The most important person in your life, is you.
There will be days where you forget this, you will be so giving and so caring for others, as you should. All while neglecting to care for yourself. Above all else the only person who can wholeheartedly and honestly look after you is you.
Friends, family and supporters alike are key elements in ensuring you have a stable mentality. However, you need to learn how to accept yourself and allow yourself to be your biggest fan.
Above all else, do what makes you happy
There will be several opportunities for outside opinions on what your next move should be, but you need to ensure that whatever step you choose to take gives you the most benefit. I am not saying that you should disregard what others say nor should you be selfish, but I am suggesting that you stay true to yourself and only do what will make you better at the end of the day.
Listen to your body
It is vitally important that you sleep well and that you maintain a well balanced diet. We all fall victim to late night Cookout trips and hardcore study sessions. But, after a while that will all catch up to you. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) sleep deprivation can actually cause chronic health problems. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) reported that sleep deficiency can, "[be] linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke."
TREAT YO' SELF
Parks and Recreation did the dang thing when they introduced us to the best day of the year. 'TREAT YO' SELF' is the best slogan to go by at any time. There are going to be days where you need to sleep ALL DAY, watch Netflix ALL DAY, spend an outrageous amount of money on a cup of caffeine and of course eat tons and tons of chocolate. So, allow yourself to have a 'TREAT YO' SELF' day and if you are not familiar with Parks and Recreation go ahead and treat yo self to a marathon!
Put You FIRST
When your friends are deciding what the weekend plans will be, make sure that you are contributing to the conversation, make sure that you are thinking through how you feel and what you need to do. If you do not want to go out then don't go out, if you want to stay in, stay in. Do what you need to do for you. I promise you that your friends will understand if they truly care about you.
Pay attention to how you feel, everyday
For me, everyday is a different day. Sometimes I wake up and I am prepared for the day and I feel great. Other days I can feel like I absolutely hate everyone and wish that they would all just stop asking questions and just do what they need to. Because I pay attention to how I feel and because I listen to myself I know that on those type of days I need to either warn people to not take things personally or to just have as little human interaction as possible. Regardless, pay attention to the types of emotions you go through and notice the little things that could be triggering those feelings. I promise you this will not only help you in all of your relationships but it also helps you watch out for you.
Every second is different from the last, it is up to you how you embody and embrace those seconds. Just remember that at the end of the day it is your life and you can not live the life of someone else and no one can live yours but YOU!
