Sadie Robertson’s emotional video about body image really hits home

We, as humans, frequently take for granted how beautiful each and every one of us is — We’re basically made of star stuff, after all, and really, what’s more beautiful than that? Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to see that bigger, better picture of yourself in those moments of vulnerability when you’re staring at the mirror and picking at your tiniest of flaws. We’re all mean to ourselves every now and then, it seems, even if we don’t talk about it, and that’s exactly the taboo that Sadie Robertson’s heartfelt video on body image sought to address.

Sadie, a member of the popular Duck Dynasty family and a competitor on last season’s Dancing With The Stars, recently took to YouTube and posted a seven-minute video where she opened up about all of her own insecurities, and encouraged those who were going through the same trials. Delivering her emotional message, she urged viewers to own their uniqueness, reminding us all that nobody is harder on us than we are on ourselves. Within a few days, the video (aptly titled “just be you and live original”) had racked up over two and a half million views.

“I want to tell you the reality of things: I struggle with jealousy,” she said at the beginning of the video. “And I struggle with comparing myself to other people. I may be this ‘celebrity status’ or whatever, but I’m just like every single one of you … I look in the mirror and I pick out the flaws.”

Sadie spoke on Good Morning America regarding the surprising popularity of the video, saying she hesitated at first to post it and had no idea it would gain so much traction online. In the end, though, she was confident she had to post it when her little sister urged her to go for it.

“It’s silly not to for us not to talk about it because we’re embarrassed,” said Sadie in her interview with GMA, “because you never know who you can help or who you can encourage.” 

You can watch the full inspiring video here:

(Image from here.)