“I’m not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, strong enough, cool enough…” Not only have I heard this countless times, I myself have said it. Feeling like you are not good enough is common. Actually, let me rephrase that: it is too common. I am here to tell you that you are enough, and this is why:

You Fall Down, You Get Up

In life, you are going to make mistakes. That is OK. You will feel regret, guilt, and frustration… But also, you will find strength. You will gather up courage, become inspired, be motivated and feel capable of almost anything. You remember how good those moments feel, and ultimately they carry you through the rough times. Sometimes bad things that are just uncontrollable happen to you. It happens to everyone. In those moments, don’t let it swallow you up. Rather, internalize it, deal with it and try to come out of it a stronger person.

You Are Improving

One of the most important things one can do is continuously improve. As cliché as it sounds, there is always room for improvement. Whether it is in a skill you want to get better at, a grade you want to bump up or perhaps simply becoming a better person, improving day by day is critical. Just by improving shows strength and love for you. It shows that you are trying—and that is the best we can do.

You Work Hard

Don’t sell yourself short. Yes, some days will feel like “lazy days” because you need rest. Other days you put in hours and hours of work. No, not everyone’s schedule is perfectly balanced, but that is OK. You keep on working hard when you can, and stop when you can’t. That mere fact deserves an applause. Keep on going when you are able to, and do not fear stopping when you need to. Be kind to yourself.

You Say You Are

Lastly, you are enough because you say you are. You do not need anyone else to tell you that you are or are not enough. You get to define what enough is. If that is improving, if that is helping a friend, if that is doing better in a class, if that is just waking up every morning and being alive… let it be that. Do not feel limited to others definitions of enough. Be enough for yourself.