When girl band, TLC sang their heartfelt song “Unpretty” they were voicing the feelings of young women everywhere. Not much has changed in the past 20 years since the song’s release. And now comedian Amy Schumer is doing her part to make people reevaluate what it would take to make us feel “pretty” in her brand new movie, “I Feel Pretty.”

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Amy plays Renee Bennett, an online service rep for a luxury make-up brand who is obsessed with beauty. What’s interesting about the movie is that it isn’t a makeover movie. She isn’t a fattie who loses weight or an ugly who undergoes an operation. This woman starts out with perfectly curled hair, super makeup, and all the right accessories. The problem is that she doesn’t feel pretty enough so she constantly second-guesses herself. She feels plain-looking and is very insecure and therefore interprets everything others do as an insult.

Then Renee gets hit on the head and wakes up believing she’s beautiful. While to the audience she looks exactly the same, her newfound self-confidence makes her see herself as a real knockout. With her self-esteem flying through the roof, Renee is inspired to chase down her dream job and shamelessly pursue a handsome guy.

However, the movie doesn’t just address looks. It’s meant to cover people’s insecurities in general. Renee’s love interest Ethan (Rory Scovel) doesn’t fit into his work environment and struggles with his own body image while other characters in the film address their own self-conscious flaws, such as a high-pitched voice or lack of self-worth.

No matter how beautiful or how successful everyone has to deal with their own self-esteem issues and that’s what this movie wants us to rethink. As further proof of this problem, even stunning actress Olivia Wilde admitted in an interview that she didn’t think she was pretty enough for comedian Jason Sudeikis when she first met him. How’s that for a pretty woman feeling insecure!

What’s important about the movie’s message is that it wants us to understand that we can help one another gain higher self-esteem and realize that anyone can reach their full potential once they become more self-confident. It boils down to this: If you believe you can, then you will achieve your goals. People respond strongly to confidence and authenticity and instinctively like and trust others with these traits. You don’t have to be the perfect 10 to get the best guys/gals or job, it all comes down to confidence.

Here are 7 practical tips for anyone who wants to take action now to feel prettier and more confident:

1. Stand tall and sit up straight. Keep your shoulders back and chest open as it makes you look taller, slimmer, and more self-assured.

2. Don’t criticise yourself when you look in the mirror. Accept your looks the way a good friend would — with appreciation, acceptance, and love.

3. Find something you admire in yourself and focus on that. This will lift your mood as your focus changes from the negative to the positive.

4. Smile – it will not only lift the muscles around your eyes and lips, making you look younger but also generates a feel-good ripple effect as you get a mood boost too.

5. Take deep, slow breaths, you will look and feel more at ease in your body.

6. Don’t wear clothes that are too tight. They will make you feel uncomfortable and look that way too.

7. Spend more time with people who are confident and feel good about themselves, and you’ll find yourself feeling better about your looks too.