At times, I can be known as the “Queen of Mistakes.” Whether it be confusing a birthday for another person’s or going as far as asking if someone is pregnant when it is actually their stomach (yes, these embarrassing mishaps have happened to me before), I can make errors quite a bit.

After finally having free time away from my normally jam-packed schedule, I managed to work on my own. Spending some quiet “me” time included reflecting on the mistakes I’ve made just within the past year, and oh boy, have I done wrong. All the preventable mistakes, like my lack of effort in schoolwork (bye bye A’s and B’s, hello C’s!), disobeying my mom’s rules, holding back from my boyfriend, and committing acts without thought towards my best friends have added up. It took me the time I had to myself to see the apparent selfishness and how these actions made others feel.

Continuing this uncalled for behavior had no reason. It was time for me to stop these acts before they spiraled out of control.

[vision_pullquote style=”1″ align=””] Spreading appreciation to others can make you feel appreciated as a person, as well. [/vision_pullquote]

How could I have been so blind? My friends were all nagging at me and subliminally telling me that they were concerned, but as I was too caught up in myself, I failed to pay them the needed attention. It was as if my selfishness took over, and ruled most of my life. My blindness toward my loved ones was appalling.

Reminiscing on the constant lectures of anger-filled irritation and novel-like text messages of sadness from my closest circles really reflected how much damage was caused. Yes, I was sad to hear that I affected others with my actions, but there was also a sense of anger knowing that what I had done was easily preventable. Hearing how four important groups of people in my life were affected by me caused me to have an epiphany and change my attitude.

Listening to others’ nearly silent calls for help or given without notice can be challenging, because you may feel as if your day-to-day challenges are more important. After all, these people make you who you are. Sure, you can be distracted by your own situations once in a while, but being too self-involved can be the one dangerous factor that can cause friendships to crumble. It is okay to feel overwhelmed once in a while, and if you do, sit down, breathe, and tell your loved ones your fondness for them. Spreading appreciation to others can make you feel appreciated as a person, as well.