At some point, everyone can relate to a situation where they doubted themselves because of what someone else thought about them. This is a path to self-destruction, and while it is understandable, it ultimately only hurts you. When someone tells you that you are not good enough for them; perhaps because of your appearance, your personality, your obsession with Hamilton, or that you love having pineapples on your pizza, SHUT THEM OUT.

They obviously do not care about you, nor do they care if they hurt your feelings. These people can be strangers, or people that you are very close with. No matter who it is, it feels like they are pouring salt on your wounds. The best thing to do is ignore them, and of course, I am being hypocritical.

I have always tried to live up to others standards or expectations of who or what I should be, or what I should look like. That changes now.

What I have to say to these people today, is that "I don't care". Because I love who I am as a person: a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a friend, a girlfriend. I am not a model, but I am okay with that because only a few in this world are (most of the time, their bodies are altered anyway). I can easily point out all of my flaws; who can't? But that doesn't mean that I can't tell myself the best parts of myself. Yes I do have signs across my room with motivating/self-love quotes to remind myself of how far I have come. Hey, that's fine by me, just as long as I know and recognize myself.

For the haters: do not tell me that you let me go because you deserved better especially in the looks department. Because I have always been there for you when you needed me. I cannot stand people who have the nerve to say a comment as such. Why should they even be in my life if they believe that it is fine to tell me that? I carry much more respect for who I am and what I have accomplished. So many are blind sighted and do not understand some of the situations that I have been through. I honestly would not change them for the world because they have all formed me into who I am, even as much as they sucked.

What I have to share is that it is okay to love yourself. Say that aloud to yourself. You need to love yourself and let go of the people who don't see how beautiful you are on the inside and out. Because when it comes down to it, they do not mean anything and are not going to in one, five, 10, or even 20 years from now. If you allow others to put you down, it is time to realize that a change needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.

It is your time to shine because you are worth much more than the people who make time to put you down. Live up to your own expectations of yourself, and accept nothing less.