(Photo from Jeremy Bishop via Thought Catalog)
There comes a point in your life when you decide that you’ve had enough.
Enough of always being the go-to person, the one who looks after others, the one who cleans up the blunder of someone else, or the one who is always expected to catch other people when they take a fall.
Take a break, wherever you are. You might be feeling burnt out, over-utilized, and fed up of saying yes to everything – including those that go against the dictates of your heart and mind. You’re probably considering how it would’ve hurt you if you were in other people’s shoes and no one dared to come to your aid during crucial times, but please set that thought aside for now. You might even be thinking about that specific moment in the past when you felt lonely for having no one to run to, so you’re putting yourself at the back of the line.
Yes, it can be hard to say no but you are strong and you can make yourself a priority from time to time.
Remember that you deserve to be happy. Don’t exert too much effort in scattering rainbows and butterflies in other people’s lives while you slowly wither inside. If you’re going to give something, give it with your whole heart. Do it because it brings joy to your own life.
Stop jumping into misery with other people. Empathizing is different from offering yourself as a sacrificial lamb to people who want to drag someone with them to their hell hole. There will always be toxic people around who would love to see other people fail with them. Do not continuously be their prey.
You don’t need to please everyone. Someone out there will always have something to say even though you give your best in what you do. You can shine and reach the high standards of the world but that doesn’t mean you have to make drastic changes according to what they tell you to be. Do whatever is pleasing for yourself.
Learn to say no. You may have a self-imposed obligation to agree to every request and invitation just because it feels good when you show others that you’re not the type who backs down. It can get draining and you must never forget to rest. Say yes only if you want to and if you really can.
You don’t need to prove yourself all the time. Prove you can, prove your point, prove your worth – all these bring forth a euphoric feeling that boosts our confidence, but keep in mind that you don’t need to push yourself too much just for the sake of showing what you can do. Do it not to prove, but to improve.
Know your worth. You are worth more than being the one who cleans up after everyone. You are worth more than what others say you are. You don’t need to continuously prove your worth because the people closest to you probably knows it already. Make yourself a priority, not an option. It may sound selfish, but it’s a must to look after your well-being before you barge through the tough world.
You have every right to put yourself first. Now, step up and go after what you truly deserve. 
Previously published by Thought Catalog at www.thoughtcatalog.com.