In life, there are a lot of things to remember. It can feel impossible to keep up with all of the things that are thrown at us! Here are 5 things that you should always try to remind yourself about:
1. Tomorrow is a new day. Some days life can be so hard that we feel like the day will never end and we will struggle forever. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that a new day will come and we have a fresh clean slate to make it what we want. Things from today can carry over into tomorrow, but each day is unique and we become more equipped to handle things as time goes on.
2. Making mistakes is part of life. Nobody's perfect, and if someone were perfect I would imagine them to be quite boring. It's okay to make mistakes, but this is something that we are not taught early in childhood. Most people are encouraged by their caregivers to succeed in life and strive for perfection. This sets up a standard that no one can ever reach. Striving for superiority is important in our development and it's good to set goals, but we need to keep in mind that those goals need to be relatively attainable and realistic. If things don't always go according to plan... that's okay!
3. Saying "no" is okay. Have you ever seen the movie "Yes Man?" Saying yes to everyone and everything has consequences. Sometimes, for our own mental health and well-being, we have to say no. People need to learn how to say no if they want to form and maintain healthy boundaries with their peers, family, and coworkers. If you pressure yourself to always agree to everything then you will never allow yourself to do things for your own sake.
4. Not everyone has to like you. This one has been tricky for me to accept. It took me a long time to understand human personalities and to realize that there are certain people that are just not going to get along. You can't make everyone happy, and some people may decide that they don't like you. Just keep in mind the people that DO like you, for there are always at least a few!
5. Beauty and strength come from within. This is a big one, and takes a lot of practice. We live in a superficial society where what happens on the outside tends to have more value than what happens on the inside. Reminding yourself that our true authentic selves are housed INSIDE will help you to put less emphasis on how you look on the outside. And strength is something that can't be seen but can be felt and acquired through self-discovery and practice.
It may sound like I'm saying remembering these 5 things is easy, or that if you remember these 5 things your life will be all sunshine and butterflies. You will probably still experience struggles. You will probably have to practice for a long time. It's okay to sometimes take one step forward and two steps back. Just remember that you made steps forward before and you can do it again. Keep coming to therapy and working on your coping and you will come a long way!
