Lux Thinking Aloud

Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy

10:31 AM

Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy
You will find that it is necessary to let things go; 
simply for the reason that they are heavy.
-C. JoyBell C.


As I grow older, there are crazy things I had to quit to be crazy happy. I have zero regrets in doing so. Are there things that are stopping you from living a life filled with joy? Quit them before it's too late.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a believer of keeping on. That is, keeping on with the good things and chasing dreams. When it comes to the negative stuff, I am a quitter.



Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy


Quit crying over spilled milk

When things are over and done, there's no use holding on to it. When an opportunity has passed and you failed to grab it, you'll never get it back by still wishing you should have or thinking about the what ifs.

Should have, could have, what if. Simple phrases with a lot of weight to carry. Quit crying over spilled milk. You can always buy another. 😛


"Kids, you can't cling to the past. Because no matter how tightly you hold on, it's already gone." 

-How I Met Your Mother

man crying on his bed
Giphy

Quit living my parents' dreams for me

I don't want to cause my folks any headache, so I let them choose my career for me. But in doing so, I was slowly killing my own purpose. Needless to say, I was miserable.

You can never be happy living other people's dreams, even when you're doing it for your loved ones. That's because you have a different calling. Your heart wants to lead you somewhere else.

Claiming other people's dreams as your own buries your calling deep down that when you finally want to do what you really want...it will take a long time to dig it out.

You'll be walking around thinking, "But what do I want? What am I supposed to do?"

So a friendly reminder to parents:

let your kids discover what they're good at, nurture their gifts, and support their ambitions. 

Because whatever it is that they keep envisioning for themselves and gives them fire in the belly, that's what they're meant to do. That's their anointing. That's their purpose.

You have no idea how much they can accomplish if you let them follow their passion.

girl in pink jacket
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Quit waiting for things to happen

I've delayed a lot of things and had to choose option B many times because I needed to wait.

I needed to wait for someone to be available or I had to wait for the "perfect" timing.

I've allowed stress into my life by beating the deadline because I've waited for inspiration to strike.

I've waited for people to pay back money they borrowed when they obviously have no intentions to do so.

I've waited for someone to accompany when I can totally go on my own.

I've waited for apologies from people who never showed regrets.

Waiting for things to happen is wasting precious time. It will drain you in the long run. Let go of things you can't control and make peace with yourself instead. 

Forgive yourself for waiting and for stealing your own joy by doing so.

can sitting like human by the wall
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Quit chasing people

Chasing people includes forcing myself to be friends with people who obviously don't want me involved in their lives.

Some people may play an important role in a certain episode of your life, but you don't need them until the season finale to complete your story.

Quit chasing them! If they want to be in your life, they will make an effort to be.

Two things you will never have to chase: True friends & true love. 
-Mandy Hale


man crying
Giphy

Quit taking crap from others

There's a very fine line between kindness and stupidity.

The more you some people kindness the more they abuse you instead of appreciating and reciprocating your kindness. 

You have to accept the fact that there is goodness in everyone, but some people chose a different path.

They've made their choice. Now, make yours.

In this tough, cruel, wicked world (I like to be dramatic sometimes), you need to stand your ground or you'll be trampled over. When life pushes you around you have to push back.

card quote

Quit settling

I'm done settling for mediocrity. I'm done settling for second best. I'm done settling for a high paying job but is slowly turning me into a zombie.

I'm done settling with housemates from hell, with friends who are pulling me down and hinders me from becoming more.

I'm done settling with "just fine".

I'm done accepting measly pays for my writing gigs.

man sitting in the office doing nothing
Giphy

Quit toxic people 

Surrounding yourself with gossiping, procrastinating, condescending people will make you like them too.

I'm not comfortable doing these things. I don't see myself doing the same things in the years to come.

So I cut my ties with them. And boy, what a weight lifted off my shoulder.

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. 
-Jim Rohn

Mean Girls Georgina George
Giphy

Quit being hard on myself

I used to always blame myself when things don't go well. Even in relationships where it takes two to tango, I always thought it's solely my fault.

Are you still wondering why this post is called Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy? I was crazy!

10 things i hate about you gif
Giphy

Quit fixing things and people 

I tried to fix people who are otherwise happy with where they are no matter how messed up their lives are. I tried to make them see reason.

I tried to mend broken relationships and in the process, I drained myself empty.

But what's crazier is that I'v met a lot of people who are doing the same thing. This disorder is rampant.

I think it's universal. We need to quit it quick.

Penny The Big Bang Theory addicted to games
Giphy

Quit fighting every battle 

I used to be feisty. It seems there's not a fight I would surrender to. I was fierce.

Obviously, I was always exhausted and preoccupied with unnecessary things. I have little time left for self-improvement.

I've realized that walking away from a fight is not cowardice, it's courage. Choosing which battle to fight is not lack of bravery, it's boldness. And some people just don't deserve your time and attention.

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down 
to their level and then beat you with experience. 
-Mark Twain

Steve Carrel The Office gif
Tenor

Quit eating meat

This is an ongoing argument in the society. And I know I mentioned here on the blog a few years ago that I went back to eating burger.

But I've changed. Dare I say it, I am more enlightened now.

Since I've originally written this article in 2016, a lot of things happened.

From a happy carefree single gal, I got married.
I quit my full time high paying job to freelance.
I've traveled to different places I used to just dream about.

And my dogs made me a better soon.

They proved to me that animals are intelligent, sentient, kind and capable of showing love and loyalty. Sometimes, they're better than some humans. 🤷

I realized that if I will not support killing of dogs for food because they are family, why do I continue to support the torture and killing of other animals just so I can satisfy my cravings? ⁠

If I will not allow anyone to hurt my dogs, why do I patronize businesses that test on animals, or use animals as commodity?

It didn't make sense to say I love the planet, I support causes for the environment and I love animals when I have a dead animal part on my plate.

Going vegan goes beyond diet. It's a lifestyle.

It's not a hype that will go passé in the future. The future is vegan.

Being vegan is about quitting cruelty and choosing compassion and kindness.

I quit meat not because I'm crazy but because it's crazy to support the killing of animals for my palate's satisfaction.

I quit meat because I love the earth...especially the animals.

dog stroking man's head
Giphy


I didn't realize how crazy things in my life were making me miserable then. It took me years to finally let go most of them.

I had to for the sake of my sanity. And because I have finally allowed God to fix me, and allowed myself to heal from my brokenness that caused me to do these crazy things.

Loving myself more means I need to quit the things that are not contributing to my well being.

I'm a quitter. And I am a damn happy one.

What crazy things do you think you need to quit to be crazy happy?



Gifs from Google images.

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103 comments

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  1. Dump the toxic people is the on the top of my list.

    Choosing your battles is right up there too. I have watched folks that fight every single little thing. It's exhausting.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  2. I needed to read this ♥ I have such a horrible habit of living in the past and essentially crying over spilled milk. I need to learn to live in the present and not worry about what has already happened. Love this!

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  3. Great post, Lux! One crazy thing that I had to let go of in order to be happy was to stop dwelling on the past, so I can appreciate your words here, Love. Thanks so much for sharing! GOD bless you, beautiful friend! :-)

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  4. Lux, this is a great post... there are some things I totally need to let go of... it's not simple unfortunately but I continue to work on it... xox

    I am not able to comment on your blog from my phone and sometimes it won't let me comment on the computer which is odd as I have the same commenting method xox

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  5. I love this post Lux! You're an amazingly positive person! Xxoo

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  6. great post, let's take charge of our happiness and dump those toxic people!

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  7. I believe I need to eat more ice cream. Happiness will surely follow.

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  8. Lovely post dear! Have a great week! xx

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  9. It's so true that it's pointless chasing up friends, unless they're going through a very tough time with illness or some sort of stress. I just don't have time to alwys be taking the initiative. You sound very strong, Lux, I admire you

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  10. this entire list is great ... we're all guilty at time of doing many of these things, whether we want to or not, and it's a healthy reminder that since life is short, there have to be better ways to live it :)

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  11. waiting for things to happen is the bane of our existence... I think most people spend their lives that way....

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  12. A great list indeed, no sense in crying over spilled milk, or arguing with the stupid people lol

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  13. Hi, Luxie!

    This is great stuff! Clinging to the past and wallowing in regret weighs you down, saps your strength and prevents you from digging out and getting on the move to a better life in the present. Allowing parents to live vicariously through you and steer you into a career of their choosing is allowing them to hijack your life. It is the same as an arranged marriage. Surrounding yourself with gossiping, procrastinating, condescending people turns you into one and keeps you stuck. Hang with good, decent, hard working, happy, successful people and let their habits rub off on you. A shrub benefits from a vigorous pruning. The more "dead branches" you shed, the more energy you have and the more growth you will experience.

    Thank you, dear Lux!

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  14. Oh Lux, this list is amazing. So right on advice. Thank you for posting it. Every point you cited - right no. Have an amazing day out there beautiful lady.

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  15. yes to all of this! loving myself, chasing my own dreams and getting rid of toxic wankers were my top 3 best decisions of my life!

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  16. Great insightful advice, enjoyed reading this. I relate to the chasing those who aren't interested in you, friendship works both ways :)

    Laura xo
    www.shehearts.net

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  17. Beautiful post 😊

    www.freshfacebeauty.in

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  18. Great post. So lovely!

    ** Join Love, Beauty Bloggers on facebook. A place for beauty and fashion bloggers from all over the world to promote their latest posts!


    BEAUTYEDITER.COM
    INSTAGRAM @BEAUTYEDITER

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  19. I know so many people who do all of these, especially waiting for things to happen...for their dreams to magically come true.

    Awesome, inspirational post.

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  20. This is such a relevant post. And although there are some of these things that I have gotten better at avoiding doing and I know since then it has made me happier - especially the whole crying over spilled milk thing in particular - I know there are still a lot of them that I cling to. And I need to move on!

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  21. I can relate to struggling with most of these throughout my life time. Thank you for sharing at Let Us Grow!

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  22. Lux you are one of the optimistic people that I've met in the blogosphere and your words are so true! I quit a lot of things to live the life that I've wanted and though it may come with its set of extra responsibilities, I feel I'm happy with my decisions at the end of the day.
    Love,
    Nilu Yuleena Thapa
    BIG hair LOUD mouth

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  23. Don't worry be happy.

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  24. What a wonderful post! There's a lot here I wasn't thinking of in that way. Thank you.

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  25. Nice post!
    kisses

    http://lestyledelapetiteblonde.blogspot.com.es

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  26. There are so many amazing nuggets of wisdom in this post! I need to remind myself of the not settling one--that's one I find myself doing too easily lately.

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  27. A great post, Lux. I'm visiting from #MomentsofHope

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  28. Oh my, did ya HAVE to say chasing friends?? Guilty. And I've GOT to stop!!
    LivingProverbs31

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  29. I'm done with unhealthy relationships and I have been speaking up and respecting myself. It feels so good. Everybody wants love and respect and it seems like all the Scriptures point to it. I use to fear manipulation from others but I've had good success this year in lovingly saying no, I'm feeling manipulated here! So I am done trying to make some relationships work.

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  30. Excellent life advice. I especially like the Jim Rohn quote. I think it speaks well of my current life, not so much of earlier times in my life.

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  31. I can't shun to read your post to be crazy happy. Well, in some point of life, certainly we get to quit crazy things to be crazy happy as u said.

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  32. Such a great post!!! <3

    http://www.kyroandstyle.com

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  33. Enjoyed reading your post! Good one!

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  34. Yes, happiness comes from within, not from without. You are the one in control, be happy!

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  35. Great post and I agree with you on all the above.

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  36. A lovely post, I choose my battles too because not everything is worth the effort. Have a great day xx

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  37. I love your post. Wise words and you give very good advice especially to parents not to force their dreams onto their children.

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  38. Very beautiful write-up.

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  39. I am done waiting for people to apologize when they have never shown they are worthy of forgiveness. I can move on with my life and be happy without them. One day these people will realize that they have hurt someone so unfairly, and until then their lives will never be happy.

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  40. Love, Love, Love this post! Sharing~~~~~~~

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  41. This was such a great (and totally thought-provoking) post. You've made a ton of great points, in particular not living other people's dreams for them, along with letting go of the idea of the 'perfect time' arriving - the time is now! :)

    aglassofice.com
    x

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  42. Just sending a virtual hug and "you go girl!".

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  43. Love this!! I definitely have seen so many people just give in to whatever their parents want for them but I will NOT put any pressure like that on my daughter.

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  44. You brought up some great points! One of the smartest things I ever did was to walk away from my mother who was extremely toxic and only made me feel like less of a person. I've also learned not to chase people. I am a very good friend but don't make me feel like I am doing all the work or I will simply walk away.

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  45. Beautiful insight, Lux! I need to read your words today. I am in a different place in my life than you but realize I want to dream and follow my loves just like anyone else. Thank you for the reminder. Blessings!

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  46. Thanks for the inspiring post, I am at a bad place this time of my life, anything helps, really!

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  47. Greatly inspiring! And beautifully written!
    ♥☻♥☻♥
    Jeanne
    http://www.fashionmusingsdiary.com

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  48. Totally screamimg Amen to this Lux. Great post. Thanks so much for linking up again at #sharethejoy. ceri x

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  49. mmi piace moltissimo la prima foto, ottimo post

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  50. What a lovely post! *hugs* :)

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  51. Gosh...this post is SO beautiful: deeply moving, and filled with so much wisdom...Oh wow...thank you so much for sharing this! :)

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  52. Thank you for sharing - this is a brilliant post! I agree with you on so many points and entering my 30's I have let go of a lot of what you say - toxic friends, chasing people and waiting for things to happen. Such an inspirational read x #DreamTeam

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  53. I addition to letting go of toxic people I also try to be less toxic myself. I know that I have potential to be catty and judgemental sometimes so I try to be understanding and kind. It take conscious effort for me to react with kindness versus my initial temperamental reactions.

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  54. Love this article and your are so right! Everyone of those this have so much wisdom thanks for the reminders

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  55. Such a true post. The only way to be really happy, is to know who you are and who you want to be. The changes will come with time.

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  56. I love this! I think these are things we're all guilty of, and need to stop!

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  57. You hit them all on the head. Amen and seconded!

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  58. Right thoughts, sometimes we are so hard with ourselves
    Melange-Boutique Blog || Instgram

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  59. These are all such fabulous suggestions! I can relate to holding on to several of the above mentioned habits and can definitely attest to them impacting my happiness. It's so wonderful you're aware of all of the ways in which you can bring more happiness into your life!

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  60. This is a great list. I am going to add, trying to do it all. I have to remind my self to delegate.

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  61. Great post, it'always a pleasure to read your blog and you are so positive Lux!!!
    Kisses, Paola.

    Expressyourself

    My Facebook

    My Instagram

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  62. So many of these things should apply to me as well, but it's difficult to actually do it. Since you have done it, I would really like to congratulate you for moving forward into a happier life.

    Love the post :)

    Anmol Rawat

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  63. I really like the one where some people can play an episode but do not have to stay on. Very true. This is so great. I enjoyed reading.

    http://www.fashionablyidu.com/

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  64. YES and you nailed it on EVERY single point!!!!!

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  65. I've definitely quit toxic people over the years. Sometimes a friendship // relationship isn't right anymore, and it's not worth agonizing over. People change, their interactions change, don't be afraid to leave someone behind.

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  66. So many great tips, stop waiting and start doing is a must! And not crying over spilled milk is also so important to remember! Xx

    www.thefashionfolks.com

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  67. Great post! I think I need to get better at quittng things.

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  68. These are perfect things to quit to find more joy, Lux! I agree with every one of them. When I quit trying to fix people was one of the biggest forward leaps into happiness I ever made :).

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  69. Thank you for the great suggestions, Lux! I bookmarked this post, to be able to find it easily again. I may already know all these things, but you have written this text in such an inspiring way that I must read it again.

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  70. I absolutely loved this article. You have to be happy which means you have to take necessary measures to make sure you're happy. And that includes finding who you are and what you were meant to do. Beautiful arrticle.

    Kia / KTS
    www.houseofkts.com

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  71. Lux,
    This is the BEST! These are definitely things we all need to quit! ASAP! Thanks for smile and the truth! And thank you for being such an important part of #MomentsofHope! I love that you have joined me there and I can't wait for your post next week!
    Blessings and smiles,
    Lori

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  72. I love that post, you give me so much inspiration because everything is true! xo, Sophia from http://www.sistersandglitters.com

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  73. Waiting for things to happen......and it never happens :-(

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  74. You're so right. It's so important to remove negativity and things that are just WEIGHING YOU DOWN to feel good and walk tall. I'm all about it girl! If you're a quitter, so am I!!! Love this post!

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  75. That's fine!!!

    Have a nice week end!
    Photographer Gil Zetbase
    http://www.gilzetbase.com/

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  76. Great post! So many of these go back to letting go of control and trusting God, but that can be hard to do. It is such a relief when we do though!

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  77. This is a great post. I agree with all of your points especially choosing your battles .
    BEAUTETUDE

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  78. Very simple tips; but requires real courage to implement, isnt it?

    www.volatilespirits.com

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  79. Well, when you put it that way... I guess I'm a quitter too. :)

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  80. You make some good points here!

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  81. I LOVE these. So much of happiness is just taking a "live and let live" philosophy. When we give up on trying to make everyone behave the way we think they should, we finally find freedom!

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  82. Whenever I read your posts I smile and I nod. You have such a way of putting the truth across!

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  83. This is a great list. I love that line from HIMYM (I think I wrote a post about that particular episode when I first saw it) and I so can relate to letting my parents choose my course for me which made me miserable. I find that deleting toxic people from your life is so freeing, and something that gets easier with age.

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  84. I love this post. Absolutely. It echos some of the thoughts I've been having of late. I especially like this quote:


    "In this tough, cruel, wicked world (I like to exaggerate things sometimes), you need to stand your ground or you'll be trampled over. When life pushes you around you have to push back."


    For a long time, I've confused kindness with stupidity. I do that no more. I stand for myself. Regardless of whose ox is gored.

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  85. thank you for sharing this lovely post at the Thursday Favorite Things link party. I pinned and featured you today at xo

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  86. This is such a brilliant post. I love all the quotes you have used too. Being a quitter of things that make you unhappy is a really interesting way of looking at it. I especially like your point about knowing when you should battle and when to let it go. Thank you for linking up to the #DreamTeam x

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  87. Great advice and I love all the hilarious gifs you chose to go along with it all! Thanks for joining us at this week's #FridayFrivolity - I chose you to be my feature!

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  88. Hello, Lux! <3

    This is indeed a lovely post! I love how you put into words the things that you want to quit which you makes you unhappy. This is brilliant

    Hope to hear from you soon! :)

    Love, Airish
    Gorgeous Glance | New travel post is up ♡
    http://www.airishabella.blogspot.com

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  89. Dear Lux, I love the way you put these posts together with so much wisdom. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were in your 70s ... older than me! :-) You're so right about quitting. And, if there is anything I hope you don't quit ... it's writing your blog! :-) I love it.

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  90. Love, love, love this! Life's too short to be anything but happy!

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  91. I'm happy to find out that I've quit most of the things you've quit too! And you know what, you're right, I am happier and have peace of mind now. It's hard to quit toxic people because even if they can be toxic, you do love them still and for me, it was hard to let go of those people, because I loved them despite their shortcomings and the hope that they will change is still there, however, for my own sanity, I feel that quitting them is a must, if they want me in their life, they have to quit being toxic. :P

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  92. What a relevant article. I used to be guilty of almost everything on this list, but I'm glad I've also quit all of them. This is some great advice, especially for those in the middle of "finding themselves".

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  93. Everything is so on point, Lux. Maybe I'll just add that I quit hanging on to comfort zones at the expense of more meaningful what-could-be's.

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  94. So on point, Lux. Maybe I shall also add that I quit hanging on to comfort zones at the expense of meaningful what-could-be's.

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  95. I really appreciate the quote by Mark Twain. Just because someone urged us to fight back does not mean we should. A useless fight is a foolish one. It`s just exertion of effort without expected fruitful results. It`s great that you have learned to quit things that don`t make you happy. Happiness is also a choice.

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  96. Also did some to be more happy. It is better to let go of things sometimes.

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  97. This is a fantastic list, Lux. These are lessons I learned far too late for them to do me any good. Well,not really, but I had to learn them the hard and painful way. And I like the animated GIFs...

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