I was a pushover. I let my friends and family walk all over me and always put myself last, even in situations when I should have been first. Here’s what has happened to me since I've started to put myself first.

I started doing things that have my best interest at heart.

"Sometimes you have to do whats best for you and your life, not whats best for everybody else." Unknown

I've never been a selfish person, but sometimes you need to be. Sometimes there are situations where you have to put yourself first and be a little selfish. But that's okay, though it is something I never thought was okay.

People pleasing might get you some perks, but it won't make you happy.

"Always make yourself happy first, so that you can share that happiness with those you love. Put yourself first for your own better judgments and well being." Andrew Guzaldo

I’ve started to go against the grain and do something that would make me happier rather than going with the flow and letting whatever happen, happen. Doing something that makes the people around you happy, but makes you miserable isn’t a good thing to practice all the time. Sometimes you have to shake things up and rock the boat.

I’ve started to stand up for myself.

"Stay strong. Stand up. Have a voice." Shawn Johnson

I have gained a confidence and started to demand what I deserve. There have been multiple times throughout the last year that I've been in a relationship with someone and they just weren't a good friend to me. I realized that I deserve better than that and stood up for myself and demanded better. I would worry about how it will come off to others, but I decided that I need to be happy and that took precedence.

I've learned to say no.

“No is a complete sentence and so often we forget that. When we don't want to do something we can simply smile and say no. We don't have to explain ourselves, we can just say 'No'." Susan Gregg

Sometimes when my friends ask to hangout or go to the mall, and I'm swamped with work or I'm super tired or just don't feel like going, I've learned to say no. It's not because I don't want to hang out with my friends it's because it's what is best for me at that moment. Saying yes to everything is exhausting after a while, and it's draining trying to make everyone happy.

Putting yourself first is hard at the beginning, but once you do it and commit, a whole new world of opportunities opens up.