This over halfway through this year and I can already say without hesitation that it has been crazy. Throughout everything, I learned an important lesson that I want to share with all of you.

Learn when to say no.

After 22 years, it feels odd to learn something that I never knew about myself. I quickly realized that I have a very hard time knowing when to say the word “no”! Every single opportunity that comes my way, I will jump in with both feet and go for it. I felt that if I wasn’t busy every second, I wasn’t accomplishing anything.

By springtime, I had so much on my plate that I realized I didn’t have time to even stop and take a breath. It took a while, but this realization has begun to change my perspective on how I want to spend my time.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and the happiest people spend it doing what they love. Sometimes happiness means putting the phone on silent, laying on the couch, and binge watching Family Guy. Make time for what is important and allow yourself to find the balance between moving forward and enjoying the moment. Take care of yourself, and you will be able to take care of others.

– Melissa