The older you get, the more you realize how heavy you are. Not heavy in terms of body weight, but in the wealth of your experiences. Even if gravity stopped existing right now, you have become so grounded in who you are and what you do that it would be impossible to float.

By now, you have so many icks; foods you like or dislike, colors you avoid, or people you don’t want around. If someone asked you to write down all your rules and principles, I bet you’d be surprised at how many there are. Yet, you don’t fully realize this and continue to live by them. You think there is no “you” without these rules or the way you choose to handle life.

Take a step back to you as a child, the one with a blank heart and endless curiosity. That child who would do anything and push any boundary just to figure out the difference between right and wrong. Would that child have imagined there would be so many rights and wrongs to keep up with? Would that child admire who you have become or find your character draining and excessive?

There are so many fine details about who you are now, but there doesn’t have to be. The rules you choose to live by should be unique to situations, not define your entire existence. Yes, there are timeless principles, but you are not timeless. You are a dynamic, flexible being with ever-changing needs and challenges. So why do you confine yourself to a box?

I am not entirely sure how this applies to you, nor am I encouraging reckless decisions. But I believe some of the suffering we face comes from our unwillingness to shift our mindset. We get stuck and refuse to view life from another perspective. We are afraid of doing things differently because we think a new approach might not align with our identity.

You think preserving your identity is more important than evolving. Yet, the experiences you have accumulated are not enough to sustain you for the rest of your life.

It is okay to let go of lessons and ideologies that no longer serve you instead of forcing life to conform to your self-made rules. As time goes by, your priorities shift, and you cannot bring a knife to a gunfight. Even if you have never used a gun before, would the right move not be to ensure your opponent does not know that? Exactly.

Your identity is constantly under construction. It does not always have to align with your expectations. Sometimes, a new approach is precisely what you need. Lighten yourself. That is why you are a “being,” an existence in continuous motion.

Look for the positives in your life and focus on that this week ❤️

Song of the moment – My little love by Adele.