In today’s society, so many people apologize for things that they shouldn’t. You should apologize for things such as purposefully hurting someone, accidentally stepping on someone’s foot, or for making a mistake that could have easily been avoided. Those are the types of things you should always apologize for, but there are some things that you should never, ever, under any circumstances feel like you have to say sorry for or feel bad about.

1. How you feel.

Here’s something that a vast majority of people do not understand: Feelings are uncontrollable. You don’t get to decide who you love, who you care about, or how something makes you feel. You don’t get to decide what triggers your emotions and what makes your blood boil. You don’t get to choose what makes you smile brighter than a thousand suns and what makes you laugh until you can’t breathe. The things that spark your jealousy and press your buttons aren’t up to you. You can’t control your feelings, so don’t apologize for them.

2. Caring about something "too much."

If there’s something you’re passionate about, there’s no such thing as “caring too much.” If there’s something that pulls your heartstrings and you feel the need to go above and beyond to care for it, do it. If you’re talking about something you care about and someone makes you feel dumb for being so wrapped up in it, screw them. It doesn’t matter if you care about a sports team, your GPA, or discovering the existence of mermaids. It doesn’t matter if the number one thing you care about is the dog you have waiting for you at home or if your main focus is landing your dream job; If you want to talk about it, then talk about it. Nobody should ever make you feel like something you care about isn’t important. Always choose to care deeply, no matter what it is.

3. Doing what's best for you.

People need to do what makes them happy and what will benefit them in the long run. If cutting someone out of your life is what’s best for you, grab the scissors. If dropping a class is what’s best for you, contact your advisor. If going MIA for awhile just so you can have a chance to pull your life together, walk into your room and shut the door behind you. If you feel like you need Jesus, then, by all means, get up on Sunday morning and take your ass to church. If quitting a job you hate is what’s best for your sanity, put your two weeks in. At the end of the day, when it comes to your life, you have to forget about what other people want. You have to do what’s best for your happiness.

4. Loving someone "too much."

Ah, yes, the infamous, “You just love him/her too much.” STOP. THAT’S BULLSHIT. The only reason why people are told that they love somebody “too much” is because that person makes them feel like they aren’t enough. Now, I understand that there are people in toxic relationships who need to get out of them. I understand that there are people who need to learn how to let go. But what people don’t need to do is think that loving deeply and loving to an extreme is a bad thing. Love people with your entire heart, and if it doesn’t work out, that’s just God leading you one step closer to something much greater.

5. Following your heart.

People are in a constant battle between their minds and their hearts. Whether you’re facing a decision based on your relationship with someone, a career path, or how you should react when you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place: follow your heart. Do what your heart tells you and don’t you dare ever look back. God made all of our hearts in a specific way that’s designed just for us, so not everyone is going to understand why you do the things you do, but here’s the beautiful thing about that: you don’t owe anyone an explanation. You don’t have to explain yourself to anybody. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

6. Asking for help.

We are all human; Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes and we all get knocked down sometimes. We all fail tests and we all slip-up. At times, we are in need of some assistance. We need someone to help lift us up when getting up becomes the most difficult task to complete. Everybody needs help, whether it’s with a physical task or simply needing someone to listen to them. Everybody is so focused on “not needing anybody” and “hating to ask for help.” But, at the end of the day, nobody can make it on their own; Everybody needs a best friend and everybody needs God. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.

7. Believing in God.

Religion can be tough, believe me, I’ve had my fair share of battles with it and I know there are a lot more to come. Believing that “some man” up in the sky created all of us and planned our lives for us can be difficult to grasp our heads around. But, the people who do, the people who truly believe that God is their Lord and Savior, are the ones who suffer the most. There is always going to be someone who laughs at you for praying and teases you for believing in someone whom you’ve never met. Here’s a secret, though: those people are lost, just like we all once were. Believing in a higher power isn’t something to be embarrassed about and it sure as hell isn’t something anybody should ever have to apologize for. Pray in public, go to church on Sundays, and post Bible verses online. Trust the God who created you, and above all else, love Him.

8. Being yourself.

It doesn’t matter if you dream of being a teacher, a doctor, or a comedian. I don’t care if you have aspirations of making it to Hollywood, goals to become a professional athlete, or if you have a strong desire to become the world’s greatest motivational speaker. I don’t care if your personality makes you shy, outgoing, or ambitious. Whether you’re a wallflower or a social butterfly makes no difference to me. You should always be yourself, no matter how you act or what you choose to become. You shouldn’t ever let a day go by where you’re trying to be something or someone that you’re not. Be an astronaut. Be loud. Be a magician. Be rambunctious. Be you, and don’t you ever feel bad about it.