You’re Allowed To Slow Down And Take A Break


Paige Muller

You’re allowed to step back. You’re allowed to pause when everyone’s running. You’re allowed to quit before you finish the race. You’re allowed to realize halfway through that this race is not for you. You’re allowed to change your mind. You’re allowed to start over.

You’re allowed to say ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ You’re allowed to admit that you’re not feeling well instead of pretending that everything is fine. You’re allowed to show people your weaknesses instead of acting like you’re invincible. You’re allowed to say that things are not going the way you want them to instead of living a lie hoping that you’d believe it one day.

You’re allowed to move at your own pace. You’re allowed to follow your own timeline instead of letting people rush you into accomplishing things by a certain age. You’re allowed to take your time to figure out what you want in life, who you want to be and what will make you happy. You’re allowed to break the rules. You’re allowed to be the black sheep. You’re allowed to have a job that satisfies you even if people don’t really value it. You’re allowed to find your own value away from people’s demands and expectations.

You’re allowed to ask for space. You’re allowed to reflect on your life and your decisions instead of always distracting yourself and keeping yourself busy. We live in a world that puts so much emphasis on ‘hustling’ and not much emphasis on our overall well-being. You’re allowed to take it easy. You’re allowed to be standing still while everyone is hustling because it doesn’t matter how fast you move if you’re moving in the wrong direction. You’re allowed to drive as slow as you want until you find the right direction for you.

You’re allowed to give your heart a break. You don’t have to be in a relationship just because you’ve been single for a long time and you don’t have to stay in the wrong relationship just because you’re afraid of starting over. You’re allowed to take your time to find the right person and the right relationship even if it means waiting while everyone is getting married. You’re allowed to say ‘no’ to the wrong person and say ‘no’ to your friends and parents when they tell you that you should lower your standards or pressure you into being with someone you don’t see a future with.

You’re allowed to move slow. You’re allowed to take your time. You’re allowed to take a break. Stop letting the world convince you that you have to rush everything and get everything you want or else it means you’re falling short. Stop allowing others to make you feel like you’re not good enough or successful enough just because you have a different definition of prosperity and success.

You’re allowed to define your own life even if it doesn’t make sense to others. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

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