I have just read an article on powerofpositivity.com and loved it...............

20 Things You Don't Owe Anyone

1. You don’t owe anyone a justification for your values and your priorities.
2. You don’t owe anyone a yes when you want to say no.
3. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your relationships, whether lovers or friends.
4. You don’t owe anyone assistance with their happiness journey at the cost of your own.
5. You don’t owe anyone a debate around your political views especially when the other person’s mind is made up.
6. You don’t owe anyone an apology when you are not sorry, and you would make the same decision again.
7. You don’t owe anyone a rationalization about why investing in yourself is important
8. You don’t owe anyone the meaning of what you believe in.
9. You don’t owe anyone a change in your appearance just to please them.
10. You don’t owe anyone friendship, especially when they do not share your values.
11. You don’t owe anyone a negative mindset so that you can commiserate with them.
12. You don’t owe anyone access to information about your life that makes you uncomfortable
13. You don’t owe anyone gossip material about other people just to fit in.
14. You don’t owe anyone your time for their projects or for things that matter to them unless they matter to you too.
15. You don’t owe anyone the commitment to try something “new” just because you were asked.
16. You don’t owe anyone a safe place for constant complaining and dwelling in their poor choices.
17. You don’t owe anyone an answer other than the truth to prevent them from being uncomfortable.
18. You don’t owe anyone your services as a crisis counselor unless you are actually a crisis counselor.
19. You don’t owe anyone false compliments just to make them feel better.
20. You don’t owe anyone anything that doesn’t make you feel good and goes against your gut instinct.

Just remember this:

“What other people think of me is none of my business.” – Wayne Dyer

and then remember this:

“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove.” – Maya Angelou

The next time you are tempted to justify something, just remember that you can’t control what other people think. 

You can only control what you think and how you feel. 

If you are confident with your decisions then an explanation isn’t really necessary, is it?

I just read this article by Tamara Star............. 10 things to give up in exchange for your happiness.

Here are 10 things you'll need to give up in exchange for your happiness.

1. Give up caring what other people think of you.

I know it may feel counter-intuitive, since humans are social animals, but spending time worrying what others think is a waste of energy. You'll never please everyone, and it's none of your business what others think of you.

2. Give up trying to please everyone.

Unless you're living life to the beat of your own drum, your tribe won't be able to find you. Be the best version of YOU you can be, and you'll naturally attract the people who are supposed to surround you.

3. Give up participating in gossip.

Those sharing gossip with you will gossip about you, 100% of the time. Believing gossip is like gambling everything on a horse sight unseen. It's naive.

4. Give up worrying.

Where thoughts go, energy flows. When you worry, you invest time and energy in something you don't want to have happen. Learn to let go and trust.

5. Give up feelings of insecurity.

When you take yourself too seriously, you think everyone else does too. There's one version of you on the planet. Be it, own it and quit worrying about it. No one really cares or watches you that closely.

6. Give up taking everything personally.

Truth is, most people are too consumed with their own life to really consider what you're doing. As my first boss said so well, "The world doesn't revolve around you. Most people's reactions have nothing to do with you, so let them go."

7. Give up the past.

We've all been hurt, we all had parents who made mistakes and we've all been through hell. Every experience in life has taught you something or made you stronger.

8. Give up spending money on what you don't need in effort to buy happiness.

Living simply allows the space for life to flow. We complicate our lives by spending too much money and filling our home with things. Less is truly more.

9. Give up anger.

Anger burns a hole in the hand of the person still holding on to it. Move it out once and for all.

10. Give up control.

Control is an illusion, as we live in an out-of-control world. Learn to embrace the new and welcome change; otherwise you'll grow old through your own rigidity.