Do you, and no one else

For so long, I've been doing things to make other people happy, trying to tip toe around other people's feelings, and doing things that quite frankly, I'd really rather not do.

There's a huge pressure we put on ourselves, and other people put on us too, to see old friends, or even maybe new friends, when we'd much rather be going back home to curl up on the sofa in our pyjamas with a nice brew. It's taken me a long while to admit but, but I love staying in. There, I said it. I love staying in. I love getting in my comfy clothes, throwing a blanket over me, putting the kettle on, and settling down to watch the box set I'm currently addicted to or one of my old time favourite movies, and you know what, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Quite often, when friends are organising a night out, a proper 'out out' kind of night, I have recently found myself hesitating to say yes. It's making me feel paranoid that I'm getting old and boring, my uni days are behind me and I'm losing who I am. No. Not at all. I've always loved staying in, and I need to stop pretending that it's not me!

"Do you, do the best version of you, and don't do anyone else."

It's hard though, and I get that. Your friends might take it personally if you decide you don't want to go out with them on a particular night, and you can hardly say to them 'I just don't fancy it tonight' but you don't want to try and muster up a random lie either. In these situations, you have to keep telling yourself not to make decisions based on trying to please everyone else. You need to make a decision on how you feel, and what makes you happy. If that means being 'boring' then so be it.

If you're tight for money and you don't want to spend on a night out, don't go. If you're not feeling your best self, don't force it out of you, do some self pampering instead. If you've had a hectic week at work and socialising is going to push you over the edge, go get some well deserved sleep.

Do you. Look after number 1, and don't let anyone else make you feel you should be doing something you don't want to, because even if you do go, you won't be the best version of yourself when you're there. Do you.

Charlie Farlie x