With the rise of surgical enhancement, social media, and more pressing beauty standards, I’ve found that as a society we’ve begun nitpicking at each of our little flaws. We resent ourselves for not looking pristine all the time, or in this case, not being the real “Target dog.”.

I’m not about to preach on self-confidence, as I’ve found that that has been shoved down our throats a considerable amount. But with that being said, I am a firm believer in self-acceptance in place of self-confidence. Meaning rather than aiming at viewing yourself as the coolest hottest snack in the room, you may want to consider starting at simply accepting and appreciating the body you’ve been given and just…exist in it.

I am in no way saying that it’s harmful to see yourself as the coolest hottest snack in the room; that’s fantastic if you see yourself like that, as long as you treat others with respect. Frankly, I envy you if that’s your mindset.

I’m aiming this at those who are actively making an effort to work on their self-image and may be intimidated by the heavy meaning of the words “self-confidence.” It’s much more reassuring to take baby steps, and begin your long-running journey towards self love by being content and accepting your body that does a variety of amazing things for you to function and live life comfortably and to the fullest.