"You are beautiful." I believe those words now--for myself and everyone else. But for the longest time, it felt like a lie. I didn't believe I was beautiful. And for years, I've denied the fact that I struggled with body image issues. I never told anyone the shame and horror I felt if I saw that I had gained weight. On the outside, I would roll my eyes when people complained about their appearance, while on the inside, I was hypercritical of my own body. I have since learned to be more gentle, kind, and gracious towards myself and my body as I recognize and acknowledge all that it does for me. But this is an area of my life I haven't overcome completely; the temptation to compare myself to others is always looming especially if I'm not being vigilant and it's something I have to be mindful of every day. But whether you believe it or not, it's true. You are beautiful. 

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