We all aspire to be successful in life, and sometimes we get so lost in the cloudy journey of fulfilling these dreams that we miss out on the important things.

In the quest for more “success,” many are tempted to forfeit their true essence to become someone they are not. The world even advises you to “fake it till you make it” — and no wonder we have a generation of people whose self-image is governed by Instagram likes and Facebook shares. A generation of young adults who are too scared to tap into their inner being and unravel the riches of their true personalities for fear of not being “accepted” by the majority.

READ: The “Risky” Road to Connection: Why You Must Dare to Be Yourself 

Yet becoming someone you are not is a great injustice, both to yourself and to society. The world already has too many fakes. It is counting on you to embrace your uniqueness and dare to make a difference. You owe it to yourself to stand out from the crowd, reject what doesn’t reflect your personality and uphold what is right and fair.

The World Needs More You: How to Be Successful at Being Yourself

The World Needs More You: How to Be Successful at Being Yourself

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world.

— Marianne Williamson

Winning in any facet of life, be it your career or relationship, can only be sustained by first becoming successful at being yourself. The real challenge is to not succumb to social pressure and societal mediocrity. Step out from your comfort zone and live life simply being you.

The following tips will help you get started.

1 . Reimagine your potential

The image you have of yourself is so important that it ultimately determines how others see and treat you. A low self-image is quickly followed by a low self-esteem and people won’t be slack to use that to your disadvantage.

You must learn to see beyond your present circumstances and visualize what you hope to become. Your reality is highly dependent on the quality of your imagination. Do away with thoughts of doubts and fear and begin to trust in your skills and abilities.

READ: Live Like You Already Have It, and You Will

It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past or what has been said concerning you, make a resolute decision today to begin to think more highly of yourself and learn to appreciate what makes you different.

2 . Surround yourself with the right people

Desist from being around negative and pessimistic people who see nothing but all that’s wrong with the world; people who are not interested in rendering value, but are more preoccupied with presenting a false image of themselves in an attempt to be liked and approved by others. Negative vibes produce negative attitude.

READ: 4 Tips to Help You Attract the Right Kinds of Friends

Surround yourself with folks who do not just talk, but live out what they preach. Who don’t feel bound by the status quo, but are ready to face life at the edge of their potential.

3 . Quit comparing yourself to others

When you keep looking at others to find validation of who you are, you end up disappointed and discouraged much of the time.

There are millions of people out there who would certainly appear to be more talented, prettier, richer, stronger, or more successful than you. The key is to accept this fact and never rate yourself in comparison to another’s abilities.

READ: Mind the Comparison Trap: Why Life’s Race Is Only Against Yourself

Learn to appreciate people who possess the skills you desire, and learn from them if you can. They may have special talents that you don’t have, but you have something special they don’t have: your own uniqueness, style and personality. Build on these and you’ll eventually discover that you can do stuff in a way that no one else can.

4 . Create your purpose

Look within yourself to find what you love the most, and how you can bring value to someone else. It doesn’t necessarily have to be anything grandiose at the moment — even the smallest act of service can make a big difference to someone’s life.

READ: Find Your Why: How to Discover Your Professional Purpose

The greatest disservice to one’s self is selfishness and self-preoccupation. The fastest way to become successful at being yourself is to become a blessing and a solution to someone else.

5 . Stand up to criticism

You will never be free from people who will be apt to point out your mistakes and flaws. But it doesn’t matter — people are always bound to criticize what they fear. To be successful at being yourself, you must realize that people will try to break you with destructive words just to get the worse out of you. Don’t let them!

Every successful person today has faced major criticism and opposition along the way, and they all did one thing in common: they kept moving.

READ: The Self-Growth Guide to Making Criticism Your Friend

You must therefore not be scared to say NO to things that are contrary to your values and principles. Stand for what you believe in, pursue a dream, and never give up.

6. Never seek appreciation from others

This doesn’t imply that you shouldn’t work hard or be committed to everything you do. But doing things for the purpose of gaining others’ appreciation is the wrong motive, and ultimately won’t bring long-lasting satisfaction.

Even when you do things for the right reasons, you shouldn’t be surprised when people don’t thank you or appreciate your work. Not everyone has your heart. You should keep giving your best nonetheless, and only seek appreciation from yourself.

Closing words

There are over 7 billion people in the world and no one is exactly like you. This is your power. Embrace it, cherish it, and develop it! Don’t be scared of standing out and never be intimidated when you encounter failure. The greatest successes in life come from having the freedom to fail.

Make mistakes and learn quickly. And at the end of your story, let it never be written that you lived someone else’s life. Be the best of you there can possibly be. The world needs more of you.