I wrote this 3 years ago:

There will always be someone who will tell you that you’re not good enough, pretty enough, or unique enough.

There will always be someone who will tell you that you’re only as beautiful as your face and your body.

There will always be someone who will tell you that your worth depends on how much attention you can get.

There will always be someone who will tell you that your education is a waste.

But I will always be there to tell you this…

The beauty within you cannot be compared to anyone else’s.

You are unique because you the moment you came to this life, you brought a whole new kind of beauty. A whole new kind of innocence. A whole new kind of ability to make people love. You define beauty. Beauty does not define you. To your parents, you are the most beautiful and precious human in existence. Never forget that. Never doubt that. As you grow, society will push you to conform to ideals that it creates. Those ideals will always change, but who you are should never change to anything but the better.

A pretty face may get you attention, but a pretty heart will get you respect. A pretty face may get you popularity, but a beautiful reasonable mind will get you true happiness that lasts a life time. Your attitude may get you attention, but kindness will get you genuine love. True love is not easily found because things that last a lifetime are rare. You are rare and that’s fact. Don’t ever allow anyone to make you doubt that.

Those are the people that you need to remove from your life. Close your eyes and think of those who acknowledge your goodness and your authenticity. Look to those who look out for you. You really must believe that if you ever feel down, there is always someone out there who feels the same way, and unless you learn to see yourself for who you are on the inside, you will always be a prisoner of what those around you think of you. That jail is more torturous than any other. Real flaws are not those that you have on the outside, but those hidden in your heart, in your mind, in your soul. Work on fixing them first. The more you focus on your inside, the more beautiful, confident, and independent your outside will be. Your education is what makes you a queen, because it crowns your heart with the ability to make a difference in this world. Independence will be your guard from every power that tries to weaken you or defeat you. Some will try to convince you that independence scares people away. That’s true. It will scare the wrong people away, and will make those who are right for you respect you more, love you more, and value you more.

My little girl, if I still haven’t convinced you that beauty is about goodness, kindness, honesty, humbleness, and understanding… If I still haven’t convinced you that beauty is that of the soul, the heart, and the mind, then think of your mother’s face. Think of every wrinkle on it. Think of every story behind each one. Think of every sacrifice she made behind each one. Think of every second she could have chosen to focus on her self but instead consciously and willingly decided to focus on you and your future. Isn’t she the most beautiful woman on earth?