Listen Up People

Hi guys. I was going to do another post today, but I wanted to talk about some things that are going on in my life. I'm in middle school, so I'm sure everyone out there who has gone through that experience knows what a pain it can be. However, for some people, it's more than just a pain. It's a burden. Have you ever felt insecure? I'm pretty sure everyone in their life has felt insecurity at one point in their life (if you haven't, you're a pretty confident boss person), and has even let that insecurity overtake them. You look at others and what they have, you look at what you're doing in your life, but most of all, you look at your physical appearance.

I love my body. It's going through change all the time, but I know that it fits who I am and who I want to be. For women, though, there is such a stigma around body types. Men and women alike make comments: sometimes off-hand, sometimes intentionally. It can be as small as You look so good! or Your skin looks beautiful, but that still has meaning behind it. When you tell women that they look good, it's as if you're telling them that they need your approval to feel beautiful. They can feel however they want about themselves, and it's not your job to tell them otherwise. It can be hard sometimes. It may just slip out, but correct yourself and think, how would I feel if I received that comment? In my experience, if you feel like you are always commented on, that can lead to thoughts of self-worth and insecurity. At other times, people comment because of their lack of self-esteem.

The purpose of this post is to educate everyone on how women feel about themselves. If you are a guy, listen closely: we don't want your thoughts on what we look like. Stop making it feel like we have to look a certain way for your praise; it's sexist and it tears us down. We have lived long enough worrying about our weight and worrying about what others think of us. Next time, instead of saying You look so good, maybe try I love your energy/style or maybe just don't say anything at all. To everyone out there, I don't want to live in a world anymore where men are disrespectful toward us. We deserve a say in our lives.

Thanks guys!