The other day, I was having a mental breakdown and my sister said, "Grace, you really need to practice what you preach. Take your own advice. Read what you write."

You see, I write about being happy all the time and I write about putting yourself first.

But the fact is, there are nights that I cry myself to sleep. There are days when I question who I am and there are days when I let my emotions get the best of me.

As hard as it is to admit, this is not happiness.

Sometimes, I go days without combing my hair. I make outside commitments without worrying about my own. I regularly let myself run on five or fewer hours of sleep. I worry about other people's feelings before I worry about my own and I lose myself in the process of trying to please other people. If I'm honest with you, the list could go on.

That is not putting myself first.

Honestly, this is kind of hard to write because I want to be that person who has a perfect perspective on life.

But the fact is, I don't always have it all together. I don't always practice what I preach.

I'm not always happy and I don't always put myself first.

But, that's OK.

I'm still working on myself and I'm still learning every day.

Honestly, it's kind of impossible to always put yourself first and to always be happy, so take time for yourself, but if one day you forget, that's alright.

It's so easy to get caught up in life and it's expectations. It's so easy to lose yourself in your own life, but I think writing has been a way of finding myself.

I don't put myself first in every single situation, but when I sit down to write, I am taking time for myself and I am putting myself first. Writing brings me happiness. Writing is a way for me to reflect. It reminds me that I can find happiness in the little things and that I should put myself first.

So maybe I'm not 100% there yet and maybe I'll never be, but I'm in the process and I could not be more thankful.

Even though I don't always practice what I preach, most days I do.