For those of you who don't know, "Treat Yo Self" is a yearly outing started by my hero (Donna Meagle) and Tom Haverford on Parks and Recreation. Essentially, Tom and Donna go out and have one day of crazy spending with no holds barred.
In my everyday life, I try to always follow any advice Donna gives on the show. She is, essentially, perfection in a character. She understands her self worth,
she can handle her alcohol,
and she's so smooth with the boys.
But, most importantly, she came up with "treat yo self".
See, our generation is under an insane amount of pressure. Each year, colleges are receiving larger numbers of applications, and accepting smaller percentages of these applicants. Unfortunately, not just 'good grades' will cut it for us - you also have to be a tri-sport athlete, professional pianist, and licensed M.D. when you finish high school. In addition, tuition prices are higher than they have ever been. Therefore, we have to work summer jobs and pick up any work we can during the school year. Once we actually do graduate, the job pool is narrowing as well.
When we're not working or studying, we live on social media, a constant reminder of how there are people out there doing better than we are. We see the highlights of other people's lives and compare them to our everyday situation. If we're working in the office, we resent those who are outside traveling and exploring. If we're the ones on vacation, someone just updated their status that they got a promotion.
It's so hard to be a young adult in this day and age. We feel pressure from our jobs, schools, parents, peers, and even ourselves. Because of this, I try to take "treat yo self" to heart. I definitely save my money, but I will not hesitate to buy that new dress because it makes me happy to find something that fits me perfectly. I get excited for when I get the chance to wear it. Most of the time, I try to eat as healthy as I can, but if I want ice cream or a giant frappe with whipped cream, I will get it.
For some people, the "treat" might be binge watching Scandal; for some, it's a heaping scoop of Ben & Jerry's (for me, it's all of the above). The stress we face is enough to make people unhappy, so I strongly encourage everyone to take part in the simple pleasures that life offers us. Sit outside, read a good book, watch your favorite movie, get a pedicure - life is way too short to skip these things over. We don't have a lot of "free time", so we should fill it doing the things that bring us joy - no matter what.
And when it comes to those new shoes that you have absolutely fallen in love with, try to ignore the price tag and just
You won't regret it.
