Selina Iglesias: Greene Publishing, Inc.
According to the National Report on Self Esteem, 98 percent of girls, specifically teenagers, feel there is an immense pressure from external sources to look a certain way – is there any wonder why? Society and the media put so much emphasis on what is “perfect” and what is not. Because of this, women and young girls are given unrealistic expectations as to what they should look like – and when they fall short of that, their mental health and self esteem suffer; often, many girls develop eating disorders and begin self-harming behaviors because they can't be “skinny enough,” “popular enough,” “pretty enough” or “stylish enough.” Early on, the damaging thought “I will never be enough” influences girls all over the nation, and even worldwide.
Grace Valentine knows that feeling of inadequacy all too well. “I remember the first time I watched the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and saw a guy from my town tweet 'Why can’t the girls in our town look like this?' I soon questioned why I wasn’t skinny enough,” said Valentine. “That night, I worked out for three hours. That year, I went from a size 4 to a size 0, and still didn’t feel skinny enough.” Struggling with body image issues, Valentine worked tirelessly to fit society's standards of perfect.
However, Valentine was reminded of her worth because of the love she had for Jesus. In His eyes, she knew she was perfect – even if she wasn't a size 0 or implemented all of the latest fashion trends in her wardrobe. Realizing other girls around the world needed to know of God's love for them despite their “flaws,” Valentine started writing for an online blog called The Odyssey and shortly after created her own website, gracevalentine.org, specifically to reach out to those girls who never felt like they were enough – aptly named The Enough Movement.
“See my sister, you weren’t even created for this world. While on this world you are created for a purpose that is far greater than being 'pretty enough' for the hot guy, or 'popular enough' to sit with the cool girls at lunch,” reads Valentine's website. “You were created to find joy in walking with the Lord, to praise Him for His perfection. To praise Him for His love. To praise a God who looks at you, your flaws, your pimples, your 56 on your Biology test and says 'you are enough for me.'”
In 2016, Valentine's website received over three million views – and that number is steadily growing. Valentine's message has helped not only girls in Valentine's hometown of Mandeville, La., but girls all across the world. She reminds them that they should be happy with the idea that they are not enough for the world, “because it makes God’s love for you even sweeter.”
Through this website and her outreach on social media, Valentine hopes to erase society's idea of perfection out of young girls' minds and get them to enjoy the things that society shames while also allowing themselves to feel enough for the one thing that matters: Jesus.
“Never forget, the One who created puppies, carbs, and sunflowers designed you on this Earth for a reason— and that is something to praise Him for.”