I’ll admit, I'm a hater to my core. I love to critique, criticize and complain.
For the longest time, I thought that there wasn’t an issue in having an issue, especially because I believe that it is completely valid to be reactionary towards the things that make you upset. But I’ve grown to realize that by holding onto the past, I’ve been holding myself back.
More often than not, my concerns stem from people not acting in the way that they should — or at least, how I think they should. That’s the key word. Think.
I have my own thoughts on how things should be, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that others feel the same way as I do.
For example, my idea of what a perfect roommate acts like can be completely different from what someone else’s ideal roommate embodies.
Over the course of the last 20 years, I’ve become comfortable with holding petty grudges and letting others get the best of me. But recently, I’ve realized a few things.
I’m human, I’m not perfect and there are two sides to every story.
With that being said, nobody's perfect. We’re all living our life for the first time trying to figure things out as they happen. So why do we hold everyone to this high standard when we can't even reach it ourselves?
My biggest takeaway: Stop talking about the past and live in the moment.
A lot of the grudges that I’ve had are validated again and again. Knowing that there are people out there who agree with your grievances makes it easier to hold onto them. But while it’s easier said than done, letting go and putting your energy into something more productive will make life a little more fun.
Focusing on other people, and more specifically, the negative ties you have with other people can really cloud what’s happening right in front of you.
Refine your range of who and what you think about to the most important things in your life and you’ll be one step closer to happiness.
Janea Melido is Copy Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at melido24@up.edu.
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