Life itself has a way of giving us an enormous amount of emotions through our day-to-day experiences. One day we feel happy and confident and the next we simply have sorrow of what the day has brought. We tend to feed off of the existence of others instead of ourselves. We try to have this “look” and mentality that conforms ourselves to society. But this tends to create distance from truly loving ourselves. The more we adapt to societies rules, the more we individually pick out every imperfection we have. The problem: there are no imperfections. We as humans are perfect in every way. From the top of our head to the soles of our feet. There is no “perfect” way to look because you already have that. So for the person who doesn't seem to quite love themselves yet, here are some tips and tricks you can use to become your own best friend:

1. Stop trying to please others. You don’t have to look, act, or think like everyone else. Give yourself the opportunity to figure out who YOU are as a person, not someone else. The best part about looking for your own traits whether clothing, attitude, etc. is that there are others doing the same. If your friends don’t accept you then they weren’t your real friends to begin with.
2. You have time. There is no way you can magically fully love yourself over night. Figure out on your own what kind of person you are. Pick out things you love and stick to them. Whether its painting, dancing or simply watching Netflix, give yourself some time to enjoy your company alone. Allowing yourself to have time on your own without the worry of loneliness gives you a sense of independence from everyone else.
   
3. Instead of looking into a mirror and picking out every flaw you have, pick out the things you love. Write it on the mirror so every time you look, you see all the amazing qualities you were given. You were made to be YOU and nobody else. So you look in that mirror and dance a little in the perfect body you have.
4. Treat Yourself. No not going out and having a fancy dinner. But if you're feeling a little down, go buy a new outfit, or some ice cream or even both. It is okay to give yourself a little something special to remind yourself that you deserve something good too. So whether it is a beautiful day or rainy one, give yourself the opportunity to treat yourself to a little gift only for yourself, nobody else.
5. Last but not least, find your inner confidence. You begin life with yourself and end it with yourself. So through the process of life, find that inner ambition and love you have for yourself. Being confident with who you are ultimately allows you to finally be happy. There might be some rough patches in finding your true self-love, but let me tell you once you find it, there is nothing better in life.

To this day, I am still working on loving myself but figuring out who you are is worth all the while. I hope I can fully love myself and show others to love themselves too. Don't forget who you are and what you want to be, because at the end of the day, no one is your biggest supporter except for yourself so treasure the relationship and love you have for you and only you.