Do you ever going through your daily life and daily tasks and realize you’re doing so many things for other people but really not any for yourself? Helping a friend with homework, driving a friend to the grocery store, working on a project for a team, etc. Don’t get me wrong helping others is a great habit to get into, and something I really enjoy doing when I invest my time in others. However, you can’t forget to invest time in yourself too.

I recently got away from this personal investment. I’m a people pleaser, and I like taking time out of my day to benefit the lives of others in any way that I can. It brings me happiness in seeing the joy I can bring out in others, and I like being the person that people always know they can count on.

But, because of this, there have been times when I’ve forgotten about myself.

There have been times when I’ve been so wrapped up in doing something for someone, or so worried about pleasing someone, or focusing solely on them that that task or that person becomes my main focus in life. I’ve put my love in people, before putting it in myself. And this should never be the case.

Your main focus every day should only be yourself. You are your own first priority.

The statement, “I’m going to focus on myself for a while”, seems cliché I know, but it is actually so much more important than people realize. If you aren’t focusing on yourself, loving yourself, and taking care of yourself who else will? No one else has the power to care for you as deeply as you can care for yourself. You just have to realize that.

I’ve done so much soul searching lately and have only come to find that I am the one in charge of my own happiness, I am the one in charge of my actions, I am the one in charge of my thoughts and feelings. I am. Every decision that’s made in my life results from a choice that I made, and no one else can make those choices for me.

You should never give that personal power away to people because when you put others before yourself, that gives them the power to put others before you.

Do the things that you want to do. Go out and treat yourself to ice cream, or a new manicure, if you want to. Go with your group of girlfriends to see the newest Nicholas Sparks movie and cry your eyes out, if you want to. Stay up till 3 am studying for a test you are really worried about, if you want to. Go to the gym instead of going out to dinner, if you want to.

Do the things that you personally love to do, the things that make you happy, and the things that help benefit yourself and the person you are because this personal investment can go along way, and it can teach you a lot of things about yourself that you haven’t realized yet.

My deep care for others is one of the things I love about myself, and I take pride in it. But, the deep care I am now figuring out that I have for myself too, has only opened doors for me, never closed them.

First, be open to a life of loving yourself, and then be open to sharing that love and care with others. Because how will someone ever love you, if you don't even love yourself?