We all need a little extra boost to feel more energized and ignited to live out our best selves. For the longest time I thought that I needed to be like everyone else, that I needed friends and go places with them. The real friend that you need is within. I agree, that friends are such a blessing, but you can’t be a real friend to someone when your experiencing a storm of confusion and self hate.

Here are some ways that I have decided to be a friend to myself:

1.) Eat better and drink less brain altering beverages like caffeine. (I a allowing myself to have one whenever I think I really need it. It’s important that I do so, so that I don’t trap myself in guilt whenever i do make a mistake.) The main reason why I want to quit energy drinks is because I do notice I tend to have mood swings after it wears off and it leaves me feeling very tired. Also, I want to have a healthy body and nesting place for a potential baby in the future. One of the side effects of drinking too much caffeine is that it can cause birth defects.

There are many links to drinking caffeinated drinks such as:

> High blood pressure

>Potential for high risk behaviors

>Increased risk for type 2 diabetes

2.) celery juice – I have been doing this for a few days and let me start off by saying this has not being some magic experience like they make it out to be. So far it has been a bit uncomfortable because I feel like I have to go to the restroom . Also, when I first drank it I felt like I was going to throw up and I felt so tired. What I will say is that I feel refreshed after drinking it. I need to to drink it more to truly say if I feel any different, but right now I am liking how it makes me feel less bloated.

3.) Apple cider vinegar- I have done apple cider vinegar periodically and I love this because it helps with digestion and it helps me go to the restroom. I take it right before I go to sleep normally and I wake up feeling so slim and beautiful!! They recommend that you don’t take celery juice and apple cider vinegar together because they cancel each other out.

4.) Loaded oats- OMG I can not tell you how amazing oats are, it is now one of my favorite breakfasts! It satisfying cause your getting fruits and I put in maca powder, cacao powder, hemp seeds, and chia seeds so I am getting a bunch of stuff to get me started on my day! If you haven’t tried oats as a part of your morning you need to!!

5.) Doing more home cooking- In general I am doing way more cooking then ever before! The process is super fun to me and nothing is more rewarding when I eat what I made and feel proud that I did that!! When you get fast food you don’t get the quality feelings that come with making a meal, it’s all done behind closed doors. Do you see the hamburger meat being made, do you see any spices they put in, do they even add spices? What about your french fries. There is nothing extravagant about a McDonald’s burger and yet we love it because it’s nothing but fat!

6.) Waking up 1 hour earlier. I want to just sleep in my bed all day, but getting up an hour early helps me become successful for the rest of the day! Before me and my boyfriend moved in together my mom was making me my lunch and breakfast and she was the one waking me up. Now, I am accountable for all those things and it’s amazing what happens when you don’t have someone doing everything for you! To me, it’s a dream come true! I appreciate my mom so much and all that she has done for me, but I knew in my heart that I needed to be my own advocate towards maturity! Not just because of my age, but because I felt like it was time that I stop being so codependent on others.

My main message to you all is:

Don’t stop uncovering yourself. So much of our potential is hidden among the glossy shinny things that others promise us. It’s hidden behind our parents, our government, and many of our institutions. Follow your own compass. It’s okay if you don’t know how you will achieve something , what matters is knowing what you want to contribute to life . Give yourself more credit then you have and recognize the things that are going right and build off of that. The more attention we give to the negative, the more power we give them to generate more of those experiences.

I hope that you are all staying healthy and I wish nothing but the best for you all!