This is probably the most questionable title I've written thus far. After all this time of me preaching about giving thanks and appreciating those who are around you, it seems contradictory to tell you all to be selfish. However, one of the most important things I've learned as of late is to be selfish... in a way.

As well as talking about the importance of giving thanks and living in harmony with those that surround us, another recurring theme in my posts is finding happiness. As weird as it may sound, selfishness is a key to happiness. Allow me to explain.

My first semester of college was a rollercoaster. I've completely put that past me and am now looking to the future, but there were a lot of negative influences on my general well-being that began to affect me in the beginning of this semester. While I was on break, I spent time with my family and friends from home - I hardly talked to anyone from college because I was too busy catching up with people I hadn't seen in months. Everything was great. I was happy, free of stress and anxiety, and had almost completely forgotten about the mental state I was in just weeks before during the first semester.

As soon as I moved back into my dorm, I instantly became stressed, panicky, and easy to agitate. My parents took note and asked what was going on. I had no explanation for the behavior, but I was quickly beginning to notice a change. Finally, I put two and two together: It was the people I had been hanging out with.

These people were awful. They took advantage of me as much as possible and belittled me whenever I had a problem with it. I could never speak my mind without feeling judged and unheard. So, selfishly, I cut them out.

Just like that, my life instantly became way better. As a matter of fact, the same night I cut them out, a bunch of new opportunities to join different groups of friends arose, so I took them.

I am here today to tell you that it is important to be selfish in some ways. If there are negative influences in your life bringing you down or holding you back, drop them. They don't matter. If it's a person or group of people that you're afraid of hurting, just know that they wouldn't make you feel the way you do if they truly cared about your well-being. Be selfish. Take opportunities for yourself. Do what you need to do in order to stay happy. Don't let anyone stand in your way. If they care for you, they'll support you.