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A post shared by Shilamida ? Gratitude Goddess (@goddess_of_gratitude) on Aug 21, 2018 at 8:54pm PDT

This is a story that I believe every teenage daughter and their mother should listen to.

Since it is back to school time, this would be a beneficial lesson to learn for all kids. Growing up is difficult. Middle school and high school are hard. Kids can be mean and ruin the experience for others.

But just because they are mean to you, doesn’t mean that they are better than you. This video talks about my struggles growing up and being a teenager. I was made fun of a lot. I didn’t have the coolest clothes or the fanciest shoes. I used to go to school and change into “better clothes” and makeup so that I could try to fit in with my peers (until the day I got caught). It was so hard to not be like the other girls.

When you’re a teenage girl, everything seems like the biggest thing in the world. You feel like you have to have the best clothes or the newest designer bag in order to fit in with everyone else, and I was no different. But the truth is, it’s not necessary. As an adult, I could care less and get the most compliments from my bargain rack finds!

As I grew up and things got easier, I learned to love the body I was in, to be grateful for the moment, to work at being the best version of myself for myself. When I went to my high school reunion, guess what? I was told I was “best-dressed” and I was more successful than most.

I was the person that everyone looked up to. I was confident in who I became, and it shined bright from the inside out. Those people who made fun of me? They took notice! I surpassed them!

I want everyone to know that growing up is hard, but it gets so much better if you let it. It took me a long time to learn that my own opinion of myself and searching within was the key to unlocking all of my best qualities and unique beauty—not comparing myself to anyone else.

I am hoping that the wisdom coming through this video will inspire women of any age who are struggling to keep going and to search within themselves for the acceptance they crave because that’s where the acceptance comes from.

You are beautiful and uniquely talented—once you believe that the world will follow!

~

Click below to play video.