Let’s face it. The Kardasians will always have more followers than you, and you probably have that one friend that CONSTANTLY gets more likes than you—even when you post literally the exact same picture (edits and everything)!! But other people do not determine your worth; you determine your own value. In such a materialistic and “like” heavy culture, it almost seems natural to seek your value from outside of yourself. However, investing your self-worth in places other than yourself will leave you constantly defeated and disappointed. Striving to impress the un-impressible will leave you empty, and constantly striving to improve upon something that can never be improved. YOU are unique, special and wonderfully made. Don’t ever forget that. You don’t need to change anything about yourself, you are perfect JUST the way you are. Your self-worth should come from within, so embrace yourself and become confident in the person that you are. Don’t ever live for someone else’s opinions; don’t ever let your self-worth fall into someone else’s hands. The second you start living for someone else’s opinion, that’s the second you lose yourself. You lose everything that makes you so special as an individual.

It’s hard to let go of other people’s opinions, and easy to get caught up in the culture and base how you feel about yourself on how other people feel about you. But take a second, if you feel yourself succumbing to the public pressure, who are these people that are dominating your life? Are they people you consider your friends? People you consider family? Or just people that linger on the outskirts of your life? The people who you let have power over you need to have your best interest at heart, and those who truly love you for you will never ask you to change yourself. Surround yourself with people who love who you are, exactly as you are. Specifically those who build you up and support you, not tear you down and make you feel smaller.

I have really struggled with this concept of finding your worth in yourself instead of in other people’s words. Seeking external validation is an easy trap, especially for a people pleaser like myself. But constantly searching for validation elsewhere will never bring you the happiness you so desperately want. Again, always looking to other people to validate your worth and being will always leave you unsatisfied. You will never get enough praise; you will never get enough acclaim. The happiness that comes from compliments and affirmation will fade, faster than you would like to admit. If you rely on the words and actions of other people to dictate your self worth, you will be constantly forced to seek out that affirmation over and over again. Don’t let that happen. Turn to yourself, find your confidence and worth from within. Realize that you are so special, so unique, and so amazing… you have so much to offer the world EXACTLY as you are. Appreciate yourself and everything that is so wonderful about you, your worth comes from that. From within.

So stop placing so much value on how many likes your insta got or how many boys asked for your number last Friday. How you are valued is so much more than that. Don’t place your self-worth in other people, place it in yourself. Maybe then you’ll finally see why everyone is raving about you.