A little over a year ago, I started Friday Favorite in a an attempt to be more positive--to give a shout out, no matter how short or how long, to those people, moments, things that make life happier.

Like many of us, I have always found myself focusing on the negatives of my day because, well, quite frankly they bother me, and I can't fix them, so I obsess about them. Instead of doing that, Friday Favorite forced me to end my day on a positive note, a happy thought, a sparkly unicorn that seemed mythical until I sat down and thought about it.

Since that moment, however, life got in the way, grad school came a-knockin', the ever present reminder of grading stuck in the back of my mind, and my desire to produce more writing put Friday Favorite to the side. But today, my Sirius XM brought me back to my Friday Favorite, because they gave me "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara.

I was an Alessia fan before this song--now, I'm not just a fan; I'm convinced we're soul mates.

She has dreams to be an envy, so she's starving You know, "Covergirls eat nothing." She says, "Beauty is pain and there's beauty in everything." "What's a little bit of hunger?" "I could go a little while longer," she fades away She don't see her perfect, she don't understand she's worth it Or that beauty goes deeper than the surface Ah oh, ah ah oh, So to all the girls that's hurting Let me be your mirror, help you see a little bit clearer The light that shines within

My struggle with weight, beauty, and self-acceptance are no secret. And though I want to consider myself a well-adjusted person, someone who has come to terms with my insecurities and weaknesses and learned to embrace them as a part of me while still living a healthy and happy life, I heard this song and was reminded that scars don't always disappear, they just become less apparent, less important, and not everyone's scars are visible. But, if we look hard enough, their beauty is. We can't be the female who only dreams of envy and praise--we have to remind ourselves that we have beauty, worth, and a voice that can embrace and unite people instead of alienate them.

But there's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark You should know you're beautiful just the way you are And you don't have to change a thing The world could change its heart No scars to your beautiful, we're stars and we're beautiful Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh And you don't have to change a thing The world could change its heart No scars to your beautiful, we're stars and we're beautiful

So, to every person I've met, and those I haven't, you're my Friday Favorite, despite scars, both seen and unseen. I find beauty in you, beyond your pain and insecurity. Confidence is what makes a woman kick-ass, remember that. Happy Friday, Loves. Go get yours.

xoxo