You're not stuck in any area of life
You are not stuck in your job, relationship, apartment, financial situation, or mindset — every area of life can change once you decide to change it.
Snapshot · The Mel Robbins Podcast
8 Simple Reminders You Need to Hear Right Now
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Jul 9, 2026
Where this was said
Reminder 6: You Can't Change the Past — But You Can Change What Happens Next
At 47:50 · chapter starts 47:20
Reminder 6 opens with Mel's explicit rejection of 'everything happens for a reason' — she finds it false, because terrible things happen to people who don't deserve them. The version she prefers is more grounded: everything doesn't happen for a reason; you find a reason to move forward despite what happened. That means looking for lessons, tapping into the strength that gets forged by getting knocked down and getting back up. [1] — Mel Robbins "I may not be responsible for where I am right now, but I sure as hell am responsible for what happens next." 43:10 She turns the spotlight inward, sharing that in her 30s and 40s she was jealous, petty, and insecure — someone she would not recommend as a friend. No one fixed that but her. She made a decision not to spend the rest of her life as that version of herself, and she made the changes. The chapter pivots on one liberating insight: you are not stuck. Not in the job, the relationship, the apartment, the financial situation, or the mindset. Every single area of life can be changed through decision, definition, and consistent action. What happens next is always up for revision.
Reminder 7: 'Let Them' Is a Boundary, Not Permission
Most people think 'let them' means tolerating disrespect. It's the opposite. It means you see exactly what someone is doing, you recognize you can't control them, and you decide they're not worth your energy. That's power, not passivity.
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