View this post on Instagram

 

Confession: I learned most of these from TikTok.

But no matter the platform and no matter the medium (video, poetry, quote, lyrics)—I love these tiny little notions that stick with us and pretty much change how we think about life. Here are a few of my favorite, most beautiful ideas. Which one resonates with you most? Do you have one or two to add in the comments?

1. A question that instantly made me feel lighter:

What if all you need in order to heal is the realization that you’re a different person now than you were back then?

2. Happiness is not about not having problems. It’s about our ability to handle those problems—so we can move on from them.

3. If you don’t really believe the 11:11 thing, instead of making a wish, use the time to remind yourself of what’s most important to you—for that day, week, month, year, or even your whole lifetime.

4. The best way to learn about what a group of people are going through is to listen to them talk—not in general—but listen to them talk to each other. In a women’s forum, for example, the overwhelmingly common topic is often women talking to women about mistreatment, abuse, and assault from men.

5. How to tell if someone really is your best friend? They make your problems their problems so you don’t have to go through them alone. I apply this thought to all aspects of my life. When you pause and give it some thought, you know who’s truly your friend. Or who’s true family. Or even if it’s the right job. These people care for you, and it’s not the fake kind of “caring.” They act—key word, act—as if all of your highs and lows are as important as theirs, and they support you.

6. There are only two people in the world who we need to make proud: the eight-year-old version of ourselves and the 80-year-old version of ourselves. We only need to make those two people happy and proud of how we live our lives.

7. Think about something huge that makes life worth living, that gets you out of bed, that almost consumes you with how much you want it. And whatever just occurred to you? It’s bigger than that. Now, get moving.