She found the Power in her Voice and the Strength in her No

Never feel guilty for choosing yourself, and putting yourself first. You teach people how to treat you by the way you treat yourself. If you make someone mad because you chose yourself, never apologize for it, you did the right thing. It have some people out here that's expecting you to put everyone else before you because you're a good person, that's not what a good person does.

If a good person isn't good to themselves first, how can they be good to anyone else? A desperate person who doesn't know who they are and is seeking love, approval and acceptance will do that, not a good person. A desperate person gets used, abused and taken advantage of.

I used to believe that putting others before you was being a good person, life has taught me couple lessons that it's not. What experience taught is this, the good that you see in other people is a reflection of yourself. You think it's in them but it was actually a reflection on what's on the inside of you. You do good deeds in hope, with the expectation/anticipation that that person or those people who received your kindness would reciprocate the kindness they've received.

How many times has living by this belief have rendered you disappointed? Because, the kindness that you thought you saw in them never existed, it was a reflection of what is in you. Giving to someone or doing for someone because they ask is not always being nice, sacrificing what you have or could have to assist them is not being nice, it is being gullible. People will ask you because, they know you will say yes, just a little convincing and you'll buckle and give in, and then turn around and regret that you did.

A nice person will give the niceness to themselves first, in order to quench someone's thirst, you have to first have the water to give to them. If you are also thirsty and give your water to someone else, how do you know if you give them good water if you never tasted it?

Imagine someone trying to make you feel guilty for spending your money on yourself, for enjoying a nice delicious lobster dinner, instead of giving that money to them. Or the fact that you don't have a child, but they do, so they're implying that it should mean that you have this excess amount of money, because the only person you got to spend your money on is you.

You teach people how to treat you by the way you treat yourself, if you do not prioritize yourself , nobody else will. And it's good when someone that is not good for you, doesn't want you. You never win when you are the last person to receive kindness, get your fill first, and give away from the excess.

It's the liberating feeling when you begin to choose you over the ones who were just trying to use you, who never thought you'd ever say no to their requests. It's the feeling of congratulations when you've found your voice and the power in your no.