One word steals more happiness than almost anything else:

Should.

“By now I should be further.”

“My kids should have more.”

“My name should mean something different by this point.”

“They should have stayed.”

“I should be over this already.”

“Should” ties you to a version of your life that never actually existed—

a fantasy timeline, a flawless performance, a pain-free path.

When the picture doesn’t match the promise, happiness often starts with one honest, grown-woman decision:

“This is not what I planned.

It’s not what I wanted.

But this is where I am.

And I am still worthy of joy here.”

Not just later.

Not just when everything is fixed.

Here.

Letting go of “should” doesn’t mean you give up on excellence.

It means you stop beating yourself with a life that never happened.