We all tend to harbor a lot of negative thoughts in our mind, but it’s never too late to start over. With the dawn of a new year upon us, I won’t tell you what you should be doing. Instead, I will tell what you should let go of and stop doing. Let's all make a collective New Year's resolution to let all the bad things go in 2017.
1. Let go of the belief that you have to have everything figured out right now.
That you have to know exactly who you want to be, exactly what you want to do, exactly who you want to have a life with. Be okay with the fact that you're going through life feeling blind and unsteady and never fully sure of what you're doing, because that's how it's supposed to be.
2. Let go of the ones who didn't appreciate you.
The ones who didn't answer your calls or texts, the ones who didn't love you or treat you with respect. Let them go and find the ones who are worth your time.
3. Let go of your hatred of your body.
Understand that it's okay to want to be healthy, to want to be proud of your body, and to want to look and feel good. But also understand there will always be something you don't like about yourself, and it's more of a journey of figuring out how to love yourself than it is about "fixing" what you are convinced is wrong with you.
4. Let go of your anger toward people who have hurt you.
Forgive them, but move on with your life. Say goodbye to anyone who made your year a little harder, and watch how much happier and lighter you are because of it.
5. Let go of your fears.
The ones that stop you from living your life, the ones that stop you from dreaming, and the ones that stop you from trying.
6. Let go of the idea that you must be right all the time.
Understand that you're human, and you make mistakes. Sometimes you're wrong, and that's okay as long as you own up to it.
7. Let go of the moments of weakness you endured.
Know and trust that every moment of weakness brings you closer to a moment of strength.
8. Let go of people who make you feel hard to love.
Say goodbye to loving someone who didn't love you back, and don't ever feel like you have to change in order to be loved by someone.
9. Let go of your passivity.
Stop convincing yourself that you don't have that much control over your life, that this is the job you're stuck with or this is the city you're stuck with or this is the partner you're stuck with and you just have to deal with it, even if it makes you unhappy. Decide for yourself that you are powerful enough to change things, then start small and don't stop.
10. Let go of the idea that mental illnesses are things to be ashamed about.
Be kind to yourself, get the help you deserve and understand that you are not alone.
11. Let go of the pressure you put on yourself to be perfect.
Embrace your flaws, embrace your screwups, embrace all the reasons why you are not perfect and figure out the numerous ways that they actually make you stronger.
12. Let go of bitterness.
Traffic, loud people on the bus, an annoying coworker. Stop letting the little things ruin your day. They can become pretty powerful if you let them.
13. Let go of the ones who doubted you.
Make a point to take their words as a challenge, let them be the fuel that ignites your motivation and determination.
14. Let go of all the unanswered questions.
All the hows, whys, and what ifs. They're only going to clutter your mind, and sooner or later, you'll know why things happened the way they did.
15. Let go of mediocrity.
Don't be a mediocre friend, a mediocre employee, or a mediocre partner. Don't feel mediocre about your job, and don't feel mediocre about the things you spend your time on outside of school or work. Work toward greatness in everything that you do. It doesn't mean you have to be great at everything, but you have to at least aim for it.
16. Let go of negative self-talk.
Stop telling yourself you're not good enough or you're not successful enough or that you're undeserving of love. You will never truly be immune to negative self-talk, but you can certainly make a dent in it by making a conscious effort to be more kind and loving to yourself.
17. Let go of toxic thoughts, toxic things, toxic people, and your own toxic behavior.
Focus on being kind, on putting more goodness into the world, on giving and loving, making other people happy, and relishing in how happy that make you in return. Spread love and spread light.
