What does it really mean to simplify your life?
Would life be easier?
Would it be less stressful?
Would you have less anxiety?
What would your life look like if you removed all the things that caused difficulties for you?
Many years ago I heard someone say that to live a simple life you may need to make some hard life changing decisions.
For a long time I thought I was making those hard decisions.
But I never fully understood until I finally woke up to the consequences of all of the times I said:
“Yes”
“I will help you”
“I will take care of it for you”
Especially to my family.
I had an ingrained and conditioned need to “look after” them.
I had to make sure that they were ok.
That they had everything possible.
I had to be the “rescuer” and fix their problems.
I thought that somehow this would make me a good person.
And they would be better off for my help.
But really, I was just sacrificing my own needs.
My life was not better or simpler.
It has harder.
I understand now that making difficult life choices doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing the luxury car or big house.
For me it was about no longer compromising my mental health or my core values.
It meant just simply saying:
“No”
Or not saying anything at all, where I would normally jump in and rescue.
The hardest “no” to say is to the people that you love.
“No” to toxic relationships.
“No” to giving away your time.
“No” to giving away your energy.
“No” to giving away your money.
Saying “no” made me feel:
Guilty.
Out of my comfort zone.
Stressed.
It can be so hard to say no.
But when you say “no” to the things that hurt you… You can then say “yes” to the things that nurture you.
“Yes” to healthier relationships.
“Yes” to quality time doing the things you love.
“Yes” to more energy and better health.
“Yes” to more money for that new car or holiday.
You are saying yes to you.
Because you are worthy of love and all the wonderful things.
And YOU can love you too.
It takes a big shift in your awareness to get to a space where you no longer compromise your needs.
The only way I was able to start moving from the old out dated story to the new better one was by reaching out for help.
It was hard. It was confronting.
It still is…
But it is becoming a better story.
And you can have better story too.
Because you are worthy of a better life.