There is nothing crazy about Uzo Aduba's message of self-love.
The "Orange is the New Black" star wrote a powerful story for Seventeen's June/July 2016 issue about her path toward acknowledging and valuing her beauty. Aduba explains that she "never dated" in high school and didn't fit in with her small New England town's "beauty ideal" ("traditional and seemingly flawless: Blonde hair, blue eyes, legs for days," she wrote).
It wasn't until she started college in Boston that she started to come into her own. "The school's diverse culture embraced everything that I am," she wrote, adding, "instead of feeling defeated like I did back at home, I started to think about what I did value about myself, gap tooth and all."
So, what happened as a result of her newfound confidence? "My beauty radiated from within. Guys started asking me to dance when I went out and yes, during my very first semester, I started dating. It felt amazing," she said.
Aduba notes that while her own personal journey to self-love started in college, it doesn't necessarily have to work that way for everyone. "Take whatever is it you like about yourself -- even if it's your pinkie toes -- and walk around every day saying, 'You know what? I have really great pinkie toes.' Eventually that positive feeling will seep into every part of who you are, and the people around you will see it, too."
Don't look at us with crazy eyes -- go ahead and try it.
Head to Seventeen to see her entire article.
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