I have a friend who I love dearly. She’s pretty, smart, quirky and very caring. In fact, she’s loved by a whole bunch of people. She’s friends with more people than seems humanly possible. She thinks of everyone else and THEN she thinks of herself. Total friend catch, I know.
Except for one thing, almost every time I see her she says something negative about her body. She has absolutely no reason for a complex. I mean, I don’t think any of us do but all the same she’s well within a normal, healthy active body type. It’s just…a dumb habit. A dumb habit which is holding her back because the more she says it, the more she believes it and the more it affects her everyday life and self-esteem. Like, can you stop already?
When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you.
Sometimes we need to make a decision to STOP doing things which hold us back. I know it’s not easy because a lot of these things are habits, but when you take stock of your life and find they are tipping things into the negative then you have to make some changes.
Things you should stop doing.
Stop spending time with the wrong people
Life is too short to get sucked into drama central, unending negativity or someone who overlooks your worth. The people who stand beside you when you are at your worst are your true friends.
Stop running from your problems
Face them head on and do what you can to make them better. We all get hurt, upset and stumble and fall and that’s okay. But we can only learn and recover when we get through things and work on them to become better.
Stop lying to yourself
Are you telling yourself your finances are fine when they are a big mess? Don’t lie to yourself, it never gets you anywhere and something will not become true just because you wish it would. Honesty is key to getting better and going forward.
Stop putting your own needs on the back burner
You know what, people respect you more if you respect yourself. You are not doing the world a great favour if you don’t look after your own needs. Follow your passions and do something which matters to you.
Stop trying to be someone you’re not
One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world which is telling you that you aren’t okay. You don’t need to be prettier, you don’t need to be smarter. What you need to be is ok with you, and confident in you – warts and all.
Stop holding onto the past
Things happen which are special and beautiful and sometimes we want to “go back.” You can’t go back, no matter how much you want to. You have to write your next chapter and move on. You have to look forward and let something new win your heart.
Stop being scared to make a mistake
Doing something and getting it wrong is 10 times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success if you learn from it.
Stop trying to buy happiness
Many of the things we think we want involve money. More and more money. But the truth is, these things don’t satisfy us – what satisfies us is finding a relationship with God, living with purpose, friends, laughter and the beauty of every day life.
Stop being idle
Sitting around waiting for things to land on your lap is the worst way to live your life. Progress involves risk. It involves moving, working hard and giving things a shot. It involves consistency and a good attitude. Sitting at home will get you nowhere.
Stop worrying
Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. Will it matter in 3 years, will it matter in 1? Jesus said to cast your worries on him and he will give you peace.
And lastly, stop putting off the important questions about life. Stop avoiding the topic of faith because it makes you uncomfortable or “they all sound the same”. Be a person of conviction and a person willing to put faith to the test. Be someone who seeks the answers to life’s questions and goes beyond the surface level.