A Tiny List Of Things To Release

1. Other People’s Perceptions Of You

There’s a phrase that circulates the internet quite often—”What other people think of you is none of your business”—and it’s true. It’s not. Just as long as you are proud of the work you’re doing and how you handle yourself in this world, what other people think about you is irrelevant. You know where your heart lies. You know when you’re acting in a way that makes it easy for you to put your head on your pillow at night, and you know when you’ve messed up, and that’s what counts. Release the need to obsess about what everyone else thinks.

2. The Need To Hold Tight To Your Original Timeline

Planning is great. Planning gets things done. Planning is something that allows people to make strides in their career and personal life. Dreams haven’t come to fruition because people have thought about them; they’ve come to fruition because people have planned. And yet sometimes, things will not go according to plan. Sometimes, you might think something will happen by a specific time, only to have your dream deferred. Sometimes, the universe will open a new door and nudge you on a new road. When that happens, allow yourself to release your original timeline and pursue a new one. 

3. The Idea That Social Media Is An Accurate Description Of Life 

You have no idea what’s going on behind someone’s screen. You have no idea what is taken out of context and what is not. You have no idea how someone arrived at being able to have that job, or that vacation, or that picture-perfect holiday card. There is always a story that you will not see depicted on someone’s screen – which is something to remember when the comparison game brings you down. 

4. Painting Everyone With The Same Brush Stroke 

We are all more than one thing. And with each thing that we are—whether it’s regarding our gender, race, marital status, profession, religious affiliation, or politics—there are layers to each of those things. There are nuances, too. Release the need to make snap judgments about someone and try engaging them in conversation instead. You might be surprised at what you find out.

5. The Idea That You Must Be Perfect, Always 

There is not one person on this planet who is perfect. There is not one person who has all the answers, and who has figured out the secret of life, and who knows exactly what to do no matter what life throws at them. People make mistakes—it’s part of being human. Release the idea that you are somehow less of a person for the missteps you will take as you journey through life and focus on learning from them instead.