Being a girl is hard. Being a girl in college, trying to juggle school, work, friends, boys and planning your future, is even harder. Sometimes you just need a little motivation, and that can come from pretty much anywhere. For me, my motivation always comes from words. Little reminders about anything from how long I allow myself to be upset, to how to keep going even when things get tough. These are my favorite "life mottos" that I try to live by every single day.
1. "If you feel like you need to cry, cry. For as long as you need to and as hard as you can. But after that, never cry again for the same reason."
Ever heard anyone use the phrase "There's no use crying over spilled milk"? I disagree. Sometimes spilled milk can be really, really sad. Especially if that "milk" that gets spilled is a breakup, a hardship or some other type of weight you have to carry on your own. I absolutely think it's okay to cry. But after you cry over something, you should never waste your precious time or tears on it again.
2. "The five for five rule. If it won't matter five years from now, don't spend more than five minutes upset about it."
In college, every little problem can honestly feel like the end of the world when it happens. This rule is my absolute favorite because sometimes reality checks are hard, and this one helps remind me that so many of the things I deal with are so temporary, that it doesn't make sense to spend time upset about inconsequential problems when that time could be better spent elsewhere.
3. "I'm not searching for my other half, because I'm not a half."
This one is so so important, especially for any single ladies out there. When you're surrounded by adorable couples posting perfect pictures all over social media, it's easy to feel like being on your own makes you incomplete. It doesn't. And I love this because it reminds me every day that until I'm happy and satisfied all on my own, I will never be happy with someone else, so focusing on myself needs to be my first priority.
4. "No matter how you feel- get up, dress up, show up, and never give up."
On days when you don't feel your best- physically, mentally, emotionally, it can be really really easy to just be a bum and stay in bed moping about life. But whenever I do that, I always end up feeling worse at the end of the day because I know deep down I shouldn't have done that. So I love this because it gives me the little push I need sometimes (OK, more often than I'd like to admit) to get my butt out of bed and get done what I need to get done.
5. "Sometimes the hardest part of being a great catch is accepting that not everyone's hands are strong enough to hold you."
The absolute hardest part about realizing your own worth is understanding that just because you love and value someone, that doesn't mean they're necessarily a positive presence in your life. It's hard to let go of people you care about, but it gets even worse in the long run when you let them stick around and they bring you down. Sometimes, you meet people who just can't handle you. They'll either be threatened by you, jealous of you, or just simply want to bring you down. Those are the people you need to avoid, and it's completely OK. This one is one I have to remind myself of every single day, because it makes letting go of toxic people for your own good much much easier.