I am pretty sure that we all have heard the phrase "you are your own worst enemy" right? Well, if you haven't, now you have. Basically what I am trying to get it is that we as individuals are our own worst critics.

At least I know that I am.

We tend to put so much pressure and judgment on ourselves every waking moment that it ultimately affects how we view ourselves at the end of the day.

If you think about it, what we think about ourselves is what truly matters. It shouldn't matter what other people think of us, but that is, unfortunately, how our society is built.

We start to believe what other people might say about us that is negative. Whether they think you are too fat, too skinny, or maybe they think you have a big nose. Whatever it may be, it can start to eat away at us and sometimes we end up beginning to believe those insults because we start telling ourselves that we are too fat, too skinny, or have a big nose. It is a vicious cycle.

There is something called negative self-talk, which essentially means what it says. You point out all the negatives about yourself and only focus on that. You look in the mirror and talk down on yourself, then your mind starts to believe it, and then those negative thoughts just stay locked in your brain. That is why it is so crucial to be in touch with your thoughts because the mind and body are so powerful.

Your thoughts control your life and shape who you are, so if you are constantly talking negatively about yourself and only focusing on those things, then what kind of life are you going to be living? Not the life that you want or even deserve.

Sure, we all have those days when we feel a little down on ourselves, but that's normal. Try to be present with your thoughts for one day and see how much control you have over them.

Most of the time, we tend to overthink things and come up with these misconstrued ideas that aren't even close to being true. Recognize when your mind is going off somewhere where it shouldn't, and bring it back to the present.

Personally, I believe in writing down daily affirmations as well. Write down on sticky notes the qualities you love about yourself and read them every single day. Maybe even say them out loud to yourself. Put them on your mirror, or somewhere where you can see it all the time as a constant reminder. It might be cheesy, but who cares? If it makes you happy, then do it.

It is time we start promoting self-love instead of promoting self-deprecating thoughts like it is normal. It is not normal and you should be proud of who you are.