There’s only so much a person can do before they burn themselves out. In terms of what? A relationship, a friendship, a career, a commitment. Think about a situation you’ve truly invested all your time in. How about a person? Did you ever think, “I’m starting to feel the burden that comes with putting my happiness on hold?”

Not long ago, I touched on the subject of how important it is to know that you can be selfish at times. My dear friend, Angell, made a beautiful statement in my last blog post in which she said “I chose me.” Up until this point in your life, ask yourself, “Have I chosen me?”

Angell discussed how she was in a relationship with an alcoholic. After a long while, she finally wondered whether that burden was worth the isolation, the excuses and the heartache… or a wake-up call to the life that awaited her had she not made the decision to choose her happiness over love.

I never chose me in my former years. It was all about everybody else’s well-being and comfort but my own. I wanted to be loved, I wanted to be accepted, I wanted to receive what I gave out in return. I realized I worked more trying to make other people happy that mine was just not existent. But then I made the decision to choose me.

Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch

Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation

Your struggle could be a career you thought was your dream. But what if it’s not filling you with the kind of motivation that helps you get out of bed and actually look forward to a long day of hard work. It’s not about finding a job where you don’t have to put the work in. It’s about feeling productive and prosperous through the long hours and endless paperwork needing to be done.

Maybe you’ve decided to lose some weight for every reason except doing it for yourself or doing it for your health. Where’s the fulfillment in killing yourself at the gym and sacrificing those sweet delights when you’re only thinking about the comments and looks you’ll be getting from those around you. It’s not about looking your best for the outside world. It’s about feeling your best for you alone.

Is the path you’re on now worth walking through?

When the moment hits you, and you’re sitting in a chair, frustrated and questioning how you’re going to get through another day… ask yourself if the situation you’re going through really worth putting your happiness on hold. Life is no walk in the park. There’s too many twists and turns, too many paths to choose from… but the question is, is the path you’re on now worth walking through or is it time to switch directions?

Every man and woman has to decide for themselves where their happiness lies and when it’s OK to choose “me.” Happiness doesn’t mean effortless, uncomplicated or perfection. But it also doesn’t mean putting yourself at the bottom of your priority list. Instead of asking yourself, say it and do it; “I choose me.”