Chances are that you have at some point in your life faced criticisms, naysayers, or otherwise negative people whose only function is to put you down. Chances are that you've maybe even reached a point where you started to agree with these negative people and began to internalize their nasty comments or remarks on your life, looks, or choice.

After possible years and years of such toxicity how can we combat this erosion to our self-esteem?

The answer, my friends, lies within you.

Just as easily as you agree with those people, you can disagree with them. The best revenge is success and happiness, not violence or negativity.

It starts with every day reminding yourself that there is no one like you: you are unique and wonderful and as long as you work towards having a beautiful heart you will find people that love and appreciate who you are and what you stand for.

You may go through a period of time where you feel truly alone and it will terrify you. But in those moments of solitude will come a nirvana to your mind and body as for the first time you are faced with your own self. During this time you can form your own opinions without anyone else. This is a scary time, but totally rewarding, as we are too often dependent on the whims and thoughts of others.

While you're on this journey, people may approach you. They may seem to be the sort of people you typically wouldn't associate with, but I urge you to cast aside your preconceived notions and allow yourself to sail in uncharted waters.

You may change. And suddenly the people that once called you friend or lover may not know you. You may not even know yourself, but trust in who you are and stay firm.

You may not like this new person you have become and that's completely okay. In fact, you may change multiple times in your life before you finally feel comfortable in your skin. My advice is to embrace it. As long as you aren't harming yourself or others, there's no reason to fear exploring your interests and standing up for what you believe in.

The naysayers and toxic people will never truly go away. They will always be lurking in the corners waiting to strike. You just have to be strong and always believe in yourself. Never jeopardize the integrity of your self-identity for someone else's enjoyment. You're worth so much more than that.

As the famous saying goes, "It's better to be hated for who [you] are than loved for who [you're] not."