When someone is telling you you’re this, or you’re that; stand up to tell and tell them what you know you are. Tell yourself every day. Remind yourself when you wake up that you are a beautiful person despite your imperfections. Take a compliment when it’s given. Love yourself when you can. People spend so much of their time hating themselves and pointing out every flaw with negativity in mind but what they should be doing is embracing everything that makes them different. They should be embracing that they are not like everyone else on this planet because if they were, where would the beauty be? Our world would be this dark, dreary, boring place where everyone looks exactly the same, where everyone thinks the same thoughts, where everyone loves and hates the same things, and more. We have thoughts, opinions, beliefs, lifestyles; everything that turns us into an individual and we should embrace these things and turn them into positive things. It’s good to have an argument with someone about something you’re passionate about because it shows intelligence. It shows a care for things around or even just a hint of recognition. Embracing yourself includes embracing your flaws, your imperfections, your sexuality, your music taste, your past, your talents, everything about you that you and others believe is everything but good. It’s time to teach kids, teenagers, adults, everyone, that you CAN love yourself. Our society tells us that loving yourself is not okay and that you shouldn’t do it. That you have so much to change about yourself before you or anyone can love you. That’s not true. Love yourself when you’re young and you lose your first tooth. Love yourself when you’re a teenager and you think you look great without make-up or name brands. Love yourself when you’re an adult and you arrived late to a meeting. Love yourself when you’re old and you can’t remember your own name somedays. Focus on being you, no matter what anyone else says or even what you may think on bad days. Those bad days, they go away. When your actions toward yourself on those bad days is negative, it might not go away for a long time. See the positives in yourself every day, even when it’s harder some days than others.