The new year means many things to various people, from city leaders to young children. It means focusing on one personal thing to work on or work toward throughout the year. This year, I have taken it upon myself to work on self-advocacy and mindfulness. As empathy is a giant part of my personality, there are times when a balance is needed between being mindful of others and being empathetic, but also standing up for what is right while advocating for myself. Not just for medical purposes, self-advocacy can mean speaking up for yourself and the important things to you. There are various ways to self-advocate, including being able to ask for the things you need, or being able to say what you want to tell people, such as personal thoughts and feelings. Recently and throughout the past year, I have struggled with standing up for myself in various situations out of fear of rejection or not being heard. This year, I want to change the tide and start sticking up for myself and the things…