You Don't Have To

You don’t have to be cranky before morning coffee.

You don’t have to replace a pair of jeans when they rip.

You don’t have to wear make-up.

You don’t have to show your anger when you feel it.

You don’t have to own a set of matching dishes.

You don’t have to post everything on social media.

You don’t have to be available to your friends 24/7.

You don’t have to let other people’s opinions affect you.

You don’t have to buy that thing you’ve been wanting to buy for ages.

You don’t have to feel bad about things you did that are forgiven.

You don’t have to say yes to commitments.

You don’t have to have a great phone.

You don’t have to follow traditions.

You don’t have to be responsible for other people’s feelings.

You don’t have to binge on Netflix.

You don’t have to keep accumulating possessions.

You don’t have to be ambitious.

You don’t have to compare yourself to others.

You don’t have to be busy.

You don’t have to have to brag about how sleep-deprived you are.

You don’t have to do something just because “everyone does it.”

You don’t have to do or feel anything that is pushed onto you by culture, by other people, and most of all by yourself. If you want to, that’s fine. But don’t fool yourself into believing you have to do something if you really don’t.

I tell this to myself every day.

~~~