Many of us have learnt to go through life, ‘putting up’ with things. Aside from the obvious negatives that we have to grin and bear in life, such as bad weather, traffic jams or paying taxes, there is no reason for the grey fog of ‘tolerance’ that we have allowed to settle over our lives.
Our tolerance to the intolerable has spread into every area of our lives. We tolerate unhealthy relationships, we put up with careers that leave us practically sobbing every time the alarm goes off in the morning. Worst off all; we make do with a life void of passion or any fun.
As a society, we seem to have adopted this ‘make do’ attitude in the belief that life is hard. Mistakenly believing that nobody ever gets everything their own way, and in order to enjoy happiness in one way, we must sacrifice it in lots of others. This belief is not only depressing, but also very much unfounded. The world is there for our pleasure and enjoyment. We are not meant to trudge drearily through life, but to excel in it!
Throw away your ‘put up, shut up’ attitude at once! Remember, every moment of your life is not to be tolerated but thrived in and enjoyed. Start living your life today in the best way for you and take a look at the list below, to see if you recognise any of the things that you have been wrongly ‘putting up’ with.
1. A Life Without Passion
How can we recognise a life lived without passion? When we are living passionlessly, our lives can seem difficult; nothing comes to us easily, we are depleted of energy, we rarely experience moments of true happiness and we doubt our abilities and choices. A life lived with passion on the other hand, is one full of fun and joy! We feel good about our choices and confident in what we do – good things effortlessly come our way. As you can see, the differences between a life lived with passion and one without are huge. Living a life aligned with your passions is one of the most important things that you can ever do. So, live a life that you love and all of life’s doors will open to you.
2. Damaging Relationships
Damaging or draining relationships should have no part in your life. We are who we surround ourselves with – therefore, we should only surround ourselves with those that uplift, inspire, support, encourage and love us. If you are currently harbouring relationships in your life that leave you unhappy, worthless or exhausted then you need to let them go. Sometimes, cutting all ties with someone may seem like an incredibly hard or even impossible thing to do. More often than not, we will worry about hurting the other person’s feelings by letting them go, regardless of how they may make us feel. But ask yourself – do you love yourself more than this relationship? You should do. You are the most important person in your life, and in order to be happy and succeed you need relationships that nurture and support you.
3. Clutter
In a consumerist society, we have become the kings and queens of clutter! We shop to pass the time, to keep up with the latest fashions and fads; but most importantly of all, we shop to distract ourselves from our troubles. The problem with being a shopaholic nation is that with time, our purchases turn from something that we once enjoyed to unnecessary clutter that is forever getting in our way. A cluttered environment does indeed mean a cluttered mind. So, throw away your stuff. As that is exactly all that it is – stuff. Once it is out of your way, you can once again have the energy to get creative and motivated for more important purposes.
4. A Life Without Fun
What is your fun to work balance looking like at the moment? If the scales are tipping more towards work and responsibility, then its time you started living a little! Career and financial status may be of great importance to you, but once you begin to let your ‘play time’ slip into non-existence, you can soon begin to feel the repercussions. Life is there for our enjoyment. Be sure to invest enough time into you and your sense of fun; laugh often with friends, spend time enjoying your passions, travel. Fill your days with fun and you will find that you become more productive in other areas of your life.
5. Excuses
What is worse, the regret of failure or the regret of never trying? Sometimes when we take a chance on something we fail; however, it is from these failures that we learn important life lessons that help us to succeed the next time we try. Alternatively, when we never give something a go, all we are left with are the ‘what ifs?’ and the ‘should of, would of, could of’s’. If a fear of failure or change has been holding you back now for quite some time, it is time to start chucking out the excuses. Excuses can get you absolutely nowhere in life, they only hold you back. Make a decision today – say ‘no more!’ to excuses and begin pushing yourself to greater things.
6. Bad Health
Our bodies are the only thing in this world that we are born with and will die with. It is what permits us to enjoy this one-off opportunity known as life and do the things that make us happy. Therefore, when we abuse or misuse our bodies with junk food, cigarettes, excessive amounts of alcohol, drugs or lack of exercise – we begin to look and feel bad, preventing us from living life to its fullest. There are so many chances that your body can offer you before the damage is irreversible. Therefore, treat your body like the temple that it is. Imagine that there are no tomorrows and start taking better care of yourself, today.
7. Negativity
If you want to enjoy your day to day life in positivity, and with a great big smile on your face – then you should show absolute zero tolerance towards negativity. When we allow negativity into our lives or thoughts, we leave ourselves no room for creativity or successful thinking. The energy of our thoughts and emotions directly impact what we come to experience in our day to day lives. So, try and turn a blind eye to any negativity that tries to permeate your mind. Instead, turn your attention to the things, people, places and past times that uplift and fill you with positivity.
8. An Unfulfilling Career
We spend the majority of our lives working, so why waste that time doing something that makes us unhappy? It is because our work consumes such a large portion of our time, that it can have such a dramatic impact on all other areas of our life; our relationships, our health, our finances. So, when we get our job choices wrong, other areas of our life can begin to go wrong too. We all have to make certain career choices out of necessity at some point or other during our lives. However, if you have had to settle for a job role that you find unfulfilling in order to pay the bills, then just be sure that you have a plan of action ready for when your next opportunity arises. Don’t settle for anything less than what you love. A happy and fulfilling career is usually possible when we work with our passions. If this is impossible for now, make the necessary changes to ensure that you are ready for when it is possible.
9. Financial Worries
As anybody suffering with money worries would tell you – financial problems can turn your life upside down. It is an unfortunate fact that money does help the world to go round. Or rather, it can help you to do the things that you want without stress or worry. If you want to live a happy life of non-existent stress, then your financial worries have to go. Yes, cash flow problems tend to be an unavoidable part of life. However, it is your attitude to these occasional money blips that can mean the difference between you tearing your hair out or enjoying a comfortable state of Zen-like bliss.
If you have financial worries – relax. There is nothing too big that you cannot handle. Get a part-time job, sell some of your unused stuff, and begin applying for higher paid jobs. Some things in life are not worth the stress.
10. Living Outside Of Your Values
Are you currently living your truth? A life without integrity to yourself or your values is always going to be an unhappy one. When we make the mistake of living outside of our values, we find ourselves continually fighting an uphill batter – nothing comes easily, we feel guilty, our energy and happiness deflates dramatically. It is only when we choose to live in alignment with who we truly are and what we value most in life, that we become the very best that we can be and enjoy true happiness.
