"You can have whatever your heart desires," I remember my grandma would tell my sisters and I, as we searched for candy at the drugstore to bring into the movie theater.
The concept of "just doing you" is a powerful one. It refers to the idea of living life on your terms and doing things that truly bring you joy and fulfillment. At times, we may find ourselves caught up in societal expectations and norms, which can make it challenging to stay true to ourselves. However, it is crucial to prioritize our happiness and well-being by doing what we truly desire.
So, how do we know the desires or our hearts? How do we know what we want?
When my grandma told us that we could have whichever candy we desired, she was telling us that we could have what we want (within her budget of course). But oftentimes, especially if you're like me, you tend to overthink. Do I want chocolate, something sour, or sweet? And it's like that in our lives, too; do I want to work in retail, should I stay in this job that makes me unhappy, do I take a mental health day and crochet, or get work done?
Within our journey, we start to see that there really is no right or wrong way to live our lives. There's no such thing as a "bad" or "good" decision. Who's to say? There are, however, positive and negative outcomes. Those are just consequences that signal to us the aftermath of the choices we've made. That's how we learn what works and what doesn't.
Nonetheless, if the goal in life is to discover our purpose, and we're stuck praying for direction, by doing what we want, we discover our passions and what makes us happy.
It's quite simple when it's put that way. Additionally, when we do things we enjoy, it can feel therapeutic and can help us manage stress and anxiety. When we simply do what we want, we can develop a strong sense of self-awareness and self-confidence. We become more aware of our strengths, weaknesses, and areas of interest, and this can help us make informed decisions about our future. When we are confident in ourselves and our abilities, we are more likely to take risks and pursue our dreams.
This is what it looks like to prioritize our happiness. We also become more fulfilled in our personal relationships. When we are happy and content with our lives, we radiate positive energy, which can attract others with similar values and interests. We can also inspire those around us to pursue their passions and live life on their terms, whether it's inventing something or starting a business in those areas.
There are downfalls to doing what we want as well. There are healthy ways to go about making decisions that work for us, but we also tend to make a lot of decisions that do not work in our favor. Sometimes we become selfish or disregard the needs of others. So it's good to stay mindful of our own needs and desires while also considering the needs and feelings of those around us. Every decision you make impacts those around you too. But when we focus and pursue the desires that are healthy for us and are within our strengths, we become better equipped to support and uplift others.
"Just doing you" cannot be overstated. By doing what we want, we can discover our passions, develop a sense of self-awareness and confidence, manage stress and anxiety, and build fulfilling relationships.
So go ahead and do what you want, whatever your heart desires, within healthy and effective boundaries, of course. The direction for your life will be made more clear and you'll begin to discover who you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to be doing.