It is another trend I noticed on Instagram. Many users reflected on this sentence ”things I am leaving behind” or ”things I have outgrown”. I wanted to reflect on one of these sentences to share the success and failure in my trials. In the beginning, I tried to connect it with a specific year or years, but then I decided to keep it generic. I have been observing my actions, habits, and thoughts for now. Yet, I am still trying to change things and realize new events.

I am leaving behind the idea of controlling everything. Before, I used to obsess over controlling the outcome of specific things that happened in my life. Control is driven by fear. However, I realized last year that once abandoning this idea, things will fall into place eventually. Understanding and accepting that I cannot control everything, uncontrolled events can bring out the best outcome. I also realized that the best things happen when we less expect them to have no control on our part. It was life-changing when I began to accept and let go of control.

In addition,

I am leaving behind the fear of change. Resistance is natural when we directly confront change. Change happens out of our comfort zones, and it takes too much effort to be open up to it. When forced on us, it is the hardest, making the fight more difficult. A few years ago, I decided to face change and open my mind and soul to new opportunities in my life. I am happy I left fear behind, and it made me more flexible to life’s sudden circumstances.

Burnout is one of the things I have been struggling with for a few years now. It doesn’t get any easy. With time, burnout got attached to my life, leaving me drained. It took away my ability to socialize and enjoy life. Last year, I decided to make room for rest. Now, I understand that it is not a bonus or privilege to rest and self-care but a necessity. I am leaving behind the idea of overworking and making more room for practicing the ritual of slowing down and ease.

I decided to leave behind the idea of explaining myself, although it hasn’t been easy. But most importantly, I am leaving behind the easy way out. I noticed how I tend to run away from confrontation, especially with people. Usually, I use the hard way out, affecting my communication with others. I am trying to learn how to be less strict in my contact and not think of bad outcomes first.

This list can extend and include other aspects but I wanted to highlight the main takeaways. I hope you could resonate with this article and reflect on your own experience. I am sure you will be surprised by the things you will remember and realize.