In today’s world, there can be so much pressure to do certain things or act a certain way. We do what everyone else does in an effort to either fit into the social norm or remain under the radar. But being a sheep in your own life is boring. You should be who you are and accept the things that make you this way – the good, the bad and the incredible. You have the complete freedom to choose the person you will become. That being said, here are a handful of tips on how to stop being the sheep and start being the lion. (No, I’m not kidding. Bear with me here.)
1. Live your life with purpose.
Life is full of decisions – what to eat for dinner, where to pitch the tent, how to tame the tiger. Whatever it is, you are in control of making said decision. If we don’t make decisions in life, things start happening accidentally. We fall into this sort of “default” mode where we wake up in the morning and just go through the motions of our day. Instead of making the decisions ourselves, circumstances will do it for us, leaving us with little direction in life. Don’t play catch up in your own life; get ahead of the game and give meaning to everything you do.
2. Use your full potential.
Even if you aren’t where you want to be in life, that’s no excuse to give half your effort in what you do. You have gifts that are unique to who you are, and it would be a waste not to use them while you can. When you’re good at something, it’s exciting and feels great to share that with others, so share away! There’s a certain feeling you get when you accomplish something, and this feeling will fuel your success.
3. Be responsible.
Take responsibility for your actions. I’ve never been a fan of the blame game because I feel like it won’t get us anywhere, but it’s important to know when you’ve messed up. When you make decisions, you need to stand by them. Take responsibility for what you do or do not do. This one is hard, but it’s part of growing into an adult. Whatever that is.
4. Live in the possibility.
Don’t limit yourself! Instead of saying “I can’t do this” or “I can’t do that,” ask yourself how you can do these things. There are always going to be people who doubt your ability to achieve your goals, and you don’t need to be one of them. I can. You can. We can.
5. It’s OK to say no.
Part of being the best you can be is gauging what’s important versus what maybe isn’t the best for you. Learning to say no to things can be really hard, but it will help you prioritize different things in your life.
6. Don’t live in the past.
Because we’re all about self-improvement here, it wouldn’t make sense to dwell on the past. It doesn’t really matter what you did yesterday or a year ago because the only thing that is going to help you move forward is looking at today. What are you going to do today to help yourself tomorrow? Live in the moment and focus not on who you aren’t, but who you want to be because chances are, you’re awesome.
7. Stop complaining.
I can’t stress this enough. There is so much negative energy that comes from complaining. You carry an immensely heavy weight around when you’re constantly complaining, and it affects others around you. In a way, when we complain, we make ourselves a victim. But, we aren’t victims to our own lives! We’re owners of our own decisions and choices. We decide whether we’re going to be happy or not. Just make the best of every situation and spread the positive energy everywhere you go. I can tell you from experience, it does wonders for the soul.
8. You don’t have to prove anything.
Regardless of whether you see results or not, know your value. We are deserving of happiness, even when we fail. Our value is in our human-beingness, not our human-doingness. Often times, when we meet people, they ask us what we do, not who we are. As long as you know your value, it doesn’t matter because you won’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Own yourself. Love yourself. Value yourself.
9. Stop waiting.
I can’t help but notice that our generation is full of people waiting for things in their life to happen. Granted, not everyone is like this. I do recognize that. However, who is going to make those things happen? You are. If you want to do well, you will. If you want to be happy, you will. Stop waiting for something to magically occur. It’s on you to make these things happen.
10. Be open.
Life is full of surprises, and we never really know what’s going to happen. If our minds and hearts are closed, it’s going to be pretty difficult to grow into the best version of you. Be open to new things and experiences, and know that whatever happens, an open heart is a growing heart. Having an open mind will also limit the amount of time we spend being disappointed and lead us on adventures we maybe thought we would never experience. I don’t know where I’ll be in the future or what I’ll be doing, but I know I will do whatever I do with an open mind and light heart.
11. Have fun.
Life should be fun! Don’t do anything that isn’t going to make you happy! No, not everything in life is going to be a walk in the park, but that doesn’t mean we have to be on guard constantly, waiting for something bad to happen. Have fun! Be with friends, take a road trip, adopt a pet or hobby. Live a life that is going to make you happy, and have a good time while doing so. We only get one life; make it count.
I can’t tell the future, but I can say these are all things that have helped me become a much stronger, happier and more confident young woman. Don’t stand with the crowd; stand out! No one on this earth can tell you how to live your life except you. We all have different things we’re good at, and we are all equally beautiful because of that. You’re the captain of this ship, and there’s nothing positive that comes from living within your comfort zone. No, I’m not an expert, but I’m also not a sheep. Don’t graze like the sheep; roar like the lion.
