Jennifer Lopez / Credit: WireImage
Jennifer Lopez says that she is a "work in progress", learning to appreciate herself and finding importance in loving herself before going on to find love with someone else.
Speaking to E! News she explained: "I would describe the woman I am today as a work in progress, a 'WIP'!
"And this was the beginning of what I think is going to be a life-long journey of being content and happy with myself.
"I have to know how great I am, you know--all of us need to know how great we are. That we're worth it...All of the things I'm involved with have the same message and it's that you must love yourself first, that the love that you're looking for is inside you."
The singer believes that everybody should be their own "most important" person in their lives, putting themselves before others.
"That sounds like a weird thing sometimes but it's so real, and when you can really appreciate the person you are--not what you've accomplished, not the money that you have...none of that, just the girl you are--that person is just a good, funny, generous loving person.
"You always have to be the most important [person in your life]. That's what love is."
While she's one of the biggest stars on the planet, Jennifer did used to take critics' comments to heart, and at one point was convinced everyone "hated" her.
"We have a tendency to focus on the negative and I let that work on my self-esteem.
"I was always thinking that people didn't like me, they just hated me... It's such a ridiculous notion, we tend to do this to ourselves."
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