It is possible to love yourself. Even with years of people constantly trying to bring you down, you can learn how to put aside those people and move on with your life. In many cases, people are not trying to bring you down on purpose. They think they are helping you by telling you what they really think about what you do and who you are.

The first step in finding that inner self-love is to stop worrying about what others think. You can’t change that. It is not within your control. So why worry about it? If there are people that don’t like you, that is not your problem. It is theirs. They won’t get to know you which is their loss, as well.

The second step is to actually say to yourself, “I love who I am.” Do it every day and even say it out loud. It becomes an affirmation that makes you start to believe it after doing it for a while.

Next is to force yourself to be happy even when you’re not. Studies have shown that you can shift your mood by simply shifting your inner voice to tell yourself that you are happy. Being happy as often as possible is crucial when loving yourself.

Focus on the benefits of increased self-esteem that come from loving yourself. You will naturally become a better person not only to yourself but to others that you know. You will also make friends easier. The biggest benefit is the surge in confidence that you will experience. If you focus on this benefit alone, you don’t even need the others.

Another great way to start loving yourself is to help others. Whether you choose to volunteer or you simply reach out to people in need, this is quite fulfilling and will lift your self-esteem that much further. When you are feeling down about yourself, helping others can bring you out of that funk. It may also show you that others have problems greater than your own. Helping them may bring them closer to the solutions that they are looking for as well.

You have the power to love yourself. When you look at it that way, you take away the ability of others to bring you down. They no longer have the power because it belongs to you. Just keep using the information from this article to reinforce your ability to love yourself.