"I used to tell myself that I'd fit in better if I didn't tan and got colored contacts. What #prettylittlelies do you still tell yourself? #EmbraceWhatMakesYouDifferent"

If you're a Pretty Little Liars fan like me, then you've seen Shay Mitchell star as Emily Fields in the ABC drama based off of the book series by Sara Shepard. She, along with Ashley Benson (as Hanna), Troian Bellisario (as Spencer) and Lucy Hale (as Aria) play teenaged girls who, after the death of their best friend Allison, are mercilessly stalked by one of her enemies. The girls band together to face tons of obstacles and solve puzzle after puzzle in an effort to solve the mystery of her murder.

The show is awesome! Not only is it suspenseful and full of drama, but the girls are very fashionable and relatable. It's always fun tuning in to their different personalities and styles. My favorite characters are Emily and Hanna, so I decided to like both of thier Facebook pages, which is how I came across the above post. Shay Mitchell (pictured in the very first photo), is the only girl on the show who isn't "fair". She is half Filipino, half Irish/Scottish. I admired her unique beauty and upon first seeing the show, was excited to see someone of color star in PLL. Interestingly enough, I later discovered that she was not the only one! Troian pictured above on the far left is mixed with black and white. Although Troian is mixed, she still didn't look like me and played a caucasian girl- I saw myself more in Shay. So, to see this post saddened me. We LOVE your brown beauty Shay! I thought to myself, "I can relate", as I once desired lighter skin and had even tried gray and light brown contacts! BAD IDEA. I have since let go of wanting to alter my features in those ways, embracing my dark skin and brown eyes. In Shay's case, she was relating that she grew up in a relatively caucasian neighborhood and felt like an oddball. When asked in an interview with Teen Vogue what advice she would give to her younger self, here's what she said:

"To embrace what I was born with naturally. Back when I was in high school, I dyed my hair blonde to fit in with my friends. They all had blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. I would stay out of the sun, I got blue contacts, I would dye my hair lighter. I look back at these photos, and I'm like, 'Why was I trying to change who I was?' If I just enhanced what I was born with, I would've been a lot happier. Embrace who you are and celebrate the fact that you're unique. That's what makes you beautiful." 

We all have our insecurities and its a beautiful thing when we learn to appreciate our beauty. In her staus, she said she used to tell herself these things, meaning she doesn't anymore. She also used the hashtag #prettylittlelies to admit that what she was telling herself wasn't true. Shay's post is a reminder that the European standard of beauty - the notion that white is right- has an effect on different ethnicities.

"I know, having lived in Asia, it’s always been the whitening thing in modeling, but I was never a fan of it. Filipino girls are beautiful because of what they’re born with.” Shay said in an interview with philstar.com

Good for you Shay! Beauty comes in different shades, shapes and sizes- no one combination better than another. Shay inspired me and many others with that brave post. I ask you, as she did, what #prettylittlelies do you tell yourself? You know what, never mind. Don't you dare say them again!

Here's a suggestion to help you to start telling yourself some #prettylittletruths...

Affirm yourself! Write down positive affirmations on notecards or sticky notes to place on the mirror and read them aloud while looking in the mirror. Do this every day this week. More than just complimenting yourself, affirmations are statements that help us to change the way we think and view ourselves-evolving our negative thinking into positive. Statements like these are examples:

•I love you
•Hello Beautiful
•I only think and say kind things to myself
•You rock
•I love my body 
•I accept you, every part of you
•I support you and everything you feel
•I am worthy

by: Kay W.