Selfishness vs. Selflessness. It's a battle we've all faced at some point or another, often without realizing it. Most decisions we make on a daily basis result from our choice to either put ourselves first or last.

I've practiced selflessness for so long that it's become second nature to me. As an extrovert, I gain energy from surrounding myself with people. Whenever a social opportunity arises, I am the first to seize it, casting all other responsibilities aside for the chance to spend time with others. If I'm working on an assignment and receive a text from a friend in need, my mind immediately shifts into "Advice-Giver Mode" and I direct all of my focus into helping them out. I am the kind of person who would much rather stay up until dawn every night having deep life chats with people than have a normal sleeping schedule. Serving others is my passion, and I strive to do all I can to love and support them.

As much as I will try to deny it, my love for others has caused me to start wearing myself thin. I started nursing school this year, and I am also a full-time Resident Assistant. My courseload this semester is at seventeen hours, all classes in which I need to get a "C" or higher for both my scholarship and my nursing school progression. When I'm not in class or studying, I'm leaving my door open, going out in the lobby, spending time with my residents, talking to my RA friends, or texting and calling my family and friends from back home. I see absolutely no wrong in doing any of these things; in fact, I wouldn't expect myself to do any less. However, putting myself last has come at a price: lack of sleep, increased stress, and poor time-management to name a few.

I've been functioning under this mindset for as long as I've been in college. Although it's ultimately worked out in my favor thus far, I know deep down that it isn't a wise decision to continue putting myself last. It took me until RA training to fully realize this. Throughout those two weeks, all of the RAs and staff members wrote each other postcards to be delivered after the end of training. After an overwhelming first week of school, I received my notes. All of them lifted my spirits immensely, but one letter left such an impact on me. My complex coordinator knows how much I absolutely love caring for people, and she wrote me a note thanking me for that. At the end of the letter was the following sentence:

"Remember to take care of yourself this year as well. It is difficult to pour from an empty cup."

I stared at these words for several minutes just letting them sink in. These were the most relevant words of wisdom I've ever received, and they came at just the right moment.

Everyone has a cup. We each have a set volume that we are able to pour into various aspects of our lives: school, work, relationships, spirituality, hobbies, etc. By the time we're through giving in these areas, how much is left for ourselves? I can honestly say that I leave very little, if anything, for myself by the time it's all said and done. I've grown accustomed to caring for everybody and everything else in my life that I don't feel the need to care for myself.

Recently, we had a discussion in one of my nursing classes about the importance of caring for other people. In our notes, I highlighted one particular sentence that stood out to me: "To better care for others, you must first take care of yourself."

Being selfless does not mean that you need to completely throw yourself to the side. If you want to serve others to the best of your abilities, you must first serve yourself. It is okay—necessary, even—to make yourself a priority. You can't give your all to something when you have little available to give. We must refill our cups if we are to continually pour from them.

I am selfless, but I am also a priority. I can serve both others and myself, and the results will be so much greater when I am finally able to pour from an overflowing cup.