It’s Time to Cleanse Your Soul – 6 Habits You Can Safely Get Rid of!
Accept yourself – we are who we are. Once we reach 30, at the latest, we’re officially adults and trying to prove ourselves in this role as best possible. Finding our own way and staying true to ourselves is definitely the hardest part. Along the way, however, we accumulate quite a few habits that are of no use to us, they weigh down our souls and also our hearts. Often, they are products of negative beliefs from childhood and youth or they reflect our desperate need to fit into a certain social environment. But the fact remains: any habit of thinking that’s not useful to you, in the end, prevents you from moving forward. You carry around too much unnecessary baggage that prevents you from flourishing. In this article, we'll introduce you to six such habits that you can safely banish from your life.
1. Seeing things only in black or white
Of course, categorizing the adverse events of everyday life in a matter of seconds makes them much easier to deal with: we often quickly compartmentalize things as Important and unimportant, right and wrong, good or bad. This saves us time and thinking. Nevertheless, there are always subtle nuances that we shouldn’t overlook. This is especially true of assessing our fellow human beings and their way of life, where it’s all too easy to judge people incorrectly, if we are too quick with it. Behind every person is a whole life with all its ups and downs, a personal history and a past. How others present themselves to us often has little in common with the facts of their lives. The same is true of certain circumstances that happen, or things that have happened to you. Think of the famous poem "The Art of Losing" by Elizabeth Bishop and ask yourself: Is it unbearable? You'll find: It rarely is.
2. Control, control, control
Of course it's fun and gives us no small amount of satisfaction to keep at least ten balls in the air at the same time every day and to juggle our way through skillfully and confidently. If your primary motto is "always everything under control," it's time for you to use this tactic a little more sparingly. Some people find this easier than others. For certain people, loss of control goes hand in hand with loss of face. They then start to think drastically, see the apocalypse approaching in their mind's eye and the end of the world drawing near. Control is sometimes necessary and good, it keeps things running and ensures that we can feel safe and secure. But as everywhere else, it all depends on how much the dosage is. First, it's completely impossible to keep everything and everyone in check, anyway, and second, you're using up a lot of energy that you could be using for much more satisfying things. And third, imagine how many wonderful things could happen if you just went with the flow, let fate, the gods or the universe work their ways. You probably won't believe how fantastic it makes you feel to let go a little.
3. Putting things off
How many people do you know who have postponed a dream trip or a certain passion to the time of their retirement and then unfortunately could no longer pursue it anymore? Unfortunately, later often means never. Be aware that there is hardly a right time for anything in life. The desire to have children, a career, a job change, a separation or a move - no one will be able to tell you what the best time for this is. However, you know in your innermost being when the time has come and at that point, don’t tolerate any delay. The same applies to comparatively unimportant plans such as a trip or learning how to cook. You will not suffer any real loss if these plans can no longer be realized for whatever reason, but it would be a shame. In life, unfortunately, the principle sometimes applies: He who hesitates has already lost.
4. Being constantly on standby
It's hard to believe, but the world keeps on turning even if you don't give it your full 100%, 24 hours a day. If you're used to functioning perfectly all the time and being ready for others at all times, here's a newsflash for you: take it down a notch and enjoy the scenery as it passes you by. Your resources aren't infinite, and the good things in life don't repeat on a continuous loop. Allow yourself at least a little time for yourself in between rote tasks and do something beautiful that does your soul good and gladdens your heart. Meet with dear friends to think out loud and laugh, enjoy a nice meal and a good conversation together. You can save the world again tomorrow, no one will deny you this job.
5. Fighting false enemies
These can also lie dormant in yourself. You can't stand the fact that you constantly put things on the back burner? You should finally exercise more? These and other disputes with your inner self are pointless, your inner demons always win, and you know it. At a certain age, we should be reconciled to our imperfections and show a certain amount of generosity and understanding towards the one person with whom we are guaranteed to spend the rest of our lives, namely ourselves. But at some point we should also finally put other fronts to rest. Parents, neighbors, colleagues or other contemporaries who want to make life difficult for us round the clock simply for the fun of it - it’s time to mute and ignore them. This takes the wind out of the sails of potential troublemakers and simply puts their begrudging ambitions to bed.
6. False guilt
There's nothing wrong with guilt if it's well-founded. When you've misbehaved or acted in the wrong, guilt is something of a compass guiding you back to the right path. However, it is completely pointless and inappropriate if you feel guilty because you are doing well, you are doing better than others and your life is just perfect at the moment. Always remember: We are dealt the cards by fate, but it’s our responsibility to play them. Of course, many people get into awkward situations now and then through no fault of their own, but there are things you can do to make these better, like forgiving yourself. This category also includes: Treat yourself to a little luxury from time to time, enjoy it, and don't complain about yourself afterwards, no matter whether you decide to have a piece of cake for dessert or a handbag that might be beyond your budget. Whatever pleases you, you've worked for it and deserve it.
Today’s Conclusion
No more pointless automatic habits. Our soul can endure a lot. But it’s not an endless black hole into which you can safely stuff all the mental waste that accumulates in the course of life, it is clearly too precious for that. You'll also find that it works much better if you give it a clearing-out every now and then. Always remember: Life is a gift. As long as you're not hurting anyone else, you're allowed to draw from the fullest and get the absolute best out of it for yourself. That's it for today.