You Are Beyoncé, Here's Why

I've realized that I hate the word beautiful.

I don't like to hate things, and therefore I don't hate things lightly, so hear me out. I'm not referring to the actual adjective's denotation, but it's connotation in modern American society ( as that's the only culture I can speak of from experience ). It's over usage in the popular media, advertisements, and everyday dialogue makes my skin crawl.

"All bodies are beautiful."

"Everyone is beautiful in their own way."

I hate those sentences with a burning passion I have for basically nothing else in the world.

THE POINT OF SOMEONE'S WHOLE EXISTENCE SHOULDN'T BE TO FIT THE
CONSTRUCT (HOWEVER PROGRESSIVE OR RELATIVE) OF A SINGLE WORD.

I understand some use the word and mean well, mean to lift people up, but it's still a word that limits the worth of a person and their humanity. It still says, "Yes, you are worthy to exist, but only 'cause I personally think you're nice on the eyes." It doesn't make sense to me, and I hate it. It's oversaturation of body positive campaigns and feminist movements is unacceptable. A person should have worth because they are a person; they deserve worth because they are worthy.

Everyone should be able to feel good about themselves, but not just because they are deemed "beautiful," no matter how genuinely accepting that may sound.

A girl shouldn't feel happy or accepted based on the sole fact that she is pretty or beautiful. She should feel accepted and loved and confident because she is caring or kind or kickass or inuitive or hardworking or accepting of others or a good leader or a successful goalie or writer or artist or science major or team member. Her self image shouldn't be based on the ever-changing, relative term "beautiful." She should be appreciated for all the aspects of her character and personality and ethics and achievements.

Beautiful is a fine word; it means possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, or think about. But you should want to do more.

I want to not just be delightful or pleasant, but to challenge, to fear, to learn, to fight, to intrigue, to cry, to believe, to question, to screw up, to bruise, to love, to win, to lose, to scorn, to earn, to do whatever I damn well please. Not just please people. Or allow anyone to smile condescendingly and brandish their "modern" view on the constructs of beauty. I'm calling bullshit, if you'll pardon my French.

What I'm saying is not 100% unbiased or unarguable, and I'm not here to hurt the feelings of those who want to be attractive, so please don't take it the wrong way when I say:

BEAUTIFUL is a trap. 

It is disguised with good intentions, even by those unaware of it's effect. Please don't fall in, for it takes a good while to climb back out.

YOU AREN'T BEAUTIFUL. (READ: YOU ARE MORE.)

YOU ARE POWERFUL.

YOU REIGN SUPREME.

YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEYONCÉ. 

OKAY?

YOU MAKE YOU,

SO WHAT WILL YOU BE?