15 Things You Need To Let Go To Find Happiness In Life
Originally published at lmt-lss.com on February 9, 2016.
Holding on to these things is a recipe for unhappiness.
1. Holding grudges against people.
Life is too short for you to be constantly holding grudges against other people. Whatever they did to you, let it go and move on like the champ that you are. The grudges are only holding you back.
2. The need to be right.
Stop arguing your breath out till you’re finally proved right. There’s no joy in being right. It only feeds the ego, and happiness doesn’t come from that toxic place where ego likes to bloat. Be kind instead.
3. The fear of voicing out your opinion.
Don’t care about how you’ll be judged if you say the thing that’s on your mind. Go ahead and say it. Don’t think if it’s stupid, absurd, or ridiculous. If it’s your opinion and you feel like saying it, say it.
4. The impulse to complain.
When you look around and see yourself surrounded by problems, either created by you or others, complain for a bit since it’s natural to do so, but then stop yourself and get to work. Do, do, do. Complaining is useless.
5. The need to impress others.
Whose approval do you seek? And why? Decide whose judgment matters to you and treat those people differently. Don’t go around impressing others. They’ll get an ego trip out of it and you’ll be left unhappy and dissatisfied.
6. The need to meet everyone’s expectations.
Every Tom, Dick, and Harry has expectations of you. They want you to be nice, they want you to have a particular job, they want you to marry a specific kind of girl, they want you to earn this much amount of money. Just don’t give a damn. Be true to yourself.
7. Intolerance towards other people’s beliefs.
Everyone has a particular worldview about the world they live in. Some think the earth is flat, others think same-sex marriage is blasphemy. Argue with them on their worldview — call them if ridiculous if you will, but don’t try to prevent them from having and expressing their beliefs.
8. Excuses for why things aren’t working out.
You can always find excuses for why your life didn’t work out a certain way. Or, you can kick those excuses in the nuts and power through your life, making mistakes, making amends, and just moving ahead rapidly the best way you can.
9. The compulsion to say yes to every request
Everyone’s got a request to make of you, especially if you’re nice and agreeable. At some point, you’ve got to draw the line. You’ve got your life in front of you. Every tick of the clock is your life passing by. Don’t waste it fulfilling everyone’s wishes.
10. Saying no to new things.
Opportunities present themselves to us in every shape and form. They sometimes come dressed up as a job offer at a new city or an event about a subject you’ve never really cared about. The more you say no to these things, the more you close yourself off to new experiences.
11. The need to be someone else.
We always notice other people for their mannerisms and their actions. And sometimes, we fill up in envy about it. But we never give a thought to who we really are. Have you ever considered that you may be a subject of envy for a lot of people? Guess what? You are. So just be your proud self.
12. The belief that happiness is a result.
The common belief that “I will be happy if I have…” is so inherently flawed that it’s far from funny. You don’t need anything to be happy. Nothing, zilch, nada. Choose to be happy right now and you’ll be well on your way towards finding happiness.
13. Cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs.
There’s a belief that taking these substances regularly can somehow make life easier to live. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Addiction can take you into deep, dark places that you wouldn’t want to go. Go ahead with these things if you have to, but be their master, not their slave.
14. A job you hate.
If you’re clear about where you’re headed and are sure that the current job isn’t getting you there, quit. A little louder? Quit! If you know where you want to go, take the path that takes you there and get off the path that takes you to Nowheretown.
15. The belief that you’ll have it all figured out one day.
We’ll never have it all figured out someday. Life is going to remain confusing and demanding all the way through. But that’s where the secret lies. Much of the beauty of life lies in uncertainty and chaos. Embracing it will take us to places we’d only imagined. Now, wouldn’t that be worth it?
