15 important lessons my life taught me

 

 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻 I can actually find moments of silence that will allow me to go within.To allow for that wise voice of my intuition to be heard. In those moments of introspection, my mind takes me back and I revisit all those incidents of misconduct or moments of great achievement and joy of my life's journey. 

This year I've been pondering and journaling on the most valuable lessons I got from my 50-year-long life. For some reason I felt called to do so.To go within but also back in time. So I am sharing them with you, hoping they'll be valuable to you . 

Before I start, let me first acknowledge that each life is unique and that what might hold true for me, for you it might not resonate at all based on your life's experiences. So please take what I say with a grain of salt. With that out of the way, let us begin.

1. Treat everyone with respect.I am guilty of having been utterly and shamefully disrespectful to people who deserved nothing but my absolute respect. A habit I changed after realising how hurtful it is.One thing I simply cannot tolerate is hurting other people.

2.Don't follow the herd. I had always been too shy and timid to have any opinion of my own,well into my adolescence and early adulthood. I agreed with everything and avoided all conflict no matter what. I liked what everyone else liked. Looking back it's a pathetic, mundane existence of no individuality whatsoever. Suffice it to say that is no longer the case. All credits go to the hardships of my life and some amazing mentors and friends.

 

3. Don't listen to critics. It's one quality that due to an almost inexistent supply of self-worth and self-esteem I sorely lacked. It cost me countless of wasted opportunities, the loss of valuable people from my life and made me act in ways I still cringe when thinking of them. One more thing I definitely not do anymore.

4.Exploit hardships for your growth.  I can't recall the exact moment I realised that all horrible moments of my childhood and adolescence could be used as fuel for my growth and progress as a person. But oh, what a difference it made once I got that lesson down. I aced it!

5. Celebrate the tiny triumphs. You don't have to wait until you've hit that long-term, lofty goal. Celebrate every little success in between. That will give you the necessary fuel to keep taking those baby steps while going for the big one. I should know from experience.

6. The things that are hardest to do are generally speaking the wisest to do. It's something we all know to be true but pretend it does not apply to us. Like getting up early or planning ahead, sticking to a healthier eating regime or working out more often. Not many of us can muster the discipline needed. The rewards for those who do are improved health and more freedom of time during their day. 

  

7.The fears you don't face become your walls. I know I'm not the only one whom this applies to. Due to my life's circumstances I had developed this huge fear of being hurt, I was just too afraid to trust anyone, at least enough to let them in. It cost me dearly, I can tell you that much. Face those demons head-on, you know exactly what they are. Scary as they may seem, you can do it. Your life will be so much better if you do. 

8.Keep your promises, both at home and in the workplace. Don't say you'll do one thing and never do it. Do not lie.Not to yourself and definitely not to others. When at work outwork your peers and deliver massive, beautiful value to the world. You might think nobody is waching. Trust me, they do.   

9.Mastery takes massive practice. And unwaivering faith and unlimited resources of patience. If you aspire to be a master in your field you've got to work harder than anyone else.While I'm still pretty far off from being considered a master in my field, whatever experience I gained through hard work and practice is precious to me and it fuels me to move onward still. I'm proud I came this far and  I look forward to becoming more knowledgeable in my field. There's always one more mountaintop after you've reached the top, right?

 

 10.Morning exercise is a game-changer. At least for me. Of course this is not set in stone and not everyone necessarily likes it. The difference it can make in your daily life,however,  by giving you the necessary boost in feeel-good hormones and ample amounts of energy to be the absolute best you can be, are invaluable advantages to you.

11.We are at our most creative when in solitude. Speaking for myself, I do my best work when I'm alone or in the early morning hours when everyone else is sleeping. That's when creativity and  the soft voice of inspiration are at their peak. Why not use those moments to work on yourself or hone your craft?

12. Education is your protection against distraction. We are all painfully aware of the numerous sources of distraction around us. Your phone screen is one, constantly flashing notifications. The tempting allure of social media. The latest show on Netflix. And while it's ok to indulge from time to time, if your goal is to be productive, make sure your mind is fed and innoculated through daily reading and education. I myself love watching a good movie or series and Itend to get hooked on them. I do try though to counterbalance that with at least 30 minutes of reading or watching educational content.

13. An uninspired person can't inspire others. In order to keep the flame of inspiration burning, I suggest you do things that inspire you. Read good books or biographies. Go to an art gallery. Travel more if you can. Have amazing, thought-provoking conversations with people who are smarter than you. Watch a documentary or listen to a podcast.Go to conferences or networking events. 

 

14. Cheap costs more. We all love finding bargains and admittedly, most of us are not that affluent to go for the more expensive option. But it does come at a price. I've bought cheap shoes more often than I can recall with horrendous, extremely painful consequences for my feet. Cheap clothing items I tossed away after having washed them only once, since they quite literally tore up at the seams.Cosmetics that caused skin damage, thankfully not extensive or serious. It's therefore preferable to hold out till you can actually purchase a bit more expensive product or service and be healthy than paying money to doctors or other specialists to fix whatever problems your cheaper choice cost you.

15. Life can change in a day. Worse still, it can change in a matter of seconds. Savour therefore the blessings this moment in time brings you, don't postpone it. Even when you're going through trials and tribulations right now. Just enjoy the present moment, you're not going to get it back, ever again. So don't wait. Be present, laugh, listen, be with your loved ones. Time waits for no one.  

Well, that's it from me today. I tried to keep the list short and concise. It is my sincere hope that whatever lessons I learnt in my life will be of service to yours, so you can make yours the best, most loving and productive life, for yourself and the ones you love.

 

𝓐𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼, 𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓰𝔂,

𝓛𝓲𝓪😀💓