A majority of women are afraid of getting old, but aging has its own advantages. An American woman, Michelle Combs fought desperately against signs of aging for a very long time as many others like her, but when she turned 52, she decided she was done fighting against it. Today, she is confident that stereotypes can ruin the quality of a person’s life, but the older we become, the easier it is to get rid of them. In her blog, Michelle wrote about which principles she completely removed from her life in order to become happier.

Bright Side put together a list of such principles that Michelle said no to without losing a thing.

1. Bearing something you don’t like.

Michelle Combs is sure that we should never be silent when we see or feel injustice. We are always ready to speak out on someone else’s behalf but never on our own. We need to build our own psychological boundaries. It is very important to show those around you that you should never be treated like this. Speaking out about what you don’t like is the first step in the right direction.

2. Worrying about how you look to others.

At a certain age, we come to understand that we need to accept ourselves the way we are. Our peculiarities and weaknesses just add spice to our lives. Enjoy life at any age! A positive lady named Baddie Winkle who loves bright colors and bold clothing proves this simple truth to the world every day by being her authentic self.

3. Making excuses for your messy house.

Of course, there is no need to run to extremes, but sometimes you can forgive yourself for having a messy house. Why? Because it’s your house and you don’t have to apologize to anyone for it! Besides, it’s worth finding out why it became difficult to support a clean home in the first place.

Being untidy has nothing to do with laziness most of the time. There are several reasons for it that you probably don’t even realize. For example, you are so stressed with work that you don’t have the time or stamina to clean your house. Such a thing can happen to anyone, and it’s absolutely normal.

4. Guilty pleasures

You don’t have to feel guilty for the way you spend your time. It doesn’t matter whether you like to read comics for children, collect matchboxes or cry while watching a romantic movie. It’s just you.

A prominent physician, Richard Feynman once said, “You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing.” Following this principle, he did what he loved to do and was awarded the Nobel prize.

5. Wear uncomfortable shoes.

A desire to show off a pair of high heel shoes is usually adherent to our youth. With age, it becomes clear that everything we wear should not be only beautiful but also comfortable. Wearing comfortable clothes and shoes is a way to be respectful of yourself and your body. Your wardrobe is a reflection of your personality, which is one of the most important rules a stylist goes by. Wearing items that suit you is a sign of a happy, harmonious woman.

6. Accumulating stuff you don’t need.

When trying to get rid of unnecessary stuff, all of us think, “What if I’ll need it later?” If you don’t know why you need this thing now, it’s hardly possible that it’ll be useful later. Cleaning up helps to bring order to your house, thoughts, and soul. To learn how to live with a minimum of things and perfect the organization of space, you can read Mari Kondo’s books The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Spark Joy, and The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up.

7. Spending unnecessary time with people you don’t like.

Our life is too short to spend it on those who are uninteresting and unpleasant to us. It is much better to focus on your friends and family who you really love. A study conducted by Harvard scientists showed that people who are happier with their relationships tend to be healthier.

8. Finding the good in every person you know.

You can always find some good in a person when you take a closer look. The main question is, why would you need it? You need to accept the fact that there are so-called toxic people you should avoid like the plague. These are the people who always play the victim, who can’t forgive, and are passively aggressive and selfish, and play by their own rules. Dealing with these kinds of people ruins our mood and steals our time and strength.

Do you agree with Michelle Combs? Which things will you stop doing as you get older? Tell us in the comments below.

Preview photo credit Sex and the City/ DarrenStarProductions/HBO Original Programming/Warner Bros.Television, depositphotos Author Michelle Combs