Be Your Own Biggest Supporter

We all have those days and weeks where everything just seems too much. You know, those weeks where your job makes you miserable, your house is a mess, and the to-do list just seems never-ending, no matter how much you cross off it. That was my past week, and it was horrible. Luckily, I have the most amazing friends and support system to get me through everything, but truth be told, when the going gets tough, you shouldn't look to everyone else to fix it for you. You've got to depend on you. You should depend on you.

This past week has had me questioning a lot, but one thing I didn't question was myself, and I want to help other people to be the same. I know thousands of people have made a post just like this, but I don't think there can ever be too many like it. You are your own best friend and you should be your own biggest supporter no matter what.

When I was younger, I had a hard time with this. I wanted to blame everything bad on an external source and I wanted to bask in my own misery and blame everyone for all of my mistakes and heartaches and mishaps. But I've learned to do otherwise. I've learned to look at myself and to be the person I always pretended to be: positive, supportive, loving, and focused on humility. Not just to others, but to myself. It was a long hard road, but I've gotten there--I'm still getting there--and with help from my amazing friends, I've done what I've needed to do to make it out okay.

So I guess the question is: how do you become your own biggest supporter?

Well, root for you. Be a little selfish. Focus on your values. Pay attention to your wants. Most importantly, listen to yourself. I know, it's all easier said than done, but you'd be surprised how far that one simple task can go. And once you're happy with yourself, it's much easier to be happy with your choices. People can think what they want to, but if you've done everything you need to for you, then who else is there to impress? At the end of the day, if you like you for you--if you can look at your actions from that day and stand behind every one of them--then that's all that matters. I wish there were some simple steps, but unfortunately, all I can do is give you these cliches and hope that you take them for what they're worth.

And now, I will leave you with the quotes that I go back to time and time again to make myself feel better about whatever is upsetting me. I hope you can get something out of them, too.

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"Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.... Stay hungry. Stay foolish." -Steve Jobs

"Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it." -Lewis Carroll

"She said she knew she was able to fly because when she came down she always had dust on her fingers from touching the light bulbs." -J.D. Salinger

"...It's never too late or... too early to be whoever you want to be.... I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find you're not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again." Eric Roth

"One should... be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise." -F. Scott Fitzgerald

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I hope you find the courage to do what you need to do for yourself, no matter how scary, life-changing, vast, or permanent. I hope you look to yourself to be your number one fan. I hope you do everything for you. You deserve nothing less.

xxx