People hear the word selfish and automatically have this negative feeling towards it. “Don’t be so selfish! Think of those around you!” These are the praises we have been hearing all our lives. We are told to think of others with everything we do in life. Think of how it not only effects yourself but the people around you. This idea leads people to be hesitant to do things for the better of themselves with a fear they will be labled selfish. But is being selfish actually the worst thing you could do?
Trust me, as a person who goes into the world with a big heart and lots of empathy I’ll be the first person to say you should think of others and how your actions affect them because you never know how someone will react. But why should I compromise myself just to benefit everyone but me in the end? Is it selfish to think of my well-being before others?
It’s easy to get caught up in the whole “pleasing everyone else” mindset. You want people to be happy and not struggle and you want things to always work out. But that shouldn’t mean you have to make yourself miserable just to make everyone happy. So here I am telling you exactly what you need to hear: Stop apologizing for being selfish.
Stop compromising your own happiness to better everyone else. Stop being friends with toxic people because you’re nervous of what will happen if you stand up for yourself. Say something if you are upset, even if you feel like the other person won’t like what you have to say. Stick up for yourself and don’t let others walk over you. Put yourself first and everything else will follow. You deserve the love and happiness you try to give everyone else.