Just So You Know, It’s Okay To Do Things Just For Yourself

Don’t do it for your parents. Don’t do it for your partner. Don’t do it for your friends. Don’t do it because you feel like you should be doing it. Don’t do it because someone is pushing you to do it. Don’t do it because society has conditioned you to do it. Don’t do it because you’re afraid of what might happen if you don’t.

It could be a job, a hobby, a goal, a relationship, or a dream. Whatever it is that you believe will light your soul on fire to burn for this world. Whatever it is that makes you excited to wake up in the morning. The thing you want to do more than anything in this world. It’s the thing you find yourself daydreaming about when you should be focusing on something else. It’s the idea you can’t seem to shake. It’s the feeling that you could be doing more. Whatever it is, do it for you.

If you’re doing it for any reason other than pure personal satisfaction, you’re already selling yourself short. If you’re doing it for recognition, what will you do if you never receive notoriety? If you’re doing it for accolades, what will you do if you don’t receive any praise? If you’re doing it to feel better about yourself, how will you feel when you realize it’s not quite as fulfilling as you’d hoped? The only way to stay true to yourself is to do it for you.

You’ll know when something is truly for you. You will feel it in your soul. You will be satisfied with yourself, no matter the ultimate outcome. The praise, recognition, and value won’t be as important to you as your own inner joy. If you feel good about it, you’ll rest easy knowing you’re doing the right thing. So often, we tend to ignore our own internal alarms as they blast warning signals telling us we’re doing something for the wrong reasons. It usually feels icky. It feels like work to convince yourself that you’re doing it for the right reasons. Very few mistakes are made without a warning sign, even if you didn’t pay attention to it at the time.

The initial excitement that comes with a personal accomplishment will quickly lose its luster. Then you will be back at square one seeking the next adrenaline high. Sometimes what you think you want most turns out to be disappointing. This usually happens when you’re not aligned with your true purpose. We can never lose what is not ours. People will always disappoint you. Awards and fame will fade. Your personal image will only last for so long. After everything outside of you is gone, you will only be left with your inner self. You will live a happy and grateful life so long as you are at peace with your own personal decisions.

Always do it for you.