I love getting older. I spent so much of my late teens and early twenties feeling insecure, making mistakes and making a fool out of myself. I have no regrets and over those years, I have learnt to accept these four things:
1. Your intuition is real.
Insecurity is often coupled with doubt. When I was younger, I was doubtful about a lot of things regarding who I was and signs related to the path that I should take in my life. If I met people with energy that I felt was needy, disingenuous or mean-spirited, I would cover it up with, ‘Don’t be silly’ or, ‘Maybe I’m exaggerating it?’ However, now I know to accept people and things as they are. Intuition is looking out for me and it whispers today and screams in a few months- I might as well listen to the whispers.
2. No man is worth chasing.
Ridiculously, this took me 5 years in a relationship with a man who was inconsiderate and selfish to realize this. He was the King of playing chess with my emotions. To be frank, I have only made peace with it and him this year. We met when I was 21 and when I was younger, I chased the idea of him as I was under the impression that people in a love-situation are worth fighting for. However, the person that you are in a relationship with should be fighting too; not only you. I know now that if the person you love isn’t putting in the effort like you are, let it go. Being alone is better than crying and agonizing over someone who is playing games with you.
3. Belief is powerful.
Whether it’s self-belief or belief that you will get a job or an apartment, you need to believe in order for it to happen. Belief reminds the universe that you are on the same page and reminds you that you are able. Across all religions and spiritual texts, they reference to the power of belief because belief is the first and most important part in being better and doing better.
4. Not everyone will like you.
This can be painful to accept but once you do, it is very liberating. I’ve never really been a suck-up; however, people not liking me used to bother me. I would need to prove to people that I was worthy. I often tell people the story of when I had someone that didn’t like me take my yoga class a few years ago, she decided in 5 minutes of the class that she didn’t want to take it- so she left. She cursed at me behind the door that I shut after her and complained about me to the girl working front desk that evening. Once she left, I made a decision to let her go because I had over 30 other people in the room. I could focus on her or focus on the people who are enjoying my class- this lesson has transferred to all areas of my life. I no longer have a need to seek approval from people who don’t like me because I am enough, with or without other people’s approval.