We all know how it is to feel as though you have no control over the way that your life is going, or that you are stuck in the same place for years with no way to change it up. I often feel like this and it can add a lot of unnecessary stress to each day. Sometimes the simplest change can make a huge difference in how you feel.
Past times.
When I was younger I had a strong sense of myself and could have cared less what others thought of me, but somewhere along the way that changed. As I got older it seemed that for I time I lost myself in trying to do what others expected of me, and I was never happy. I feel like for a few years I lost sight of me while trying to fit into this box that I had built around myself. This box included the roles that I played in the lives of others: daughter, sister, girlfriend, mother, employee and so on. It felt that each of these roles were pulling me in all different directions and I lost my true self in the scramble to keep everything going the way that it should.
Why matching socks mattered at all.
I have always been a bit all over the place, even when I am sitting still. I usually have about four different things going on in my head at the same time and I never seem to finish a thought before I am on to the next idea. This is not always a bad thing, but it would be nice to be able to finish at least one thing before I go on to the next. So for years in order to feel somewhat grounded, I made sure that my socks always matched. I know it sounds odd but that was one thing helped me feel like I had some control. It’s a weird little thing that most people don’t even give a thought to in the morning, but I felt that if I had on socks that matched I had control over a small part of my life.
The current me.
Over the past few years I have begun to look into myself and decide what I truly needed to feel like myself and in control of my life. One of the biggest things was that I started to say no. No is such a scary word to say sometimes, especially if you are saying it to an employer. But I found that I had to take a stand on what hours I would be working because I had a lot of other things going on, and need to give time to my family as well. So I got good at saying no, if I am spread too thin, I’m of no use to anyone.
Time for some simple changes.
Not too long ago I began to wonder, so what if my socks
Trying to find your true self at any age is daunting to think about and can be a scary concept, but I have reached an age where I just don’t want to keep going in the same direction as I always have. It’s time to focus on being my true self in all aspects of my life, not just my thoughts.
So I stopped making sure my socks matched and I am one step closer to feeling like myself.
If there are any thoughts you want to add to this, feel free to leave a comment.
Related Reading: 6 Changes to Improve your mindset