What’s something you used to worry about but don’t anymore?
WordPress really made me stop and think today.
The Day I Stopped Chasing Butterflies wasn’t a title I planned.
It all began with one simple prompt:
“What’s something you used to worry about but don’t anymore?”
Poor WordPress.
It asked one tiny question…
…but life handed me a much longer answer. 😄
I think being a woman teaches you certain lessons much earlier than you expect. And honestly, not just women—life has a funny way of teaching all of us, whether we signed up for the class or not.
So here’s my little list…
Or maybe not a list.
More like a collection of things I quietly stopped carrying.
I stopped worrying so much about… people.
What will people think?
I spent years editing myself before speaking.
One day I realized most people weren’t even reading my script—they were busy rehearsing their own.
Turns out, people have their own lives, their own problems, and their own endless to-do lists. They’re not running a 24/7 surveillance team dedicated to me.
What a relief. 😄
Making everyone happy.
I tried. Really, I did.
Then I realized it’s like charging everyone’s phone while your own battery is at 2%.
Someone is always going to be unhappy.
These days, if I’m smiling, I call it a successful day.
Outgrowing people.
I used to believe every friendship had to last forever.
Now I know some people are chapters, not the whole book.
They came, they taught me something, and they moved on.
That’s not failure…
That’s life.
I stopped worrying so much about… myself.
There was a time when saying “I don’t know” felt like admitting defeat.
Now it feels like honesty.
Even Google occasionally says, “No results found.” 😄
I also stopped worrying about changing my mind.
If people say, “You’ve changed,” my first thought is…
“I certainly hope so.”
Software that never updates eventually crashes.
Humans aren’t any different.
And don’t even get me started on productivity.
I used to feel guilty for resting.
Now I know even my phone demands to be charged before it starts complaining.
Why should humans be any different?
And finally… I stopped worrying so much about life itself.
Every closed door once felt like the end of the world.
Now I just assume life saved me from walking into the wrong room.
What’s meant for me usually has a funny habit of finding me anyway.
I also made peace with silence.
Earlier, every quiet moment felt awkward.
Now silence often says more than words ever could.
And starting over?
That one doesn’t scare me anymore either.
Beginning again doesn’t mean starting from scratch.
Experience quietly packs its bags and comes along for the ride.
So no matter how many times life says,
“Start again…”
I know I’m never truly starting from zero.
Somewhere along the way…
I learned how to live.
Not because life suddenly became easier.
But because I slowly stopped expecting happiness to arrive one fine morning, ring the doorbell, and politely introduce itself.
I spent years chasing happiness.
Running after people.
Running after approval.
Running after expectations.
Running after that imaginary moment when everything would finally be perfect.
Then one day I realized something that changed everything.
If you want butterflies, you don’t spend your life chasing butterflies. You build a garden where butterflies would want to stay.
Maybe happiness works the same way.
The Day I Stopped Chasing Butterflies 🦋
So instead of chasing everyone and everything, I started creating a life that feels like home to me.
A little embroidery.
A little gardening.
Digital illustration.
Writing.
Music playing in the background.
Dancing in the kitchen while waiting for the tea to boil.
Painting when words aren’t enough.
Getting lost in a good suspense thriller.
Spending unhurried time with my family.
Playing Ludo together and laughing over the silliest things.
Years from now, I don’t think we’ll remember who won the Ludo game… but we’ll definitely remember who was sitting around the board. 🤍
Maybe every home deserves a tiny family ritual.
It doesn’t have to be anything grand.
A board game.
An evening cup of tea.
A short walk.
Even simply a little time together.
Sometimes, the smallest rituals become the biggest memories.
Tiny moments.
Simple joys.
Nothing extraordinary.
Yet somehow…
They make ordinary days feel beautiful.
Maybe that’s what happiness looked like all along.
Does that mean I never worry anymore?
Of course not.
(Okay okay… some things still sting. I’m not a saint. 😛)
But now I know where to return when life becomes too loud.
Sometimes I even wonder…
Have I finally achieved moksha?
Then someone cuts me off in traffic, my Wi-Fi stops working, or an online order gets delayed…
…and I’m immediately reminded—
Nope. Still very much attached to worldly things. 😂
Now I’m curious…
What’s something you used to worry about… but don’t anymore?
Or tell me this…
What do you do to worry a little less… and live a little more?🤍
I’d genuinely love to hear your answer in the comments. 🦋✨
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Until the next whisper…
—Rajeshwari 🧿💕
© Nihshabd by Rajeshwari
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If this whisper stayed with you, you may also enjoy reading If I Had to Be an Animal for a Week | A Butterfly’s Lesson