Before you know it, you're 80 years old and you're looking back on your life. What do you want to see? What are you going to wish you did or wish you said? Because one minor thing has the ability to change your whole entire life and the best part is you get to decide.
If there is one thing that I have learned my first year of college, it is that you must be picky. There's no time to waste settling for anything. I'm not just referring to boys. Don't settle for a n y t h i n g in your life. It's YOUR life to live, and you must love it.
I know I can't say i'm "old", but I have noticed a shift in who I have become over this past year of my life. I have made more changes than I thought was humanly possible. The changes that I have made have been extremely hard, but I have grown tremendously since then. My parents have always told me i'm "too picky", but I don't think that's true at all. Being picky gives off these negative connotations that society has deemed for us. Being picky just shows that you aren't going to settle for something you don't agree with. I have standards for everything. I have standards for the lettuce at Subway, if it looks gross, I'm not going to eat it. If my job is bringing me more harm than good, I am going to quit. That's just how life goes, that is, if you want it to.
Changes put so much stress on the human body. It can drive you into emotional turmoil. You suddenly weigh out the pros and cons of a change you're about to make and you have to be true to yourself. I have spent 18 years of my life settling for things that end up making me feel horrible about myself. You deserve freedom from your sadness and you need to know who you are as an individual and what you deserve.
Live the life YOU want to live. Do the things that you think will lead to you living the healthiest life you can. You only get one shot at it, so why not make it all you have wanted? Please please, never lose sight of your morals for your significant other. Never live in the shadows of someone else's dream. Stay true to your values and share them with others. This is probably the hardest thing to do. When your morals are intact, that is when you will be able to invest in someone you love. I am just starting to learn that and I cannot express the gratitude I have for the person who told me that.
You may not feel like me and you may think you actually aren't settling at all in life. But at the end of the day, what consumes your thoughts? Worry? Doubt? If so, you're settling. We all do, but you choose the compromises you want to make. No one can force the doubt out of your head about that person you're in a relationship with. Yes, you can ignore it and push the feeling down, but why be corrupted by settlement? You are worth so much more than that and need to know when to walk away.
I have lost many things in the matter of a few months, but I have gained a love for myself that no one can take away. The day you decide to love yourself first, is the day you will refuse to settle for someone or something that is tearing you apart.
Be empowered.
Be brave.
Be picky.
Invest in yourself so that you may know what matters most to you. Take charge of your life and passionately pursue yourgoals, not anyone else's.
