If you took away your friends, family, house, dreams, passions and career, who would you be? Experiences shape us. People impact us. Material things affect us. Dreams drive us. Yet none of this has to define you.

You can't always be chasing after what you could be.

If I could just be tan.

If I could just color my hair.

If I could just achieve higher grades.

If I could just get a bigger paycheck.

If I could just buy more house decorations.

If I could just gain more friends.

Even if you get that new car, you'll still want whiter teeth. No matter how many shirts you buy, you'll always think you need more. If you have the mindset of the "If only..." you will always be in a never-ending race against yourself to feel good enough. You will never measure up to the unrealistic expectation of perfection.

The more you try to find satisfaction in, the less at peace you will be with yourself. Contentment can be found anywhere you choose. If you invest and try hard enough, you can always put yourself in a position of self-love.

No amount of followers.

No certain makeup brand.

No promotion.

No standing ovation.

No social status could ever give you genuine love.

You must love the you with chipped nail polish, dirty hair, and sweatpants. You must love the you with temperament problems and the eye rolling habit. You must love the you that is out of ideas, can't find inspiration, and is stuck in a rut.

Yes, you should always strive to better yourself and make time for what makes you happy. But do those things out of a place of love, not a place of self-hatred. Love your body so much you want to lose weight. Don't do it because you're disgusted with yourself because that will not go away once you shed the pounds. Love yourself in the rut so you take some time off for rest. Don't be so ashamed you run right through it without finding the life lessons. Love yourself so much you want to treat yourself to some makeup and dressing up nice. Don't do it because you are mortified of going without it. Love yourself despite your flaws, but don't be content not growing.

Everybody else will love you right where you are if you do. You have to believe you are worthy of love before anyone else will believe it. Otherwise they will be getting to know, be falling for, befriending, or working alongside someone they could never possibly know because you don't even know yourself.

Any invitation you extend to someone else to love you is fraud if you haven't even accepted it yourself.