Growing up, I always believed that if I was pretty or thin, it'd be easier to love myself as a whole. I had people that barely knew me as a person cut down my accomplishments solely on the basis of my appearance. It wasn't until my senior year that I really started loving myself without paying mind to whether I was conventionally attractive or not.

The thing about self-love that most people get confused with is that it doesn't necessarily mean you have to be a stellar person or a supermodel. Self-love is looking past what you may outwardly think of yourself and caring about yourself enough to grow from whatever adversities you may be dealing with.

However, don't get confused with the generally accepted idea that you need to love yourself before anyone can love you. Loving yourself as an individual is a completely different subject than romantic love. You cannot derive deep, positive feelings for yourself in an attempt to find love. A relationship with your soul and body is fundamental to your overall emotional and mental health in all aspects of life.

You are your own biggest critic. Let go of all grudges and insecurities that are holding you back. You can never move forward in the attempt to improve your self-image if you're attached to everything you "hate" about yourself. Instead, embrace what you don't like about yourself in order to improve who you are as a whole.

Wallowing in self-pity never solves anything. "Falling in love" with yourself can honestly be achieved with sound personal goals. Never try to fix yourself while looking through someone else's eyes. Your body is your temple and should be looked at as such.

Give yourself credit for your accomplishments. If you put time and effort into meeting a goal, winning a competition, or even getting a high score on a test, you deserve the rewards. Looking over everything that makes you proud or happy only hurts in the long run. Your tenacity and willingness to succeed are what make you you: your reflection shouldn't always be the first thing on your mind.

Finally, it's important to separate yourself from the comments other people throw at you. Sometimes their comments can get to you, but it shouldn't affect your personality or outlook on life. If someone has the energy and commitment to make another's life miserable, they probably aren't too happy about themselves either. Look past what your family, friends, coworkers, or peers may say about you and remember that what they think is not what you should think.