Almost everyone is familiar with Marie Kondo and her organization plan: If something does not spark joy, get rid of it.
Millions of people have been using this idea to organize their closets, kitchens, bathrooms, and just anywhere that seems cluttered. So why not your personal life?
As humans, we settle for so much, when in reality we should be doing what's best for ourselves all the time. We think that when our significant others are acting selfishly that it's deserved, but we never think to act selfishly ourselves—to just take that one night to be alone and read a book. Or when you're at work and your boss is never kind to you, we go with it telling ourselves that we need the paycheck and the hiring process takes too long to re-enter it. My favorite excuse is when some of my peers talk about their major and say things like, "In my major I do xyz, and I like it enough. I don't know, I'm okay with it, and it's too late to do something I love." But then we turn around and clean out our drawers, throwing out the things that do not spark joy because it's cleansing and nice, and then turn back to the very average reality of our lives.
Let's do better.
If your significant other sucks and isn't nice to you, throw them away! If you are qualified and good at your job, find a new one where you'll be treated right. Take some time to be selfish. If your friends don't act like real friends to you, let the friendships fade, and find people who appreciate you for who you are.
If you truly are not happy with something in your life, go out and do something about it. It could be as easy as looking up possible career paths on the internet and how to achieve those goals. It is never too late to take your life from average to truthfully happy through actions as simple as deciding it is time to create change. Next time you're cleaning out your closet and throwing out that sweater you hate, remember that your whole life deserves to spark joy too. Throw out the negativity in your life.