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Have you ever felt guilty, or uncomfortable, about a decision you made because someone made a comment once, maybe even in your childhood, that made you feel like it was bad?

Maybe you said “no” to someone who asked you to help out with something, and you felt selfish. 

Or maybe you didn’t respond back to someone immediately and you found yourself apologizing to them for not being available.

Or perhaps someone made you believe that your high standards were unrealistic and now you wonder if you should drop your standards. 

While there are certainly times to be humble, seek counsel, and evaluate our decisions, there are also things that you shouldn’t have to feel bad or guilty about.

So in this episode of the SHE podcast, I’m listing 7 things you should never feel guilty about.

Are you ready?

7 Things to Never Feel Guilty About

1. Setting boundaries and taking care of yourself.

The thing about boundaries is that we often make them as a means to an end. We set boundaries so that we can be more productive or so that we can better serve others. And while those can be good reasons, it’s also good to just rest for the sake of resting. Can we just set boundaries and take time for ourselves because we’re human and we need restoration time? Is it only about productivity and being there for everybody or can it also just be because that’s how we connect with our Creator? 

2. Not responding to an email or a text right away.

Look, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to respond to everybody within an hour. We often feel like we have to apologize if we don’t respond immediately because we worry that the other person will think that we’re being rude or ignoring them. But it’s okay to not respond right away. In a previous SHE episode with Stacy Tuschi, Stacy suggested to be proactive in the morning and reactive in the afternoon. Maybe consider choosing a time of day to just sweep through all your messages and get back to everyone at once. 

3. Speaking up when something makes you uncomfortable.

As much as you don’t want to come off as rude or judgmental, if a conversation turns into something that makes you uncomfortable, it’s okay to respectfully explain your view or redirect the conversation.

4. Not knowing the answer to something.

Sometimes we feel pressure to have all the answers – especially in a work environment where we don’t want our boss or client to judge us. But most people will actually respect you more if you say you don’t understand something than if you try to fake it.

5. Having big dreams or a lot of dreams.

I’m talking to you, my enneagram 3’s and 7’s. For those of you who are multi-passionate, or have big dreams, you don’t need to feel guilty if others don’t quite understand or relate. Just because someone thinks you’re indecisive, because you have a lot of different dreams, doesn’t mean you need to feel bad about it. Because that’s the way God made your brain.

6. Staying true to your values even when it’s unpopular.

There are certainly things to humble yourself and apologize for, but staying true to your values, even if it offends somebody or they don’t like it, is not something to apologize for. Don’t have a prideful heart or refuse to listen to other opinions, but know that it’s so much more important to choose what’s right than choose what’s popular.

7. Having high standards.

Some people may make you feel like you’re being unrealistic for having high standards. And yes, there are times where you may be unrealistic, but there are other times where your high standards are good and valid. You don’t need to hold back your God-given potential to make other people more comfortable. And if you’re struggling to understand the difference between high standards and unrealistic expectations, then make sure you check out this podcast episode.

Tune In To This Episode

Now that you’ve seen the list, consider if any of these seven things are ones that you feel bad or weird about. Ask yourself why you feel bad about that. And then ask yourself: “If I had a friend who told me they felt bad about this, what advice would I give them?” Then speak that advice to yourself.

And if you want to dig deeper into these, make sure you tune in to the episode and press that play button! You’ll learn:

• • 7 things to never feel guilty for
  • The importance of resting just for the sake of resting
  • Ways to respond when you don’t know the answer to something
  • How to stay to true to your values even when it’s unpopular 
  • The difference between high standards and unrealistic expectations

And once you’ve listened to the episode, let us know in the comments below: which of these 7 things do you struggle with the most?