Should. A terrible word for your mental health.
I should be a rockstar by now. I should have learned French, I should get a promotion, I should be a millionaire.
We often say things like this, an odd sense of entitlement to something that never was. Because of this, we rarely stop to ask why we feel we should. It’s the why that is so vital to help us get our head straight.
Let’s start with “I should be a rockstar.”
Why should you be? What have you done that makes you think it should have happened by now? Did you learn an instrument, get in a band, gig, record, gig more, dedicate your whole life to rock music etc etc etc. No? Then no, you shouldn’t be a rockstar by now.
“I should have learned French”. Well, you didn’t. No point worrying about it. More importantly, why are you not taking French lessons now? What exactly is stopping you?