Do you think this girl is pretty? I certainly do. This is the actress Chloe Grace Moretz, and she’s always been quite beautiful. When I watched movies she was in as a kid, I thought, ‘What an absolutely adorable child.’ She then grew up to become a very attractive young woman. Yet there were times when Chloe didn’t feel very beautiful at all.

As a teenager Chloe was insecure about her body and looks. She thought her chin was too pointy, her nose too big, and felt that her face was all out of proportion. Making matters worse, a boy actor she had a crush on once implied she was fat, telling her she was too “thick” to be the type of girl he would consider dating.

Maybe you know the feeling. No matter who you are or what you look like, there are going to be times when you’ll feel like you’re not quite enough. Like maybe your body isn’t attractive, or your bootie too big (or conversely, too small). Maybe you aren’t as thin as the other girls. There might be times when you look at yourself and think your ears too large, your nose too pointy, or your face too plain and ordinary.

Maybe this feeling will come because of something someone said, or it might arise because the boys in your class seem more interested in the other girls than they are in you. Or maybe you’ll start to form these opinions all on your own, based on something you read or the ruminations swirling in your own head.

Whatever the case may be, it’s all too easy to get carried away with self-criticism. We start to pick ourselves apart, scrutinizing things most other people wouldn’t even notice. We measure ourselves against the impossible standards of perfection, only to inevitably fall short. Minor flaws can start to feel like major deficiencies. Before too long it’s like you’re viewing yourself through a fun-house mirror, seeing a picture that’s completely distorted. You see this image as the way you really are, when others would have an entirely different opinion.

But riddle me this: If a girl like Chloe could be insecure and feel ugly at times, even when so many other people would look at her and think she was absolutely gorgeous, then what’s that say about the accuracy of your own insecurities? If her self-assessments weren’t truthful, then how accurate are your own?

There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting to look your best. We all desire to be desirable; to be seen as someone beautiful and worthy in the eyes of others. We yearn to be like a beautiful bouquet of flowers—an alluring thing that people are drawn to. Yet it’s easy to get carried away and take this yearning too far.

It’s good to eat healthy and exercise. These things take care of our body on the inside as well as the outside. We brush our teeth, do our hair, and bathe in order to present our best selves to the world. The problem comes when we start to pick ourselves apart for minor things, or scrutinize aspects of ourselves that can’t be changed. Quite frequently we’re our own harshest critic, way more judgmental of ourselves than others would be.

Nobody can ever be perfect. Chloe’s certainly not perfect, nor is any other actress or supermodel, despite outward appearances. You don’t have to be perfect in order to be someone attractive in the eyes of others. Truth be told, most guys aren’t looking for a walking plastic Barbie Doll anyway; they want a girl who’s real and authentic.

The little things we scrutinize about ourselves may not matter much to others. In fact, often times it’s those very”flaws” we pick apart that gives us character and makes you unique. And for every potential flaw you think you see, there’s assuredly another aspect of yourself that people would find desirable.

It’s also true that tastes are every bit as diverse as people. So no matter what your features, there are bound to be plenty of people out there who would find you worthy.

Chloe wasn’t ugly and undesirable…not by a long shot. Neither are you. Don’t let the voices in your head convince you otherwise.

 

Picture credit:
Chloe Grace Moretz 
Stylecaster