“You do you” is a phrase I’ve been known to utter a time or two (or seven). It’s really easy to say it about other people. It’s harder to apply it and mean it for your own life.
But it’s so, so, vastly important.
You do you! Life is just too short, man.
This phrase has also come up a lot in my life lately, making me think it’s a sign to finally write about it.
My current favorite song is called Just Do You by India.Arie. I have it saved on a few playlists on Spotify, and it’s been on several new playlists I’ve found. It’s empowering as heck, man, and I just love it.
Also, one of the books I’ve read recently was called You Do You by sassy angel writer Sarah Knight. I’ve read The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck, also by her, and I completely loved it. When I saw this was the title of her newest book, I knew I needed to read it ASAP. It’s full of amazing quotes, but this passage was by far my favorite:
We just need permission to be ourselves, make our own decisions and mistakes, and revel in our own success, whatever that means to us.
It’s time to grant that permission to your own damn self. Because living your life according to other people’s success is the same as living your life according to other people’s dreams, other people’s fears, and other people’s notions of risk and regret. That’s not helping anybody.
And in the end, the only person it hurts when you shape your life according to other people’s standards?
YOU.
Come on, right?! It’s common sense and also mind-blowing at the same time.
All of our lives our different. We have different wants, needs, desires, talents and dreams. We all define success, failure and mistakes differently. And that’s great!
We can’t all look at everything the same way. How boring would that world be?!
We need to just be true to ourselves every single step of the way. We can’t build our own successes or lives on other people’s thoughts, feelings or words.
We also can’t live our lives constantly being jealous of other people and wanting what they have. That’s how you end up in a vicious cycle of negativity with no end in sight.
So just do you, baby butterfly. Someone has got to be a star, so just do you today.
(And also, listen to Just Do You by India.Arie because it’s so damn good.)
