Every since I entered into my preteen years, all I wanted was to be considered pretty by anyone and everyone. I would wake up extra early and straighten my hair for no one in particular, put on foundation that didn’t even match my skin tone and dress in clothing that emphasized my physical features. I wanted to be liked, not for my abilities, but for my physical appearance and the way I looked.

Every little girl grows up with the same goals in mind, to fit society’s standards of what is beautiful. A slim waistline, perfect teeth and long hair are all traits that girls are expected to have from birth be considered ‘pretty’. Uniqueness has almost completely been washed away and replaced with the idea that looking similarly, boringly flawless is what everyone should want. Society feeds on the differences of women, calls them flaws and then shuns you for having them and shuns you for being different.

Today, after enduring four years of high school, four years of mistakes and four years of growing up, I can honestly say that physical appearances do not mean that much to me anymore. Being a 14-year-old freshman, all I wanted was to be called pretty or beautiful. Now a days, it means a lot more to me to be complimented on my accomplishments.

Sometimes as a society, we forget that because we live in a world where we promote the idea of being ‘pretty’, there are other compliments to give. So next time instead of compliment a woman on her looks, realize that there is so much more to her than just her physical appearance.