As a child, it is important to grow. As a young adult, it is crucial.

Being a young adult in today’s society presents a complex set of issues to ponder, forcing us to be careful of our surroundings but brave in our actions. We become so fixed in the complexity of society that it is easy to lose sight of what matters: ourselves. People walk in and out of our lives but one thing always stays.

Us.

Each day is an opportunity to learn from mistakes made and create new memories. Each day is an opportunity to challenge oneself, to awaken from the realm of comfortability and try something that scares us. Each day is a chance to be brave in our understanding of others and our sympathy to their situations. We cannot let these opportunities go to waste, but instead we must take them and strive for greatness.

Life is full of wonderful people and lessons to be learned, but we must not get distracted. We must be selfish in this one aspect. It is important to focus on others, however, it is also important to focus on ourselves. If we are to be good leaders, friends, or relatives we must first invest in ourselves. We must have the courage to do what is good for us, good for our growth, in order to be able to help those around us.

We must appreciate ourselves and our differences.

We are not clones, molded by the complex society that surrounds us. We are individuals with specific talents and strengths that set us apart from those around us. We are unique in our understanding of the world and all the issues that make it up. We are powerful in our youth, wavering on the cusp of greatness.

Be selfish.

Focus on yourself, treat yourself, be yourself. To go through life pretending to be someone else is nothing but a waste of pure greatness. Challenge yourself daily, do things that scare you. To be able to grow, you must cross boundaries. You must explore the outside world and be fearless of the criticism that might ensue. You must make a choice to learn and a decision to never stop learning. The wisdom of the world is so vast that it will never be fully known, but the ability to understand the situations and emotions of others will prove a truly useful skill for the rest of your life. You must promise yourself to never lose sight of home. It is hard to see where the road before you will take you, but you will always know where your home is. Call it. Talk to the people who have sacrificed so much to give you the opportunity to live so fruitfully.

As far as we know it, everyone is granted one life. It is OK to focus on yourself, to please yourself. You will not be able to please everyone in your life, it is an impossible feat. Please yourself. Do what makes you happy.

Grow from the heartbreaks, the failures and the poor times. Grow from the joyous times, the heartfelt moments, and the love that surrounds you.

It is OK to be selfish every once in a while.