All too often in this world, we get called “selfish” for simply doing the best things for ourselves and our lives. However, did you ever stop to think that by being selfish, you might just become the best version of yourself? When we tune in to our highest selves and listen to that inner voice that talks subtly below the chaos of the world, we can learn how to best serve ourselves and others. So, in a sense, selfishness becomes vital to our existence.

If we don’t put ourselves first and figure out what we need to make ourselves happy, we can never rise above the limits we put on ourselves. Yes, outright selfishness, which actually means looking out for yourself regardless of how it affects others, destroys. However, putting yourself first can actually benefit the world, if you do it from a place of love and compassion.

HERE ARE 7 REASONS YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS YOUR SELFISH YEAR:

Let us explain further below why you should become a little more selfish in the coming year, and how this can benefit you and the world around you.

1. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF WILL IMPROVE.

Out of all things in life, perhaps our relationships with ourselves matter most. However, for most of us, we neglect this relationship more than all others. We tend to everyone else before ourselves, spread ourselves too thin, and therefore, feel utterly disconnected from ourselves. So much of the hate, violence, oppression, and destruction we see in today’s world is due to this often overlooked but vitally important piece of information: if you don’t love and know yourself, you cannot love and know others. If you don’t take time to heal your inner wounds and uncover your magic, then you won’t recognize this beauty in others, either.

Once you put yourself first, forget about all the pressures of the world for a while, and just sit with your own stream of consciousness, you can begin the process of self-love. Nothing in the world matters more than you, so make it your year to truly create the version of yourself you’ve always dreamed of. No one said it would come easily, but the resulting freedom and wholeness you’ll feel from getting to know yourself and leaving behind negative thinking patterns will make it 1000% worth the journey.

2. YOU WILL LEARN TO TRULY LOVE YOURSELF AND OTHERS.

It’s no secret by now; this world could use several, if not dozens, of doses of love. For a concept so important, you won’t hear too much about it in school. Self-love, or love at all, doesn’t get talked about much in the mainstream, yet it matters so much. So focus on loving yourself and others so much that you forget any other feeling exists throughout the year. Love yourself and others so much it hurts, and then some. Too much love can never hurt anyone, so don’t be afraid to dig deep and wash yourself clean so you can begin to open your heart to the possibilities of the world.

It’s all too easy to go on with our normal thinking patterns and destructive habits, but in order to change, you need to start with baby steps. Do one thing per day that makes you feel good, even if it only takes five minutes of your time. Doing things that uplift you and help to increase your well-being will kickstart the whole process of love and compassion for yourself. By having a solid relationship with you, you can then start to see your other relationships go through positive changes, too.

3. YOU WILL LET GO OF SO MUCH BAGGAGE AND PAIN.

We’ve talked about what you can gain through the process of self-love, but what about what you can leave behind? When you delve into those dark corners of your soul and begin to heal those parts of yourself that have been hurting for so long, you’ll start to see the world in a whole new light. We came into this world as nothing but love and light, but somewhere along the way, we lost that connection. The pain of being alive took over, and we began to lose ourselves in the vicious cycle of paying bills, working, getting into the wrong relationships, etc.

Once you commit to living life on your terms and not accepting anything that doesn’t bring happiness, prosperity, and love, you’ll see so much negativity leave your life.

4. YOU’LL HAVE BETTER HEALTH IF YOU ARE SELFISH ONCE IN A WHILE

No one else in this life can make decisions for you. No one can tell you to eat healthily, exercise, meditate, live slowly, breathe, and not sweat the small stuff. However, all of these things will drastically benefit your health, and once you move into a place of self-love and care, you’ll ONLY want the best for your mind, body, and soul. You’ll no longer want to put unloving foods, drinks, and other substances into your body. You won’t want to sacrifice sleep just to get drunk at parties or watch Netflix late into the night. You’ll start to learn what your body craves and your soul needs. You’ll learn to listen to that intuitive voice that knows what will benefit you most.

5. YOU WILL START REALIZING YOUR DREAMS.

Before we even make it to high school, we have to start thinking about what we want to become. We have to think about how we’ll earn money, where we’ll work, where we’ll go to college, etc. Somewhere along the way, we bury our real dreams deep within our souls and tell ourselves we’ll touch them again someday. Make next year that someday. Reach through those old cobwebs and reopen that chapter you wrote for yourself long ago. In that chapter, you already knew what you wanted. Before the world told you who to be, you knew what you wanted to become. Don’t listen to the world – listen to yourself. The only person in the world who can make your dreams happen is you, so stop waiting on someone to approve them or validate them.

You have the absolute power to turn those dreams into reality, and the only thing stopping you is the limits you place on yourself. Leave those limits behind this year. Believe in yourself, and tell those negative voices in your brain that you run the show, not them.

6. YOU WILL LEAVE BEHIND SELF-DESTRUCTIVE HABITS AND LEARN IT’S OKAY TO BE SELFISH SOMETIMES.

None of us is perfect–we all have temptations, vices, and bad habits. We fill voids in our lives with drugs, alcohol, bad foods, bad relationships, etc. We sometimes stay up too late, sleep too little, work too much, and don’t leave nearly enough time for ourselves. All of these bad habits are born out of pain, stress, loneliness, and other negative feelings. However, these bad habits will only destroy us over time and sabotage our chances of true happiness. You have to get at the root cause of these feelings which prompt you to act out these bad habits. Once you can do that, and replace those habits with more loving actions, you have reached a whole new level of freedom.

Please commit to yourself and start replacing those bad habits with better ones. Also, remember to take baby steps and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it the first time. We’re all human, so go easy on yourself and set reasonable goals.

7. YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WILL IMPROVE WHEN YOU ARE SELFISH.

Mental health is a huge topic of discussion nowadays. All of us go through rough times and get in a bad place mentally. Some of us have severe disorders which make life even harder to deal with. However, no matter your current mental state, self-love can only work to improve it. When you commit fully to bettering yourself and having positive mental health, you CAN and will see changes. It does take perseverance and determination, but simply starting to have positive conversations with yourself and doing activities that promote mental wellness can make a world of difference. Practices such as meditation and yoga, for instance, have proven highly beneficial for many types of ailments and disorders.

However, if you need additional help outside of healing practices and improving your relationship with yourself, don’t hesitate to ask for it. Everyone falls down sometimes and needs help getting back on their feet, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed about that. We’re all in this together, but you have to take responsibility for your own health and realize when you need assistance.

So, our overall message to you this year is this. Get out there and live your dreams, love yourself, do what makes you happy, and don’t ever give up on you. Rekindle that fire in your soul, and don’t ever let anyone extinguish it – especially yourself.