Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter,

a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk

and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving

your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get and let's go.

Hello, hello and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace Your podcast. Today we are

talking about something that I know so many of us struggle with and that is choosing yourself.

I know many of you can't even imagine what that would feel

like. Like maybe you have been the one who's always showing up for everyone else. You're putting

everybody else's needs ahead of your own always. You're bending over backwards to make sure

everyone is happy except yourself. If that is you, I want you to know that it is not selfish

to choose yourself. It is necessary. So if you are learning this year what it means

to really put you first, this episode is for you. I want to dive into what choosing yourself

actually looks like and how you can start making yourself a priority without guilt. So we're

just going to dive right into it. Number one, choosing yourself means finally prioritizing your

needs. If you've been in the habit of putting

other people's needs first, especially people who don't value you in return, it is time to

shift your energy. Choosing yourself means recognizing that your needs do matter too. You deserve to

feel supported. You deserve to feel loved. You deserve to feel fulfilled and not drained

and undervalued. So I want you to ask yourself, am I constantly giving to people who wouldn't do

the same for me? If so, it's time to start prioritizing your own well-being. Number two,

choosing yourself means setting boundaries that protect you. Remember that boundaries aren't really about shutting people out.

They're actually about protecting your mental and emotional health. If certain people or certain

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