At the end of the day, the only person that will truly always be with you is… well- you. Only you can get you through this life.

As millennials, we lead these almost impossibly busy lives. Wake up early to go to the gym, go to class all day, work on projects, study for the test tomorrow, go to meetings, maybe go to practice, and try to eat somewhere in between. We work hard every day to better ourselves, but all too often we get wrapped up in trying to impress others, doing things for others, and all the while worrying what they might be thinking.

At one point you’ve realized that that girl in your class has really been hanging out with you to get all of your answers.

And that your crush is not who you thought they were.

And that your “best friend,” is really not much of a friend at all.

But you know what- you have yourself, and that’s really what matters. You can do whatever you put your mind to if you believe in yourself. No matter how cliché that may sound. The moment you begin to do things for you, the moment that you learn to love yourself is when you’ll find exactly who your real friends are, and maybe even the crush that’s worth keeping around.

Before anything else, fall in love with yourself first. Form a relationship with you that is unbreakable. While this is much easier said than done, I cannot stress this enough. It is so incredibly important to get yourself to a point where you actually believe that you can do whatever you put your mind to. And I mean actually believe. It has become way too common that we don’t even give ourselves a starting chance. It is that moment in which you give yourself the opportunity to get to wherever it is that you need to be that you will begin to see your own potential.

Once this relationship begins to grow, you will also begin to notice all that it has to offer you in return. Confidence, self-awareness, self-respect, determination, etc. All of these aspects are so critical in contributing to the relationship that you have with yourself. While it may be hard to find them, happiness will be imminent when you do.

You cannot truly love or be loved until you love yourself.