Slow Down and Breathe

Nothing will fall apart if you give yourself a little break. Setting high goals and working on achieving them is wonderful, but you also have to accept yourself. If you gave yourself room to catch breath, which you deserve, even for a moment, you could still fulfill your responsibilities. You've been putting a lot of pressure on yourself, mostly due to unrealistic expectations and unhelpful beliefs. You are attempting to do it all, control everything, and be perfect. Well, guess what? It's not something that anyone can realistically achieve. So, don't stress over managing every little thing and everyone. Yes, sometimes you will take life more seriously; the responsibilities will weigh heavier, and you will try to do the duties that aren't even yours. But the truth of the world is that it won't stop, even if you stop advancing.

It was never your duty to manage everyone. It isn't necessary to always sacrifice. Sure, you love people and want to take care of them and make their lives beautiful. But what if, for a little while, you make yourself the most important person in your life and practice the art of living in the present?

It's time to remember that you're now living the future you once dreamed of. The goals set by your teenage self have been achieved. The life you envisioned in your youth is your reality today. And you have earned the moment to slow down and breathe. Appreciate who you've become. Ignore the bigger picture for a while. Do the small things. Have a nap. Eat what makes you happy. Read if you feel like it. Accept who you are and know that you'll never be perfect, and that's perfectly okay. Make peace with not doing things; make peace with not going out constantly and posting on social media. Make peace with not getting things done immediately, with accepting help from others, and with not having complete control over everything in your life. It's a fact that no one likes to be disliked, but take disapproval as an opportunity to press the refresh button on your emotional maturity. Just like everything else, it's not, and it never was your responsibility to make people like you. The person who must like you the most is you. Your goal shouldn't revolve around winning approval; instead, it should focus on living authentically, responsibly, meaningfully, and to the fullest. Be kind and gentle with yourself. You deserve your love and care the most because you're trying, and that's more than enough.