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The Beautiful Humans Movement

If I had to guess, I’d estimate that half my friends would say I have a social media addiction.  I disagree – I just really, really like it.  Well, I did at least.

6 years ago when I first got a Twitter (I know, hipster, right?) it was fun to have an outlet nobody would see.  As it, Instagram, and Facebook have become popular, I’ve used them to get jobs, win prizes, find out about free events in my city, and keep up with current events and far-away friends’ lives. 

But things have been changing.  Society has begun misusing the beautiful creation that is social media.  Suddenly my news feeds are full of people doing stupid stunts instead of giving uncharitably to causes.  They’re filled with complaints, mean words, and hate.  They’re covered in photo after photo of every meal ever eaten and every drunken escapade nobody remembers and every moment that’s ever lived. And goodness, the selfie game lately… need I say more?

As I became more and more frustrated with seeing these things plague something so dear to me, I got to thinking about why this has happened.  It’s clear - everyone does what they can to make their lives look as grandiose, exciting, and beautiful as possible.  I admit, I am just as much as fault as the next person for this.

But upon reflection, I’ve come to realize that the most beautiful, brag-worthy part of my life isn’t how I look, where I live, or what crazy adventures I go on.  No.  The most beautiful part of my life is the people around me – those whose personalities, actions, attitudes, and lives inspire me daily. 

So then I got to questioning: If I’m trying to show-off the most beautiful parts of my life, why aren’t others the focus?  Do the people I look up to know how much they mean to me?  Do these people know how beautiful they are?

I also recently went on a mission trip to Quito, Ecuador.  While there, we spent a good amount of time with women in the red-light district – getting to know them, befriending them, hearing their stories, and telling them they are beautiful.  These women are constantly misused and mistreated by the people in their lives.  They are told they are worthless and only have one purpose.  Many of these stunning, kind-hearted women had never sincerely been told they are beautiful, and definitely didn’t believe it for themselves.  It broke my heart.

Every human deserves to be told they are beautiful every moment of every day.  Though that is a task larger than I can undertake, I’ve decided to stop posting about myself for a month, and rather put my social media spot-light on the people in my life that make my world a beautiful place.

It may not be much, but my posts make people smile.  They make people question what I’m doing.  They make people see the good in the people I post about as well as in others around them.  And I truly hope they begin to inspire people to tell those in their lives how appreciated and beautiful they are. 

So join me.  Skip a selfie today and brag about a friend instead.  Tell a stranger how beautiful they are.  Make sure your loved ones know how much they mean to you.


This world is full of #beautifulhumans. It’s time they know it.  

-Emily Blackwell

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