My name is Elizabeth. I attended LCC and graduated just this
past May. I now attend Rhodes State College as a part of the Radiographic
Imaging program. I was named the 2014 Allen County Fair Queen and I received
several scholarships for my hard work in school. I can honestly tell you I am
proud of myself. Can you say the same about yourself? Or better yet, can you
say that God is proud of you? That’s a hard one for me to be honest about.
Me (one the right)
and my amazing royalty family during the Fair
We, as teens and as people of the 21st
century, are so caught up on what everyone thinks of us; if they like us, if
they approve of us, if they liked our post, or if they message us back. We
spend so much time worrying about how we look in our selfies, posting them on
Instagram, and getting notifications every time someone likes it or comments,
“OMG, you’re perfect!!!” or “I wish I was as pretty as you!!” When people do
these things in response to our selfies or whatever we posted that day, doesn’t
that make us feel good? Doesn’t it boost your self-esteem? But, what happens
when we only get a few likes, or no one comments about how pretty we are? That
makes us doubt our self-worth. Sometimes, we even delete the post because we
are embarrassed about it.
Selfie on our way to Steubenville 2014!!!
I don’t really have this problem. I
seldom take selfies, and when I do, I usually think they are too bad to post on
the internet. I don’t have the self-confidence to even try to get others’
validation. I admire those who have that confidence but I’m glad that I don’t
look for the validation that I look good from others, I look for it from myself.
Yes, I need to learn to be more self-confident, and I am working on that every
day.
I am not saying that you shouldn’t post on
social media when you feel pretty or you want to share some awesome news with
your friends, but I am saying don’t do it for the validation that you look
pretty or that people are happy for you. Do it because if reflects God. The
only validation we need is His, and everything we put out there for people to
see, should reflect His love and pride in us. Be proud of yourself, and happy
in your skin, don’t let the responses of others in likes or comments make or
break your day. Just be content and happy with what God has given you and know
that He loves you and is proud of you.
