Sometimes, when someone says “I put myself first” it can be misconstrued as selfishness. I beg to differ. Putting yourself first does not mean you are self-centered. It simply means you want to take care of yourself. I spent a lot of my life always putting others first, and trying to please everyone around me. While I still do believe in making those around me happy, I have come to realize that it’s so, so important to put myself first. And here’s why:
By putting myself first, I learned how to truly love myself- my mind, my body-down to the very core of who I am. I became totally content with spending time alone, and now, I crave the time I get to spend by myself. I made peace with past mistakes, and created goals for the future. I prioritized my needs as important, and that lead me on a path of self-discovery and love. It is very, very important to love yourself. It’s okay to treat yourself as the wonderful human being that you are.
By putting myself first, I learned how I could best serve others. Being able to spend time reflecting allowed me to develop a sense of self-awareness that I really had never experienced before. I realized in what ways I could have the greatest impact on people. By figuring out my strengths and weaknesses, I am able to identify what needs to be improved. This impacts not only you but the people around you- friends and family feed off your energy, so why not make it positive?
By putting myself first, I learned to stand up for myself. Growing up, it was very easy to walk all over me. I had no tail bone. But when I started putting myself first, my confidence grew. I realized what I deserved, and I did not deserve to be walked on. Saying “no” was never easy for me, but I have become increasingly better at it as the years go on, and this can largely be credited to my developing self-love.
Bottom line- it’s totally, completely okay to put yourself first. In fact, I greatly encourage it. It has allowed me to develop a self-awareness that I never had before. Treat yourself like Leslie Knope treats Ann Perkins, and realize how much of a beautiful, tropical fish you really are.
