Like, my friends ask me to do something and even before I open my mouth, I'm already imagining how disappointed they'll be if I say no. So I say yes to everything even when I'm tired, even when I don't want to, even when I know I'll resent it later. 😔

I'm young and I'm still figuring out boundaries. I didn't even know I could have them. I thought being a good person meant always being available, always being flexible, always putting other people first. And the guilt when I don't? It's crushing. Like I've done something wrong just by admitting I'm tired. 💛

But lately I've been noticing something. When I actually say no to something, when I protect my own energy, I'm actually nicer to the people around me when I do show up. Because I'm not resentful. I'm not running on empty. I'm actually choosing to be there instead of forcing myself and hating it the whole time. ✨

The hardest part is that no one taught me it was okay to have limits. I grew up thinking that asking for yourself was the same as being selfish. But what if it's actually the opposite? What if by protecting your own peace, you're actually becoming a better friend, a better person, a better version of yourself? 🌙

Why do I feel so guilty for choosing myself sometimes, even when choosing myself would let me be better for everyone else? 🤔