9, 10, Do it Again

9. If it feels wrong, don't do it.

If it feels wrong, it probably goes against your best interests. You know what works for you and what's best for you. Stick to that. If everything in you is telling you that this thing is wrong, then don't do it.

10. Say "exactly" what you mean.

The truth is important. Being honest with others means you are being honest with yourself. Don't worry about hiding how you truly feel to protect someone else. That's only going to hurt you. Don't worry about how someone else may feel about things that pertain to your life. Say exactly what you want to say because you deserve that right to be honest with yourself. 

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Seven, Eight. Don't Be Late.

• Don't be afraid to say "No."
• Don't be afraid to say "Yes."'

You have the right to make choices about your own life. It's okay for you to say no. It's okay for you say yes. Having decisions over your own life is so empowering.

Don't let other people decide your life. You have the power to be your own advocate. This is the foundation of being true to yourself and taking care of your self. This is being honest. When you say yes or no, you're following your belief.

Saying no does not make you selfish. Saying yes doesn't make you selfish. What's best for you is what's important and taking care of yourself means that you answer for you.

Five, Six, Pick up Sticks

• Never speak bad about yourself. No one knows you like you know yourself and you are the person that you should love and respect the most. Being hard on yourself is never healthy. It's okay to forgive yourself for your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. It's a part of life. Apologize to yourself. Talk to yourself. Tell yourself that you're wonderful. In the morning tell yourself that you're going to have a great day because you deserve to.
• Never give up on your dreams.  Good dreams are hard to come by. If you have something that you so strongly believe in, go after it. Don't let it go.

Three, Four, Shut the Door

• Don't be a people pleaser.  It's okay to say no sometime. Sometimes you really need to. Also, when you say no, you don't owe anyone an explanation. Like Oprah said, "No is a complete sentence."
• Trust your instincts. No one knows you better than you know yourself. Trust yourself.

Hope you're doing well♥ 

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe!

Remember these two things because you're wonderful and I love you.

1. Stay away from drama and negativity as much as possible.

Sometimes this is hard. Especially in the younger stages of life. An example of this is a high school setting. There is so much negativity in high school. I wrote all through high school to get cope with the negativity and to try to remain positive but there were some days when it was just really hard. Does anyone know why high school was so difficult? Anyway, my suggestion to those of you who can't escape negativity but want to avoid it is to focus on yourself during those moments. Remind yourself that you can make it through difficult situations and that you're worth more than the negativity surrounding you. Drama is just a category at the academy awards. Please don't let it ruin your life.

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Avoid as much drama and negativity as you can. When it's possible cut it out of your life when you see it. Get away from it before it ruins you. Sometimes it's hard to escape the drama and negativity. In those times I think it's best to find an escape. An escape can be anything you do to get your mind off of the negative factors that you can't avoid as easily. Some examples are reading a book, writing, watching tv, painting your nails, crocheting/knitting, crafts, talking to friends, listening to music, etc.

2.  Let go of what you can't control. There are things in life that you just can't change. In these cases, you just have to accept it and keep going. Why stress on something you can't change?

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Sometimes things happen and it's out of your control. Sometimes you just have to let life happen. Some things just need to play out on their own. This can be very difficult to accept but once you do, you'll find yourself no longer obsessing over the things in life that you cannot change or prevent. Although it's hard to stop, obsessing over things that are out of our hands is very detrimental to our health and well-being.  One thing I find that helps me stop obsessing over things is writing them down. Get a book or some sheets of paper and write down all of those obsessive thoughts. Get them on paper instead of letting them float in your head. When you've written all that you can, close the book and put it away. It won't rid you of the thoughts forever but I find that when writing all my emotions at once, I can find what it is about the situation that is bothering me the most and if possible I can change my attitude towards that thing.

 These are from "10 steps to self care." I'll be posting them in two-by-twos! :) 

*Edited April 6, 2014