Loving yourself in the midst of scornful people can be a profoundly challenging process. It takes courage to stand firm in the face of judgment, to silence the chorus of critical voices echoing all around, and to cultivate a deep well of self-acceptance within.

When surrounded by those who would seek to diminish our worth, to nitpick our flaws, or to dismiss our dreams, the natural instinct may be to shrink back, to internalize their harsh judgements, and to lose sight of our own inherent value. Yet, it is in these very moments that self-love becomes an act of defiance – a powerful refusal to be defined by the narrow perceptions of others. It means drowning out  snarky remarks and criticism with an unshakable conviction of our own brilliance and our right to unabashedly be who we are.

To love ourselves amidst scorn is to shine light for others that our worthiness is not determined by what people think of us. Commitment to self-love fortifies trust in ourselves, and encourages us to guard our heart diligently from anything that would tear down our sense of self-worth.

In a world that has systematically tried to manipulate our self-perception, that has injected the poison of “not-enoughism” into the very fabric our being, this journey of self-love is an act of quiet revolution. When surrounded by scorn, to love ourselves is to rise above the small minded, to honor the fullness of our humanity, and to claim our joyous birthright to be here, and to radiate our essence out into the world.

Nurture the seeds of self-love, until they take root and bloom into an uncompromising self-assurance that cannot be uprooted by the blustering winds of other people’s judgment.