Being involved in social media means connecting with new faces and voices. I have seen amazing relationships form over twitter, Facebook, and from conferences. Today’s guest writer is one of those people that I met virtually, and I  that you will not be able to help loving.  Jessica is a family lifestyle blogger living in Raleigh, NC with her husband, two  sons (4 & 1), and one son on the way (due Oct 2012).  Jessica writes about family life, recipes, travel and products for families at The B Keeps Us Honest.

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As a teenager I was a bit of a wallflower. I guess I still am a bit of a wallflower these days, but just not as intentionally. I wore crazy clothes, styled my hair like I wanted and really didn’t give much consideration to what others thought of me. It’s pretty impressive actually that as a teenage girl I had such good self-confidence. Of course I had my insecurities, but overall I didn’t dwell on the negative too much.

I specifically remember a conversation I had with some of my girlfriends about my why I had such good self-esteem. I’d never really thought about being ashamed of my style or personality until they brought it up. I jokingly told them I woke up every morning, looked in the mirror and told myself, “Hello, Beautiful.” We all laughed about it and for several years it became a running joke amongst my friends.

Even though it was a joke I think there was hidden wisdom in my wisecrack. Somehow at the age of 14 I understood that what made me unique was also that which made me beautiful. I remember thinking that no one notices the individual pink roses in a garden of pink roses but the one yellow rose will always stand out amongst the sea of pink.

Honestly, I have to attribute my good self-esteem to my parents. They always supported me and never made negative comments about my appearance. They encouraged me to be myself and if that meant having pink hair and wearing orange pants, so be it. (I’ve never actually had pink hair but I did have blue hair and a pair of orange shorts.) I’m very blessed to have been raised in an encouraging home and I am extremely thankful for it.

As I get older I become more aware of flaws and spend more time than I should dwelling upon what others think of me. My self-confidence isn’t what it used to be. I tell myself that my circumstances are more complex now; I have children, a job, a house to take care of and ultimately not as much time to spend on myself. I tell myself it’s OK to think negatively in order to find the motivation to change.

But those are all lies – lies that continue to beat me down. So now when I’m feeling down I remember my teenage mantra. Even though I was being silly back then it has become a daily reminder to accept myself the way I am. So I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and tell myself, “Hello Beautiful” and remember that I am a yellow flower.

About Elena

Living, doing, and growing, Elena is a freelance writer and chaser of dreams trying to make every moment matter. Follow her adventures at LiveDoGrow. You can also find her on @ElenaSonnino on Twitter.

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