Loving yourself is the first step to succeed

When you are building your life as you are setting up anything, you have to start from the scratch. 
The fist brick is  self-esteem. 
You do have to love you. 
Accepting your weakness and being proud of your strong points. 
Never undervalue your potential or subject events or situations. 

A look in your family first. 
If you ever had problems and difficulties when you were young, you can suffer from affective disorder in the future. 
Divorced families, abuse, violence, parents with mental or physical  illness can be a risk factor for depression and low self-esteem in the childhood. 

However it's not just a matter of evidence. 
Sometimes children with a perfect and lovely families, are not happy at all and struggle later for development challenges.

I have a friend, Silvia.  
She is studying in Paris Pharmacy, and she alway lives in a stressful environment because she doesn't love herself. Her parent apparently are nice but they have never stayed back her in any decision and always judging her and making her thinking she was wrong.
 
She feels as a black goat wanting to come out. She lives over limits, seeking new experience. Sometimes dangerous.
She relies too much on people she knows and she is often in wrong relationship. 
Her dad never have  approved her choices and always allow her to do what she want to do with lots of effort and complains. 

Silvia grew up insecure, fragile and  unbalance. "I can't speak normally with him. Also now. I just start to cry at some point. I hate me because of this. " 

Outside she pretends to be strong, but inside she is so vulnerable and weak. 
How she behaves is a reaction of his father's opposition. 
She need a balance and a proactive way to approach her life.

Building your life is hard and implies lots of energies on basis of your love. 
Life is a choice and you can make it very special just believe you can do what you like and follow your inclinations and desire. 
It's  important to be determinate, assertive and relaxed to face any difficulties that will come. 

Lisa Firth in her book "Body Image and Self-Esteme" stresses on a positive self-image, self-respect and confidence to succeed in any field of your life. Relationship, studies, work and friends.
She also points out the importance of the media in how they influence our mind and relationship with our bodies, related a certain body shape and the rise of cosmetic surgery.

All media advertise a model of human being, particularly in appearance. Television, cinema, magazines are full of icons: perfect bodies with luxury accessories and clothes. 
They are selling a image, offering products and lifestyle that people can buy.
But it's a fake world and everyone has to remember it.  

At the end  building your life is hard and the key world is love.
Loving yourself as you are. 
Love is accepting your past and your family. 
Love is be happy with you. 

Love is not a matter of change but a continue tension to improve and be better.