onlinecounsellingcollege:

1. Recognize that there is no-one who is ‘normal’. Love who you are and accept your differences.

2. Don’t think of your differences as inferiorities. They are all part of the package that make you “you”. And the world would be boring if we all were just the same.

3. Refuse to give up on yourself or your dreams. The biggest mistake you could ever make is to not try something in case it goes wrong.

4. Respect your own opinions, your viewpoints and beliefs. If people don’t like then, they can just get over it! Trust your heart and intuition – don’t just listen to others.

5. Don’t be afraid to express, and be, yourself. Develop your own style and your own creative flair.

6. Don’t listen to anyone who puts you down. It’s likely that they’re suffering from low self-esteem – hence they’re trying to feel better by criticising you.

7. Hang out with people who love you just for “you” – and who know that they have failings and hang ups, too.

8. Smile and be happy – you deserve to enjoy life. And remember life’s a journey; it’s not a race.