My senior quote was one that typically was attributed to Aristotle. (I’m open to being corrected if anyone knows more than me.) The quote was “what messes us up most in life is the image in our head of how it’s supposed to be”. The quote, as I originally found it (yes, on Pinterest), said “What fucks us up…” but I was not about to cuss in front of everyone on Graduation Day.
I have found myself turning to that quote again and again. Sometimes, I’m framing it in other words. For example, I’ve recently been taking a Yoga mindset class in which we discussed the idea of detachment from the outcome. In my work as a therapist, I will often discuss the issues with framing things as “I should…”
Recently, I’ve been struggling with some changes that are outside of my control. It’s been intentional work to let go of the image I had in my head of what the future would look like. Doing that has freed me to explore potential changes I can make in response. As nerve-racking as the unknown can be, I’ve been leaning on the fact that I’ve done this all before. I’ve had multiple periods of my life, like going to college or getting my first job, that I envisioned going very differently than they actually did. I have grown for the better each and every time. I know that I can make the future even better than I envisioned as long as I let go of the shoulds.
Making the Internet My Accountability Partner 
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