This is for you.

This is for you on the days where you don’t recognize just how deserving you are of good things in your life. This is for you on the days where no matter what you do, or how hard you try, you always think that you’re not getting anywhere. This is for you on the days you feel worthless…because you definitely are not. 

On those difficult days, remember that you’re doing the best you can, and reflect on the things that you can and should control. You need to measure and take note of what you give out to others: your love, time, and energy, because these things are a major part of who you are. Are you giving too much of yourself to people who don’t deserve it? Are you giving too much of yourself to people who don’t reciprocate it? Or people who don’t truly understand your value? And most importantly, are you allowing the way people treat you to determine your worth? Are you allowing their views about you to change how you view yourself?

I really hope not. We all know that the only person who should ever ever be allowed to determine your worth, is you. Not the man who broke your heart, not the woman who didn’t call you back, not the person who interviewed you and didn’t hire you, not the friend who treats you like shit. Y-O-U. End of story.

To the people that break your heart, mistreat you, or constantly disrespect you? Walk away. Even if it hurts, even if you cry for a couple weeks to get over the pain, even if you have to put back the pieces of yourself that were broken by their hurt. Walk away because it truly is their loss. Besides the fact that you don’t want someone in your life who can’t see the value you contribute or all you have to offer. You want someone who always sees how you radiate, someone who appreciates your quirks and unique traits and would never try to make you feel bad about them. You don’t want someone who takes it upon themselves to measure your value by their own fucked up standards, or someone who has decided that you aren’t worth basic respect.

You determine your worth by setting the standard of the way in which you allow people to treat you. You determine your worth by how you react when people wrong you, hurt you, mistreat you. You determine your worth by the choices you make when you move forward, despite the bad things that may have happened to you, despite the obstacles in your way that you had absolutely no control of. And you determine your worth by how you fight through the hard times and thrive in the good.

So stop letting other people change the way you see yourself. Stop taking their shit. Stop settling for crumbs. Demand what you know you are worth and go after it, and if people don’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated, let them go. Why would you ever lower your standards for someone on their own narcissistic power trip who is trying to make you to accept less than? Nobody wants to be less than. Nobody wants mediocrity. And if you believe that you are worth more than that, then you damn well better not settle for or accept it. Mediocrity is an excuse for laziness. It’s an excuse to not try, to never put in the work, to basically be lackluster. Do you want a lackluster life? Hell no. No one does.

Respect yourself enough to let go of someone who doesn’t see your worth and treats you accordingly. You are the one who has to always begin and end the day with yourself. Consider this for a moment: when we think of doing the things that bring us joy, the things that make us feel accomplished, the things that make us proud, we have the power to disappoint or delight ourselves. That responsibility is ours, and ours alone. The same with our worth. We have the power to increase or diminish our worth. And that is a power that should never be given to another person. Because you are enough… more than enough. And you are worthy.