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Danielle Brooks wrote a powerful letter to her teenage self. Her advice is a must-read.

Actress Danielle Brooks recently penned a remarkable essay to her teenage self with spot-on advice for the young and young at heart.

In her must-read essay for Refinery 29, the fun-loving "Orange Is the New Black" and "Master of None" star covers everything from the getting over crushes to the importance of family.

Brooks gets fizzy at the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Perrier-Jouet.

Her most powerful words of wisdom center on self-love and knowing your worth.

Like this sage advice that belongs on every dressing room mirror, bathroom scale, and machine at the gym:

"Love your stretch marks Danie. They are the roadmap of your strength."

Brooks walks the red carpet at the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

Or the way Brooks assures her teenage self she will find clothes that fit, flatter all of her curves, and inspire others to rock theirs too:

"One day you will shock yourself by how many women you inspire through your fashion and your willingness to be open about your journey with your body. Continue to show people how to live unapologetically in their magic."

Brooks (right) and a guest snap a selfie at the Empowering Women Summit at the United Nations in New York City. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Lane Bryant.

And her beautiful reminder to herself — and all of us — to stay strong, patient, and compassionate, even when it would be easier not to:

"You are different, Danielle. You are not an ordinary 15 year old, and that is okay. That doesn’t make you better or less than anyone. But what you must not do is dim your light. You have a lot of love to give and believe it or not, it is not as easily accessible for others to give the same. People have a lot of hang ups that will make them guarded, but continue to operate out of love. It will always win."

Brooks looking flawless at the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for TNT.

A longtime advocate for body positivity and self-love, Brooks offers encouragement and inspiration on her Instagram too.

In 2015, she shared a badass workout selfie wearing capris and a sports bra, something Brooks never thought she'd have the confidence to do.

"Today my inner being told me to turn up the notch on my self-love. I should not be ashamed of my body. I'm not a walking imperfection! I'm a Goddess," she wrote.

Hey 💜rs, Today I decided to do something I've never done before: Go to the gym with my SHIRT OFF!! 🙊 I thought I'd share why this is significant for me. I've always wanted to do this but have felt shameful and have told myself "until my body is perfect I'm forbidden." Today my inner being told me to turn up the notch on my self-love. I should not be ashamed of my body. I'm not a walking imperfection! I'm a Goddess. Secondly, I'm a confident woman! That doesn't stop once I take off my spanx. Lol Sometimes it's a struggle. Sometimes I don't like what I see, but I have the power to change the way in which I relate to my body both physically and mentally. Today I woke up feeling beautiful and motivated to love myself and take care of the ONE body that I've been given. I'm not saying World take your shirt off, twist it round your head, spin it like a helicopter🎶, (lol) I'm saying everyone live in your confidence. One Life. One Body. Take Care of It. With 💜, DanieB #voiceofthecurves #yesmythighstouch #lovethyself #beautyinandout #goddess #imabadshutyomouth #ivebeeneatingmygreens #thickathanasnika
A post shared by Danielle Brooks (@daniebb3) on Jul 28, 2015 at 9:21am PDT

In 2016, Brooks modeled for Lane Bryant's #ThisBody campaign along with stars like Gabourey Sidibe, Ashley Graham, and Alessandra Garcia.

Brooks spotted her glamorous photos for the campaign all around the city. The actress could barely contain her excitement — and why should she? She totally killed it!

My first solo billboard in New York and it's in the middle of Times Square!! Leaping with joy! #voiceofthecurves
A post shared by Danielle Brooks (@daniebb3) on Oct 26, 2016 at 12:35pm PDT

Even a beautiful, talented woman like Brooks has lapses in confidence, just like the rest of us.

She shares those moments too, inspiring herself and her fans along the way.

I had to check in with myself real quick. Hope someone out there feels me. 💪🏾#voiceofthecurves
A post shared by Danielle Brooks (@daniebb3) on Nov 27, 2016 at 9:06am PST

We'll all have moments of doubt, but it's how we work through them that matters.

From our bodies or careers to our relationships, we all second-guess ourselves. But just like Danielle Brooks (and young Danie too), we can dig deep, find our confidence, and keep trying. Or, as she wrote in her poignant letter: "Stay fearless and keep swimming."

GIF via "Orange Is the New Black."

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This actress felt self-doubt at the gym, so she filmed a bold video about body positivity.

There's no need for insecurity. Just ask Danielle Brooks.

"Orange Is the New Black" actress Danielle Brooks likes to work out in just her sports bra. She says it makes her feel confident.

The 27-year-old has been a part of the critically acclaimed Netflix series since its debut in 2013 and plays Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson.

Image by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images.

On Nov. 17, 2016, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Brooks decided to hit the gym.

But then she experienced a brief moment of insecurity that a lot of us can relate to, particularly while working out in public. And she decided to share it with the world.

The actress posted an Instagram video about her body image and the gym, and it's going viral.

In the short video, Brooks delivers this powerful message:

"Hey, y'all, so I just left the gym, and, as most people know, I take my shirt off when I go to the gym. Like, that's my new thing; it gives me confidence, whatever.

So I had my shirt off and this lady walks in. And, y'all, she was bad. I ain't gonna lie; she was great with her shirt off.

So immediately I'm like, 'Oh no!' I started to lose my confidence. I'm like, I need to put my shirt back on now. Or do I keep it off 'cause she already seen me, like, what?

So I realized I'm comparing myself to this woman. And I'm like, why just two minutes ago I was feeling great and now I'm not? And I realized the reason I was feeling so great is because I was comparing myself to yesterday's Danielle. And today's Danielle is better than yesterday's. And that's why I felt so good. So, ladies, I'm just saying, like ... don't compare yourself to nobody. Like, just be a better you.

That's all of my rant. Voice of the curves."

I had to check in with myself real quick. Hope someone out there feels me. 💪🏾#voiceofthecurves
A video posted by Danielle Brooks (@daniebb3) on Nov 27, 2016 at 9:06am PST

The caption on Danielle's video reads: "I had to check in with myself real quick. Hope someone out there feels me. #voiceofthecurves"

And let me tell you: We hear ya, Danielle. And we feel ya, too. The struggle is real for a lot of women dealing with body issues. Fighting against society's expectations about what a healthy body "should" look like is no easy task.

I know I'm not alone when I say that Danielle's thoughts are ones I've had myself, too. But what I love most is how this bold and brave actress spun her self-doubt into an important lesson: Don't compare yourself to anyone else. It's not worth it. And that goes for life in the gym and outside of it.

As Danielle reminds us, we can only focus on ourselves, on making today's version better than yesterday's version. So be confident in yourself. You're worth it.

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When she was 14, Diane Guerrero came home to find an empty house. Her story is like many others.

Diane Guerrero is the Colombian-American actress better known as Maritza Ramos from the Netflix original series "Orange Is the New Black."

On Nov. 15, 2014, Guerrero wrote a moving op-ed for the Los Angeles Times. She begins by telling us why her family moved to the United States:

"My parents came here from Colombia during a time of great instability there. Escaping a dire economic situation at home, they moved to New Jersey, where they had friends and family, seeking a better life, and then moved to Boston after I was born."

Then comes the sad part of the story: How she came back home one day, at the age of 14, to find an empty house.

"Lights were on and dinner had been started, but my family wasn't there. Neighbors broke the news that my parents had been taken away by immigration officers, and just like that, my stable family life was over."
"Not a single person at any level of government took any note of me. No one checked to see if I had a place to live or food to eat, and at 14, I found myself basically on my own."

As a U.S. citizen, Guerrero was able to find non-family members to help support her as she finished high school and college, but she still had to work several jobs to earn money — and her family was thousands of miles away in Colombia.

After her op-ed was published, Guerrero went on CNN to speak about her experience and how it has inspired her to do work as a volunteer at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

She's clearly trying to hold herself together as she retells the story. But about 3:10, she lets herself break down into tears.

Guerrero ends her op-ed with these moving words:

"I don't believe it reflects our values as a country to separate children and parents in this way. Nor does it reflect our values to hold people in detention without access to good legal representation or a fair shot in a court of law. President Obama has promised to act on providing deportation relief for families across the country, and I would urge him to do so quickly. Keeping families together is a core American value."

"Congress needs to provide a permanent, fair legislative solution, but in the meantime families are being destroyed every day, and the president should do everything in his power to provide the broadest relief possible now. Not one more family should be separated by a deportation."