If I could talk to my teenage self, the one thing I would say is … YOU ARE ENOUGH!

I watched you grow up chasing after approval from your dad like a bird dog chasing a retrieval training dummy.  You would light up like a Christmas tree on those random occasions that he would tell you that he was proud of you and I watched you grow increasingly timid and insecure every time things about you were pointed out as being a "problem" to be fixed.  Please don’t misunderstand, your daddy loves you beyond words, he has sacrificed a lot because he loves his family.  At this moment in time he doesn’t know how to express how he really feels - but take heart child - the man he becomes is quite remarkable. This isn’t about your dad, this is about you.

Sweetheart, you were, and are, and ever will be exactly who The Divine Creator needs you to be.  In His eyes you are enough … you are smart enough, beautiful enough, thin enough, talented enough, strong enough and you ARE good enough.  Darlin' let me break this down for you.

You are smart enough

The ONLY person you should EVER compare yourself to is, well, YOU!  You are neither superior nor inferior to anyone else.  There will always be people who know more about a variety of subjects than you do … and those same people may know very little about the subjects that you know well.  Embrace the differences - you have nothing to prove, to anyone, ever.  Engage in challenging conversations, all involved have something to learn from each participant, including you.  If you find a subject that intrigues you, study it, learn as much as you want to learn about it.  Whatever you decide to learn, remember this … you are smart enough. 

You are beautiful enough

I heard your grandma tell you that a beautiful face is fleeting, however a beautiful soul is eternal.  Please don't forget this!  Your beauty resides in your heart.  It sparkles in your eyes when you smile - so smile often.  It is in every tear you shed - stop trying to hide them.  Your beauty is the reflection of your soul.  Society will try to tell you that only those with flawless, porcelain skin and perfect clothes are beautiful.  Society will continue to lie to you, getting you to spend time and money on useless products that promise this beauty yet continually fall incredibly short of the mark.  Your beauty is not a matter of how you look, it is a matter of who you are.  Consider this quote, dear child, from Kahlil Gibran "Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."

You are thin enough

You have been told, by so many sources, that your body shape is intertwined with your beauty.  The notion that the only beautiful body is one that is slender or thin is complete nonsense.  Body shaming will continue to become harder and harder to ignore.  You are SO MUCH MORE than a number on the scale, or the size of your jeans.  You were issued one body at birth.  That.is.it. Just one body, that is all there is, so learn to love it now.  You can't trade it in for a different one and no matter how much you exercise it or starve it, until you begin to love it, you will continue to be caught in a horrible cycle of self-loathing which is incredibly damaging to your mental health as well.  I know that you are currently struggling with this and are experiencing the onset of an eating disorder.  PLEASE, learn to love your body.  Life is too short to spend it hating your body!  The sooner you learn to love your body the easier it will be to take steps towards a healthier one (and notice I said healthier, not thinner – they are vastly different).

You are talented enough

You love to sing, play the piano, write poetry and everything about photography.  Sing every chance you get.  Capture the beauty of a dew kissed rose bud in both prose and pictures.  Take a photograph of a snow-covered street and write a story about it!  You will find yourself in relationships with men who will be more concerned with making ends meet than pursuing your passions, this shift in focus may crush your spirit.  If you internalize his opinion you will begin to lose your courage and suddenly you will have convinced yourself that you are not a talented enough writer to compete with professionals.  If you stop using your talents, one day you forget that it used to bring you a joy that defies description.  We all have a story to tell, using whatever medium best suits the moment … song, written word, photographs … don’t be afraid to share your story!

You are strong enough

You are fierce.  There will be very rough patches in your life that will stretch your emotional strength so thin that you will feel that there is no way that you can endure any more … and then it happens … you do endure more.  If ever there was a bit of scripture to burn into your heart, your soul and your mind it is this:  Philippians 4:13 ~ “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  There will be challenges that require physical strength too, but the more important of the two is the emotional strength. You already have this strength, you just need to be confident enough to tap into it.  Remember that you are not walking this path alone.  You have a mighty support network that will rally around you during those times that you are not able to find your own strength … but you must be open with them and ask for help rather than trying to handle it on your own.

You are good enough

This is going to be the hardest one for you to accept, because I know you … but you are good enough.  You will find yourself in relationships, including two marriages, that will seem to end in disaster and you will say things to yourself like “No matter what I do or how hard I try I will never be good enough for him.”  As hard as this is, you must believe that even at your absolute best you still will not be good enough for the wrong person … and even at your worst you will still be worth it to the right person (thank you Word Porn).  Imagine what would happen if you allowed yourself to believe that you truly are good enough!

You.are.enough

I know that you are going to make the same choices I made, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Yes, it is going to be hard … but you will experience tremendous beauty and love throughout this journey.  The Universe hears your heart and one day you will express your pain in a way that draws another soul into your orbit.  This soul will have a profound impact on you, providing a fresh perspective that will change you forever.  Don’t be afraid of it.  I’m here to tell you that you are enough.