Tag: prioritizing self-care

Time has a funny way of changing us, sometimes without us even realizing it. Looking back on 2025, I see a version of myself that feels distant—like a person I didn’t recognize or agree with. In 2018 or even 2020, the choices I made last year would have seemed impossible to me. I forced myself to follow a path I thought I should take, not the one I wantedto take. I tried to fit into a box that wasn’t mine, desperately playing “keeping up with the Joneses,” thinking that’s what I was supposed to do.

But what do I have to show for it? Not much. In fact, the only decision from 2025 that I don’t regret was getting my dogs. They’ve been my only source of comfort and joy in a year that otherwise felt like a series of wrong turns.

And now here I am, in 2026, wanting to reclaim myself—the real me that I’ve buried under other people’s expectations and my own fears. I spent the past three years forgetting why I was struggling or why I made certain choices. I gave up on school, something I once valued, because I was too focused on a future I thought I had to portray to kids I haven’t even had yet. I was so obsessed with the wrong choices that I stopped helping the only person who mattered in all this: me.

There’s a quote I love by Steve Harvey: “If you’re already in hell, why stay?” I don’t even know if that’s his original line, but it resonates with me. I’ve been letting myself stay in my own version of hell, trapped by past choices and self-imposed expectations. But it’s time to walk away from that. I’m not staying in this place anymore. I’ve spent too long living for the wrong things and the wrong people.

In 2026, I’m focusing on reclaiming my happiness, one step at a time. It won’t be easy, but it’s necessary. Time changes us, yes. But it also offers the opportunity to change back—to remember who we were before the world tried to tell us who we should be.

A quick note to self, though: I know I say this every year. I know the pattern. Usually, I wait until the year’s end, trying to build myself back up, focusing on my relationship with Hector. But this time, things are different. I’m prioritizing me. I’m done waiting for others to step in and build me up. I’ve already signed myself up for workshops and clubs this year, and I’m determined to spend this year loving myself in ways I’ve neglected.

Instead of waiting for someone to give me what I deserve, I’m giving it to myself. I’m not gonna ask for monthly dates from a person who’s not going to give them to me—I’m taking myself out on monthly dates. I’m learning to be the one I’ve always needed.

This isn’t a dig at Hector. We are currently at different stages in our lives, each with different wants and needs. While we both want the same things in the long run, our timelines just aren’t aligned right now, and that’s okay. Sometimes, life’s timing doesn’t match our expectations, but it doesn’t mean we’re not on the same path—it just means we’re walking at different paces. I’m focusing on myself, but that doesn’t change the love and respect I have for him, or the shared goals we’re both working towards.

So here’s to finding my way back, and to a making choices that align with who I truly am. Here’s to prioritizing me—because at the end of the day, that’s the only choice I’ll never regret.