After much consideration, 26-year-old Hannah Larson has decided she “just needs to be selfish right now.”
Larson came to this conclusion while out with a friend yesterday afternoon, discussing her various work, friend, and romantic relationships, and comes on the heels of another failed Tinder date and missed promotion. “I feel like I’m always worried about other people’s feelings instead of my own, and I should really be focusing on me.”
From now on, instead of guiltily staying in and watching Netflix on her friend Samantha’s birthday, Larson will stay in and watch Netflix after replying, “Sorry, just need some ‘me’ time” to the Facebook invite.
It is a clear transformation that her friends and family claim is undeniable. “She is definitely being selfish right now,” says her sister, Marie.
Hannah’s mother, Ruth Larson, expresses her wary pride. “Hannah was always one to be polite and apologize for not remembering to call me. Now she’s just owning her selfishness. It’s a hard change to make, but she’s doing it so beautifully.”
Hannah has now stopped even pretending to listen during conversations. Although she would obviously prefer to act like she wants to donate to the charity at checkout, Hannah has made the difficult choice to just go with her first impulse of saying, “no.”
“It’s not easy, y’know?” Hannah says, tearing up. “It’s re-evaluating your life and saying, ‘no, I’m not going to make those around me feel comfortable until I feel comfortable.’”
Hannah shook her head and placed her bag on the open seat next to her on a crowded bus. “After I make sure that Hannah feels good, I’ll be able to really make a difference in other people’s lives.”
