6 Things We Can Control About Ourselves

This blog post is based on my opinions thoughts and thinking.

I have a confession to make: I’m not easy to get along with.

I’m not always the most patient with people.

I’m not the tidiest person in my house.

And sometimes I can be pretty judgmental of others.

But guess what? That’s okay because none of these are things that I can’t control about myself.

I am also impatient and messy-but even still, some things aren’t out of my control just yet: my reactions to other people’s actions, how much time I spend tidying up on any given day, etc.

So let’s talk about the 6 things that I can control about myself.

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1. My reactions to other people’s actions

I’m not going to pretend that I have total control over the way other people act around me.

But I can choose how I respond and what kind of thoughts I allow myself to dwell on.

I’ve met some pretty awesome people and some pretty crappy ones in my life, so just because someone doesn’t treat me well doesn’t mean that I should sink into a pit of negativity and dislike.

I should always be learning and listening to other people’s stories, and I should always be sure to show gratitude.

And hey, I love a good rant (and not-so-good rant) once in a while, but the truth is that I’m the one who can determine whether I should hang out with someone or cut them out of my life.

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2. How much time do I spend tidying up?

I don’t know about you, but if my house was spotless all day every day, it would turn into a complete disaster pretty fast.

Contrary to popular belief, I’m not an insane perfectionist, so the only way I stay somewhat on top of things is by doing little bits at a time.

Doing a little bit of tidying up every day keeps me sane because it builds my habit.

It doesn’t have to be huge, either: It could be as simple as making sure some toys aren’t in a corner and that there’s a cup of water on the couch.

If I have a goal to achieve in the future, it will make my life feel like it’s moving forward.

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3. How much money do I spend or invest?

This is what I’m going to talk about today. I’m not saying that you should be a miser and hoard cash.

You should spend money on things that you need and want, but there’s always room for some style and thoughtfulness when it comes to spending money.

I’m guilty of living my life in the future sometimes — indulging in things that are fun and exciting now but not saving up for the future.

And then I worry about how I’ll pay for everything down the road.

It’s so easy to just buy the things you want and convince yourself that it’s okay, but if you’re not saving up for the future, your purchases can be a double-edged sword.

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4. How much time do I spend worrying

When I start to get stressed and worried, it’s like my brain goes into autopilot mode.

I’ll do all the things that are in my control: work, school, sleep, and eating; but then I lose track of all of the other things that are out of my control.

I don’t mean to ignore these things: they’re important too.

But I can’t control all of them, so I have to stop worrying about everything except the things that are in my control.

I get so caught up in stress that, sometimes, it’s tempting to blame other people. But the truth is, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to change other people.

It doesn’t help to be angry or upset with someone else when they’re not at fault for your stress level and it doesn’t solve anything either way.

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5. I am honest with myself.

I’m a horrible liar.

And I’m not just talking about the bad kind of lying here: I mean the kind of lying where you tell yourself that everything is okay when it’s not.

When I decide to deceive myself and ignore the truth, it makes me feel like I don’t know who to trust anymore.

The people who are closest to me can pick up on my moods, but they won’t be able to help unless they know what’s wrong in the first place.

When I’m not honest with myself, it makes me feel ashamed and embarrassed.

And when we feel self-conscious and ashamed, that’s a pretty good indicator of how much we’re worrying about things out of our control.

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6. How much do I care about the opinions of others?

I’ve spent so much time worrying about what people think of me.

I used to be ashamed of my opinions until I realized that the only opinion that mattered was my own.

I’m not talking about being a brat-and it’s not a sign of confidence for you to pretend that you don’t care what people think.

But, at the same time, it’s okay to spend some time figuring out who you are before worrying about how other people see you.

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So overall, I believe that I have control over the above six things:

The problem is, sometimes it can be hard to find the balance between these things. For example, it’s easy for me to let my tidiness slip if my job gets too stressful.

And it’s easy to let my finances slip if I’m worried about my future.

The moral of the story is that all of these things are important and should be taken care of when you can. But take care of them in whatever order you choose, and don’t blame yourself if your priorities get a little fuzzy sometimes.

Thank you so much for reading today’s post! If you liked this article, please share it with your friends! xoxo

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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