, p ps. this Target suit is on sale!
