4 Things in Life You Shouldn't Worry About

Modern life is rife with anxiety. You’re constantly made to feel like you need to be more successful, earn more, and look better. There’s pressure to own the trendiest clothes and the latest gadgets, or get a good job and settle down with a family. There are millions of TV shows and films you feel you should have watched, and books you’ll never read. Advertising and celebrities tell you that you need more, more, more of everything, and if you can only buy enough stuff you’ll be a complete, whole person. But all this pressure doesn’t help anyone. All it does is add to your growing list of worries. If anything, this pandemic made us realize that we can actually make do without a lot of other things we thought we needed. 

Being happy and fulfilled is harder than ever. To achieve total satisfaction, you need to stop worrying about what you don't have and start appreciating what you do have. Life is too short to spend fretting about things that don’t matter. To help you realize this, here are a few things that no one should ever have to worry about.

Money

I know, right? While you’d struggle to get by without any money whatsoever, most people place far too much emphasis on it in their lives. Money isn't everything. Sure, you need enough to pay your bills and put food on the table, but it should be seen as a means to an end, not the end itself. There are countless people who spend their lives toiling in unfulfilling careers to earn huge amounts of money that never brings them happiness. As long as you have enough to keep you alive and healthy, then you’re a richer person than they will ever be.

To highlight the unimportance of money, remember that currency doesn’t exist in nature. It is a fictional construct dreamt up by people. Humans lived without cash for several millennia, and we are still the only animal that relies on it. So instead of constantly worrying about earning enough to buy a big house and an expensive car, focus on what makes you happy. For me it's family, friends, music, laughing, nature, books, and exploring. 

You spend a third of your adult life in work, so it’s far more fulfilling to work a lower-paid job that you love than to break your spirit in a lucrative career you detest. Pursue your passion, not the paycheck.

Other people’s opinions

We’re all guilty of caring too much about what other people think of us. Some people are easily able to shrug it off and go about their days, while for others it has a much bigger impact. You might find yourself hiding aspects of your personality, changing your style, and masking your own feelings to fit in with others or convince them to like you. But no one should have to be anything other than what they are. You should spend your limited hours on this planet doing what makes you happy, not pandering to mean-spirited people.

In truth, very few people care what you do. You might feel self-conscious about eating alone in a restaurant, or not wearing the latest Stussy clothing, but no one is looking at you. Our minds can play tricks and make us feel we’re the center of attention when really everyone is just as concerned with themselves as you are. Once you realize this, it gives you free rein to do whatever you want to do and be whoever you want to be.

Your looks

There’s not a single person on the planet who is 100% happy with the way they look. Even seemingly-flawless celebrities and supermodels have self-esteem and confidence issues. And if you are unhappy with your appearance, you are not alone. But it’s important to realize that you are your own worst critic. In the same way that you would never look at someone else and criticize their appearance, no one is doing the same for you. When you stare in the mirror, your mind can often focus on the imperfections and neglect to notice your many beautiful features. Things like crooked teeth or large noses are less noticeable than you think, as your own perception blows them out of proportion.

It’s easy to feel self-conscious about your looks when you switch on the TV or scroll through social media and see swarms of good-looking influencers with perfect teeth and toned bodies, but this is not the norm. You are seeing these people through a filter that makes them look perfect and superhuman, but when they wake up in the morning they have puffy eyes and bad breath just like the rest of us. It’s crucial you realize that looks aren’t important in the grand scheme of things. No matter how attractive someone is, looks fade over time. But the important things that make you who you are - intelligence, humor, compassion - are forever.

Getting old

When you’re young, you feel like you’re going to live forever. But after you hit middle age, your body and mind start to lose their vigor and you start to worry about how many years you have left. Humans have been worrying about getting old for millennia, and until science comes up with a formula for immortality, that’s not going to change any time soon. There’s nothing you can do to stop yourself from getting older, but you can stop worrying. Instead of wasting your time fretting over the inevitable, start embracing your advancing years and enjoy yourself. Take pleasure in all the things you couldn’t do when you were younger. And remember, you can make your golden years healthier and happier by eating well and keeping active with regular exercise.

It is usually middle-aged people who worry about aging. But those in old age tend to be more accepting and tolerant of their advancing years. As you get older you will lose your concerns, and you will start to fully appreciate the time you have left. You’ll come to see that age is just a number, and the things that are important to you, like family, friends, and culture, have no age restrictions.