I've recently found myself placing blame on myself for others' actions, tangled up in guilt that I should be feeling for no reason at all. I've made excuses for others and sometimes worry when I cannot please all who surround me. I've become lost in what everyone else wants or needs from me, completely losing sight of all that I deserve. It may have taken many ups and downs to understand that I am worth more than the way I have been feeling, but when you hit that realization of what you deserve, keep running and never look back.

We are all guilty of it. We want to please the world. We want others to like us. We want others to be proud of us. We want to help the friend in need when they need it most. But why as we do this do we lose ourselves in the process? We stray so far from who we are to help others, we are stretched too thin, we feel exhausted and drained. It's this never ending cycle of expecting the same in return, but when we do not receive it, we try harder and harder, hoping others take the hint that, we too, deserve the same support.

I've reevaluated who I am and all that I love myself for because loving yourself is the first step to an incredible life. I am empathetic, I love with my whole heart and I invest my emotions into every experience I encounter. I like Snapchat and Instagram a little too much, I find my happy place in a baseball stadium or playing on a soccer field and I probably have consumed too much cookie dough in my lifetime. I've struggled with my body image and have felt the hurt of bullying, yet I have overcome and grown as a result. The beach brings me serenity and my family fills my heart with love. My faith brings me strength and my sentimental self wraps her heart around nostalgia like no other. These are the things that make me, me. These are the things I love about myself. These are the things I invite you to love too.

Being empathetic and kind comes with consequences. If you and I are friends, then you know I care; I make that very clear that I will love and support you through everything. But sometimes I care too much, taking others' problems into my own hands and feeling guilty when I do not have the magic wand that can make all the hurt or struggle disappear. I've invested too much into those who do not give back to my life in the same way, and have felt the hurt as I see their presence dwindle away. So here I am, with my whole heart, telling myself I deserve more. That I need to live for each moment and not hold back. I need to focus on myself, my heart and my worth, sometimes before anyone else's. Some see it as selfish, I see it as healthy.

These words are long overdue, and as I so easily grace you with this advice, please understand I am having a hard time following it myself. I do not do well with people walking out of my life, but perhaps it reveals more about their intentions than mine. We are going to have relationships where we feel short handed, but instead of grinning and bearing the empty returns, we will walk away. We may find ourselves so wrapped around in our thoughts, but instead of putting ourselves down, we will remind ourselves of all that we are capable of. We may feel guilty because people did not get what they wanted out of us, but instead of swimming through the pressure we feel, we will know we deserve better. We should always know that we deserve the very best.

It's not easy to put ourselves first, but so very necessary. We can bury ourselves into the ground by trying to serve everyone's requests and demands, but think about that burden. We too often let others lead our life, forgetting who we are and all that we want to be. These past few weeks have taught me more about myself than I ever could have imagined; I've learned what I truly deserve in my life, and that anyone or anything that does not meet those standards is simply not worthy. I invite you to accept this challenge, develop the introspection to know more about yourself, and find the passion and love to make yourself happy, always. You are deserving of the world; never lose sight of that.