Lately I've been hearing a lot about The Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction essentially means that you have the power to attract certain things into your life.

In other words, you have the ability to manifest your own destiny. You are in control of your life.

If you believe that you can achieve something, or believe that something good will come, then that is exactly what will happen, realistically of course.

Last semester, I was not the happiest person I could be—and it wasn't one thing in particular. I simply let a lot of negativity build up, and didn't quite feel motivated enough to fix anything that was going wrong. However, I realized the way I was acting was poorly affecting every single area of my life. It was this fact that made me want to change. My dull mood and excessive worrying could only consume me for so long.

I wanted to change because when it came down to it, I was limiting myself. I was limiting my ability to be a good friend and give insightful advice. I was limiting my chances of meeting new people and chances of strengthening relationships. I was limiting my capability of being a good role model and older sister.

I was limiting my potential.

I had dealt with various hardships before, but somehow they never made me bitter. So why did I feel this way now? Why was I so pessimistic all the time? Honestly, I still don't have an answer to that question, but thank goodness I recognized this. As soon as I recognized this and consciously tried to change, things got better.

I shifted my attitude about almost everything in my life. If I had friends who were coming and going, I let it happen because it was too exhausting otherwise. If there was nothing to look forward to, I made even the smallest of plans. If I did poorly on an exam, I used that score as motivation to ace the next test. I started with the little things, and then worked up to the bigger ones: going on social media less, going on medication, exercising, and sleeping more. It wasn't long before I noticed such a positive change in my life.

I felt better because I truly started taking care of myself.

Because of this, I was able to be so much more. I was an even better friend, a more social version of myself, and a better role model for my brother.

This is why it's important to take care of yourself. When you start paying more attention to your attitude and your own needs, you'll slowly become the best version of yourself. And when it comes down to it, you need to take care of yourself before you can take better care of others.