Must

I need

Do you recognize this? Unconsciously, you might often say: I have to. I just have to tidy up, I can't because I have to work, I just have to call so-and-so. At this unconscious level, this feels like a whole lot of obligations that are actually choices. Ask yourself that for a moment: essentially, you don't have to do anything; you make choices to arrange your life as well or as enjoyably as possible. It can be enlightening to consider who is making you do all those things. Ideally, no one is forcing you to do anything whatsoever.

Why do we demand so much of ourselves? Learning to accept can, after all, be liberating.

The “I must habit“

It is so ingrained in your habit. The "I must" that it sometimes seems like a normal trait you can't get around. Many people are infected with the "I must" virus. Perhaps you suffer from it yourself, too. You might regularly catch yourself saying you have to do things that you actually don't have to.

Ask yourself: What things do you actually really have to do? If you think about it carefully, you won't get much further than things like eating, breathing, exercising, sleeping, and giving and receiving love. Yet, we expect much more of ourselves than these things. And that makes sense; you don't want to limit yourself to the bare basics. You want to live!

When do you demand too much of yourself?

You are demanding too much of yourself when you notice it is starting to become a hindrance. Sometimes you demand things of yourself that clearly aren't working. Things that perhaps ultimately don't suit you at all. Goals that are unattainable or have no added value for you. Perhaps you feel you have to be slim, even though you are simply solidly built and will never be as slim as the models on TV. You can keep dieting and keep fighting to achieve your desired waistline anyway. You can keep thinking to yourself: I have to. to fall off.

You can be quite a burden to yourself by imposing all sorts of things on yourself that are often not even necessary. Who says you have to lose weight? Maybe that is just not for you, or not for now. Accept who and what you are and let it go.

By accepting, you create peace.

Somewhere in your head sits an annoying little voice that loves all too much to remind you of all the things you once felt you had to do. When you demand something of yourself, you make an unwritten agreement with yourself. Every time that little voice reminds you of this agreement and you do nothing about it, your self-confidence is damaged.

By accepting life as it is, you essentially switch off this little voice. And that brings peace. Because you don't have to do anything anymore. Give yourself a break; you are busy enough as it is. What are you getting yourself into? You might feel that you ought to be running, working out, or dieting, but if you don't, that's not a problem, is it? That doesn't make you any less likeable.

Do you want more lifestyle tips, or just that extra push to really get started with exercising?  

Fill out the form below and we will contact you by phone within 24 hours for a free Intake interview with lifestyle check!