Catching up with friends is an extremely important part of my life. A while ago I had the opportunity to sit down with someone whom I haven’t seen in a long time. We talked about everything under the sun but one thing we talked a lot about was how sometimes others opinions have dictated how we portray ourselves. We have used their words and their opinions of how we should be to in fact decide how we should see ourselves. 

More times than not, we take the opinion of others to heart.

This is a really hard reality for most people. It could be that the editor didn’t see your article as something she wanted to publish, maybe it was the way you raise your kids, maybe it is how you spend your free time, how your body looks, that a boy didn’t want to date you or even at work if they thought they could do better they point out everything they didn’t like.

Most of us take all of this to heart, including myself. There are more times than not I have stayed up late wide awake from someone criticizing the way I do something. I have felt as though I wasn’t good enough and then from there confidence or self-love has been hit pretty hard.

But the truth is:

Only YOU get to decide what you are worthy of so be a badass

I think sometimes we have to realize a few things too: The woman that didn’t like your article maybe she didn’t see it for the next feature or maybe she was having a bad day herself; to the guy that didn’t want to date you…I promise that there is a guy that will love you for all your awesomeness; for those that think you are raising your kids wrong…they all had moments too, being a parent is tough work; and to those that think they can do your job better than you just remember all the work you have continued to put in and how amazing you are.

Your worth should never be define by something someone said or did. 

Whenever you start to feel this way, remember you get to decide what makes you beautiful, what your worthy is, who’s opinions matter and lastly you get to be the deciding factor of how you react.

That is one of the best things and hardest things to do. But once you realize everyone will always have opinions for the rest of your life you can decide that their opinions won’t dictate how you see yourself. 

So for all the girls that are out there reading this… I want you to know self-worth is extremely beautiful when you allow yourself to have it.