There are moments in life that feel less like casual conversation and more like the universe cracking open and tossing you a message wrapped in neon lights. Last night, I got one of those moments.

Someone texted me the words: “Do what you have to do.”

At first glance, it’s the kind of phrase you give when you’re tired, confused, or half-checked out of a situation. But for me? It hit like a cosmic permission slip. It felt like the universe sliding a handwritten hall pass across the table and whispering, “Go. Be free. Stop overthinking it.”

And honestly… I’m taking it as my new life mantra. My personal “hold my beer” era has officially begun.

The Moment I Realized I’ve Been Living for Everyone But Me

I’ve spent years catering to people who wouldn’t walk across the street for me. I’ve bent over backwards, sideways, and spiritually inside out to make things “work,” to earn love, to be understood, to be chosen.

If someone needed emotional support? I was there.

If someone was bored, lonely, chaotic, or spiraling? I was there.

If someone wanted the benefits of a girlfriend without the commitment? Yep. Still there.

Meanwhile, I’ve tolerated men who couldn’t even remember basic facts about my life. (Like having a son. Or, you know… being a widow.)

So when I heard “Do what you have to do,” something clicked.

It wasn’t just permission.

It was liberation.

What “Do What You Have to Do” REALLY Means

For me, this phrase cracked open several truths:

1. I don’t owe anyone emotional CPR.

If I want to stare at the ceiling, pet my cats, have some wine, and ignore a man’s existential crisis? I can. That’s self-care, not selfishness.

2. Obligation is not a personality trait.

I am not contractually bound to be the emotional support human for people who drain me.

3. I get to choose where my energy goes.

No more overextending. No more hoping a situationship magically becomes a relationship. No more rearranging my life for people who wouldn’t even rearrange their weekend.

4. I don’t need to be perfect to be worthy.

Perfectionism has been holding me hostage.

“Do what you have to do” reminds me that done is better than perfect, and peaceful is better than performative.

This is basically me choosing “great enough” over “I must be flawless while burning myself out.”

It’s giving… Stoic queen energy. Which actually aligns perfectly with all the personal peace + boundaries work in my Unbothered AF era of life.

Stepping Into My Unbothered Era

This moment snapped me straight into what I like to call my Unbothered Era, the version of me who:

✨ Walks away without sending a 4-paragraph justification

✨ Stops trying to fix grown adults

✨ Chooses silence over chaos

✨ Invests energy only where it’s reciprocated

✨ Protects her peace like it’s her retirement fund

Your peace isn’t a group project.

It’s a solo mission, babe. stoic

And “Do what you have to do” is precisely the kind of mantra that pulls you back into yourself.

Back into your autonomy.

Back into your worth.

Back into the version of you who isn’t afraid to choose herself, even if it disappoints someone who was never showing up anyway.

How This Mantra Is Reshaping My Life

Here’s what “Do what you have to do” looks like in real time:

◆ Ignoring messages that don’t respect my energy

◆ Walking away from half-hearted men and half-baked intentions

◆ Not forcing conversations that never go anywhere

◆ Prioritizing my home, my son, my peace

◆ Choosing joy and ease over explanation and performance

◆ Letting myself rest without guilt

◆ Recommitting to my own goals, boundaries, and desires

◆ Leaving behind relationships that don’t meet my standards (yes, I have standards now—shoutout to my relationship clarity list) relationship

This isn’t rebellion.

This is reclamation.

Why This Phrase Matters (and Why You Might Need It Too)

If you’ve ever been the “strong one,” the fixer, the peacemaker, the emotional shock absorber… you know how heavy life can feel.

You end up carrying other people’s problems, like unpaid emotional labor.

You mistake obligation for love.

You confuse chaos for connection.

You forget that YOU are allowed to choose yourself.

So here is your sign, straight from my little spiritual slap-in-the-face moment:

You’re allowed to do what you have to do. Without apology. Without explanation. Without guilt.

Final Thoughts: The Start of a New Chapter

I’m officially letting this phrase anchor me into my next season.

No more people-pleasing.

No more waiting for someone to magically become the partner I deserve.

No more dimming my own intuition.

This is my permission slip to move in alignment. To listen to myself. To trust my own path. To honor the life I’m building without waiting for external approval.

If you needed a sign to reclaim your peace, your choices, your boundaries, and your energy…

Here it is.

Do what you have to do.

And let the rest fall away.