There have been times in my life where I have been feeling lonely and sad. All throughout high school and the first couple of years in college, I did not know what to do other than feel those emotions. I used to dwell about things that I had no control over. I used to always give more than I received in a lot of different relationships. I would be used and treated badly because of how nice I was to others. It was not until last year when I realized that was not healthy. I needed to start putting myself first because I realized how emotionally, physically, and mentally drained I was. I had to start to change the way that I looked at life and look at the positives rather than looking at the negatives because it consumes every individual. From my experiences, I have learned that in almost everything there is a positive that can be found.
Over the past couple of years, I have had an amazing support system of people who make me happy and bring out the best in me. I have been able to realize that it is important to surround yourself with people and things that make you happy. This means taking care of yourself before anyone else because, at the end of the day, you have to do what makes you happy. I have been able to reflect on my life and work on areas I have wanted to change. This year, for example, I have been able to spend time with my boyfriend, parents, and friends a lot. Even though we aren’t able to do a lot because of COVID-19, I still try to find the positives like getting to spend more time at home, with my friends, as well as focusing on getting good grades.
Throughout high school and throughout college I have realized what makes me happy. It has taken a lot of time and a lot of ups and downs for me to realize, but I finally have. It is important to take action and start somewhere because dwelling on the negatives all of the time will only become worse after a while. Trust me: I have been stressed, anxious, and sad for long periods of time, and I now realize that if I surrounded myself and did things that made me happy, small or big, I would have gotten through certain situations better. Every day I try to look at positives in every situation and set goals for myself. Some of my goals are bigger than others. I was never the type of person to set any goals or put myself first, but once I started I did not want to go back. It has reduced my stress and anxiety significantly. For me, it took a long time to realize that I needed to change my lifestyle because if I did not, I knew it would only get worse.