By Victoria Moreau
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May 20, 2024
If you know anything about me, it's that I'd be the first to say yes to anything to make people happy, even if that meant sacrificing my own peace. I think everyone has that moment in their lives when everything just clicks. They make up their minds to change, and it happens. The stars align, and their cosmic trajectory takes a sharp turn toward something greater or the universe forces them in that direction. For me, it was during my pregnancy. I had heard stories about all the crazy things pregnant women do and say, and I was sure I was going to become one of them. Interestingly, my tolerance for people disrespecting my time—and as a result, me—dwindled down to almost nothing. After all, I was scheduling precious moments of my life to do something for or with them, but they couldn't be bothered to show up or be on time without so much as a "Hey, I'm sorry I'm going to be late." You know what that translates to in my mind? "I don't respect you enough to value your time and energy." At the time, my husband was getting into reading books on stoicism. One of his book covers had a title that caught my eye: "Hell Yeah or No." While the book itself was a bit of a stretch for me, the title became a mantra I could get behind. I hadn't really decided to go for it; it was just something I kept in the back of my mind. Then one day, my husband said to me, "You know, now that you've taken on this perspective of not caring what other people think, you're untouchable." I paused for a moment, shocked to hear it. I was a little taken off guard. I didn't think I was making noticeable changes, although I could certainly feel them. I had more time for myself, I was less stressed, and I spent less time ruminating about the what-ifs. What if I hurt their feelings? What if this interrupts their plans? What if they don’t like my idea? I had never felt untouchable in my entire life. I felt like Superwoman. Who would have thought that a new attitude from a book cover on my coffee table was whispering the key to unlocking everything holding me back and keeping me tied down? I could make decisions about the people and things in my life without getting caught up in the emotion of it all. It was addicting, and I loved it.