Everyone refers to being selfish as a bad thing - all you do is take, take, take and never give anything in return. These days, apparently saying "thank you" to a compliment instead of denying it is selfish, or putting yourself before others, or buying yourself a present for your birthday. It makes you a selfish, conceited, narcissistic, etc etc., but at this point in my life, if I'm considered selfish, I just don't care.

I spent so many years giving and giving and giving. I gave my love, my time, my teenage years, and my money to so many people that I actually lost myself along the way. I never focused on my own happiness or my own mental health, and it made me too dependent on other people and that just wasn't okay. I thought that making other people happy meant I was happy, and while I do love putting a smile on people's faces, I wasn't truly feeling the joy I thought it would bring me, and it was becoming a problem.

I thought maybe having a "special someone" in my life made me happy, and while it did, I found myself down and out when I wasn't with that person. I couldn't be happy alone, and I wasn't devoting myself to making that possible. I went from one long term relationship to the next, never giving myself the opportunity to be single and figure out what I needed or wanted in life, and now that I have given myself the chance to experience this life, I don't have a single regret.

I love myself. I take selfies when I'm having a good hair day, I check myself out in the mirror when I'm rocking an outfit, and I don't fear the judgement of others. I'm selfish - I take care of myself mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. I'm aware of my intelligence and I'm not afraid to show it off. I know I'm an attractive person, and there's no way in hell I'm going to deny a compliment when I receive one. Sometimes I even consider my own feelings and my own thoughts before I think about other people -- Oh, the horror!! But I don't care. If being selfish and loving yourself is wrong, then I don't ever want to be right again. I spent my time loving everyone else, and now it's time to love the most important person in my life: myself.