14 Things That Show You What Actually Matters To You

1. The things you’re able to write honestly about.

I know it’s not for everybody, but I really take refuge in writing, especially in a personal journal where I’m not worried about censoring myself for an audience. It’s in these moments of vulnerability and honesty that the things I most genuinely believe and struggle with come forth. I see the trends in what these things are, and many elements of who I most genuinely am are intertwined in them. You are who you are when you’re honest and uninfluenced by the fear of being judged by others.

2. The reasons why you can’t let go of someone, not just the fact that you can’t.

Sometimes we hang around because we don’t want to be alone, or we are so concerned with being loved that the alternative seems unbearable. It’s not the fact that you’re holding on, it’s the reasons why you’re holding on… they’ll say a lot about you.

3. The things you insist on holding on to.

It’s not always a person or a relationship. Sometimes, it’s ideas about ourselves or literal, physical things or even jobs we don’t want or goals we are adamant about achieving. It’s difficult to let go of the things that you use to define yourself, but when you do, you can actually find yourself.

4. The quotes or lyrics that resonate with you and comfort you; you recognize something of yourself in them.

When people share quotes or lyrics on social media it’s usually because there is something they are trying to communicate. They recognize a truth in whatever beautiful, artistic way someone else was able to put it, and it’s easier than simply stating things that aren’t always pleasant to admit. Essentially, look for the things you are most drawn to in art. It’s touching on something inside of you.

5. The moments that you cry without wanting to.

Some very specific moments come to mind when I think of this, and it really has everything to do with recognizing the things that you are so inherently invested in that you are driven to the edge by them. You’re influenced by a force that is far greater than anything in your finite control.

6. The reasons you are crying, and the things you’re crying for.

When you’re upset about something you know is irrelevant or you keep acting out toward loved ones who have not done anything wrong, there is something deeper brewing that is coming forth with the same strength that you are using to oppress it. Try to come to terms with the real reasons you’re lashing out.

7. The thoughts that don’t lessen.

There is some saying that goes, note the things that you think about first thing in the morning and last before you fall asleep. It’s usually a person, but not always. But really, let your thoughts show you where your heart is. It’s a difficult task, because your thoughts can very often be irrational and untamed, but if you’re able, see where your heart leads your mind.

You should like Thought Catalog on Facebook here.

8. The moments you accept what you cannot change.

There are few things more beautiful than the day you decide to start doing this. It’s the moment you choose to be okay because you understand that you cannot control anything but how you react to a situation, and how you continue on with your life.

9. The day you understand that you are in control of your life.

It is far too often that people place blame on everybody else when really, you can either sit in your misery or you can do something and change your life. You can think of a hundred excuses as to why you can’t, or why you should hold on a bit longer, or why change and acceptance is impossible, but you’re not providing any sound reasoning. It will still, and always, come back to: it won’t change until you change it.

10. The moment you choose to do what you want, because you want.

It’s when you really, honestly don’t care about what someone else will think. You’ll know you have arrived when you aren’t thinking to yourself, oh, I don’t care what they think, so I’ll do this, but rather, wow, I really want to do this, and I’m going to. It’s when you don’t even acknowledge or give your time or energy to worrying about the opinions of people who do not matter.

11. The moment that you finally understand what it is that you want.

Sometimes I struggle with the fact that I know what I want, but I don’t want to admit it. I think it sounds silly. I think it makes me sound weak. I think I have to be misguided and there is something else I could want more… but no, it’s just that I’m afraid of really acknowledging what I want, for the fear that it will never come. All that matters is that you know what it is you want more than anything. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone, and you don’t need to be ashamed. It’s something only you need to know.

12. The things you are still willing to sacrifice anything for.

Very simply put, they are the things that still matter to you, even if you feel like you’ve given up caring about everything else.

13. The ways you plead with God or the higher universe.

There is something I hear people say a lot when praying to God, whoever that is, and it’s: please God, don’t let this happen. The key there being, “don’t let.” As if God were some preventative force that could maneuver fate or what it is you’ve attracted or created in your life. Realize that the belief that God is within each person is valid in many ways, and you should tap into that expanse to do for yourself what you’re waiting for someone else to take care of.

14. The light you finally find, and what it is for you.

What does the resolution look like? When you had the breakthrough, and the epiphany, what was it? The light at the end of the tunnel is different for different people, and what it is will tell you most of what you are looking to know.

Courtesy- Thought Catalog