Be SELFISH

Being selfish has a bad rep. The dictionary definition is: “(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.” So sure, that doesn’t sound great and some kinds of selfishness aren't good. Clearly robbing a bank because you want money, or doing other illegal activity isn’t recommended. You should never take advantage of other people, or take actions driven by feelings of hate, envy, jealousy, arrogance, etc.

Now let me ask you…Do you ever catch yourself saying “yes” to things you don’t want to? Are you always listening to other people but never feel heard? Do you have a hard time setting boundaries? Are you always doing everything for everyone else but not taking time for yourself?

If you find yourself nodding along to those questions you may want to consider that it’s time for you to get a little selfish…but in a good way! You can do things that benefit yourself and even put you in a better position to benefit others. There’s a reason why when you fly on an airplane the flight attendant says “Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.”

If you always put other people first, you’ll run out of air and energy.

Would you like to have: self-compassion, self-esteem, self-love, self-care, self-worth, self-management, and self-respect? Taking healthy selfish action (like taking time for yourself to recharge during a stressful day) can boost all of these things. It can also make you happier, healthier, make you into a good leader, and also can be beneficial in relationships because you know how to set boundaries and speak your mind.

Sometimes it’s okay to not please everyone and instead be easy and honest with yourself, find your value, and care and nurture YOU.