When you look at society as a whole, it seems like there are a lot of unspoken rules on how to live. One of them seems to be that doing things that benefit you or your well-being is selfish, and may make people think badly of you for it. The reality is that we need to get away from this idea. The idea that doing something that makes you happy is a bad thing is so harmful to our own self-image.

There will always be people who are going to try to tell you how to live your life. There will always be people who will try to tell you what they think is best and how they want you to live. But this is an extremely negative way of living- why should we live to please anyone else? Of course, there is a difference between following rules, and making choices. But that is where the line ends. There is no gray area about making choices for yourself.

As long as your choices aren’t harmful to someone else, and they aren’t harmful to yourself, you should be able to live the life you want. If this means going to school for something your family may not understand or support, then do it. Do what makes you happy!! If it's about having to remove people from your life because they don’t treat you right, then you do it. You gotta do what you gotta do, and as long as your safety and the safety of others around you is intact, that is all that matters. If it means meeting new people and taking the leap of faith into something you may not know, that’s OK.

Some people may think that doing things for you is selfish and impractical. And maybe in their opinion it is, but to me, I feel that these people are being selfish in preventing someone from fulfilling their complete happiness because of how they feel about the situation. Everyone is living a different life, no two people make the same steps. What works for one person may not always work for others. And that’s fine. It’s all a learning experience and I believe we all have the right to learn from our own experiences, not from other people’s. If you mess up and end up doing something you regret, then you just have to apologize, assess the damage, pick up the pieces and move forward. Life doesn’t stop for anyone, and it’s so ridiculous to be wasting your life living someone else’s dreams. They have their own dreams to live, and so do you.

If you find someone making you feel guilty for bettering yourself and stepping away from negativity, then you don’t need that person in your life anyway. If they make you feel bad for taking care of yourself and putting yourself first for once, they don’t deserve a place in your life. Don’t let someone diminish your feelings or make you feel bad about doing something positive for yourself.

The person who will be there for you through everything is you. You have to live with yourself for the rest of your life, and it would be pointless for you to be living a life that didn’t bring you the most happiness and peace. You deserve to do things for yourself. Put yourself first for once. You always give and give to everyone else, and put other’s needs before your own, now it's finally time for you to put you first- while understanding that you are not selfish for doing so. Let yourself be free, and learn to love yourself a little bit more each day because you are doing the best you can.