When you feel unappreciated, you shouldn’t automatically blame yourself. If you’ve been working your ass off, it’s not your fault if no one takes notice. If you’ve been doing your best, it’s not your fault if people still believe you aren’t doing good enough.

You have to stop searching for validation from outside sources and start making a habit out of congratulating yourself.

You might not get the recognition you deserve — but you shouldn’t let that convince you to put less effort into your pursuits. You shouldn’t care too much about what other people think of you. You should only care about how your accomplishments make you feel. You should only care about whether you’re happy with the path you’re walking.

When you feel unappreciated, you can’t let it impact your confidence. You can’t let it get you down. You can’t let it convince you to give up on your hopes and dreams.

If someone doesn’t see your value, you either have to shrug your shoulders and tell yourself not to let it bother you — or you have to ask for what you deserve.

If you’re feeling unappreciated at work, you can call your boss into a meeting and request a raise. If you’re feeling unappreciated in your relationship, you can sit down with your person and talk through your issues. If you’re feeling unappreciated in a friendship, you can spill your heart out — or walk away and find friends who treat you better.

When you feel unappreciated, you don’t have to stay in your current situation. You can quit your job and find a new one. You can end your relationship and search for a greater love. You can change your surroundings whenever you choose. You don’t have to settle for an existence where you feel unappreciated. You can search for a place where you feel more comfortable, where you actually feel wanted.

When you feel unappreciated, you feel like someone is taking advantage of you. You feel like you’re giving and giving without getting anything in return. You feel like you’re not getting as much out of your career or relationships as the other people involved. You feel like the situation has become one-sided. You feel like you need a change or you’re going to go crazy.

When you feel unappreciated, it’s easy to look at yourself differently. It’s easy to wonder whether you’ve done something wrong. It’s easy to start blaming yourself for not getting recognition, even though it might have absolutely nothing to do with you. If you’ve been working your hardest, there’s nothing to feel bad about. If you’ve been pouring all your effort into your passions, you shouldn’t feel like a failure.

When you feel unappreciated, you can’t let it kill your motivation. You can’t let yourself get defeated, simply because some random people are unable to see your value. You can’t give up on yourself. You have to learn to stop caring what other people think, because sometimes the only one who will pat you on the back is yourself.