You are allowed to feel proud of yourself. You are allowed to celebrate yourself. You are allowed to celebrate this gift called life. I can think of more reasons to celebrate ourselves than not to. Empower yourself by celebrating your individuality, your life, and your efforts. Remember, it is the effort that counts the most, the outcome is not always under our control.

Stand in the sunshine of love. Bathe in the beauty that is life, that is you. Put love into everything you do. Put it into your words and actions. Love yourself. Live with gratitude. Let it wash over you. Appreciate yourself. Love the beauty of your own soul.

Practice being kinder to yourself. Practice celebrating your accomplishments. Practice complimenting yourself. Give your best effort and at the end of the day, smile at another day well lived. Have the best possible relationship that you can with yourself so that you don't end up standing in your own way. Speak kindly to yourself and about yourself. If you can't appreciate yourself, then you won't be able to accept when someone else does either. You deserve your own love.

Let go of all the drama, all that is superficial, all the worry over things you have no control over. Let go of the past. Don't lose yourself in competing and comparing yourself with others. Don't lose yourself in consumerism, in greed, in the acquisition of wealth. What matters the most is that you live. That you live as you, that you live IN your life as your genuine self. Don't put off living. Don't wait until the end of the day to enjoy a couple of hours of life. Don't wait until retirement. Be in whatever it is you do. If you can't, then make every effort to change what it is you do. Whatever you do, do it with care, concern and love. Don't over-complicate your life. Keep it as simple as you can. Do what you love as much as possible. Love what you do as much as possible. Love yourself. Appreciate yourself. Appreciate every drop of life you receive and make the most of it by not shying away from life. Life is meant to be lived. Don't forget to live.

When you expect nothing and receive something, it's such a nice surprise. I'm not saying to be pessimistic. Just when it comes to other people, don't hinge your happiness to expectation and outcome. Don't make it tit for tat. Don't keep score. Don't expect or demand something back. Do the best you can. Work passionately towards your dreams. Be a good person. Liberate yourself from expectation so much that when something does happen: when someone does do something nice, you can be surprised. Celebrate in that joy. It makes it all the more fun when it comes unexpectedly! Expectations in relationships suck all the gratitude and appreciation out of everything. Beyond honesty, respect and basic decency nothing need be "expected". Let it occur naturally. Go with the flow. Whatever you end up with will be more honest and real.

The single biggest thing I’ve done to improve my relationship with others, was to improve the relationship I have with myself. I became lovable when I was able to love myself. No one can love you, if you don’t love you. Accept, nurture and love yourself as you are. You’ll be amazed how much it will also change how others perceive you.