Sydney Shuler | Staff Writer
We all know what it’s like to get that surge of motivation after life has done us dirty with a heartbreak, job loss or end of a friendship, but how long does it last? It’s not easy, but it’s time to stop waiting for a reason to put yourself, and your happiness, first.
The saying “you have to love yourself before you love anyone else” isn’t a theory or a myth; it’s a must. We quickly find ourselves in dangerous emotionally codependent relationships when we have not yet figured out how to rely on ourselves for the things we look for in other people.
You find yourself checking your phone for a call or text a little too often, or abandoning your commitments and responsibilities to spend time with or tend to another person. You tell yourself that it’s supposed to be this way, but it’s not. No one is going to give you the same love and attention that you can give yourself.
It all starts with a choice. Recognize your happiness as your own and declare that you won’t give anyone power over it or you.
Dedicating time to yourself daily and without apology is crucial. Whether it’s practicing your choice of meditation or sitting down to read a good book, do it. We can get so lost in the chaos of day-to-day life that we end up neglecting ourselves.
Alone time should be appreciated and used to better get to know yourself. If you make “me time” a consistent part of your daily routine, you’ll eventually stop looking for it from others and become comfortable with riding solo.
Thorough redirection does more than you think. You have the ability to change your emotions solely based on adjusting the way you think. When you find yourself feeling lonely because you are alone, remind yourself of the difference.
When you start to put yourself down, stop the thought and say twice as many good things about yourself. Don’t be afraid to become your own biggest fan.
Lean on your support system. Often times we hesitate to go to friends or family with our problems because we don’t want to feel like a burden or complainer, without realizing that we are the only ones with those thoughts.
The people around you love you. They want to see you happy, and they want to help you achieve happiness.
“I have relied on countless other people to make me happy…and in the end, I didn’t feel happy,” sophomore Brandi Robinson said.
“People do hurt you [intentionally and accidentally], but if you’re happy within yourself, you can better get over the pain because you never depended on them in the first place.”
The Hampton Script 