Life is hard to navigate on your own but as I look back on how I’ve managed this far, is all thanks to my childhood. Therefore, I’d like to share with you the life lessons I learned from my parents.
What I think life lessons are is that they are character traits that are learned earlier either from your parents or by your own mistakes.
It took me a few years, perhaps a few too long in my parent’s opinions, to tell them that I thanked them for the things I learned and how much I appreciate it.
Trust your instincts
What you feel is usually what is right. Maybe not right for other people, but what’s right for you, right now. It’s learning how to understand that feeling when it arises and the confidence to follow it and be ready for the outcome.
Love Yourself
Being on your own is tough. Loving your self is even tougher. When you’re truly alright with yourself and allow to love yourself, you open yourself up for others to do so too. When you do, it’s also visible and apparent to others around you.
Don’t Follow the Crowd, Stand Out
There are moments in life where sometimes it’s better to be with the crowd. However, to get noticed you must do something different.
Embrace your Flaws
Everyone has things about themselves physically, emotionally, and mentally that we believe are flawed. I wish I was a bit taller or I wish I had his/her luck, etc. That doesn’t make us irregular, broken, or unwanted but that we are aware of ourselves and the pressures that society puts on us to be perfect. Respect yourself.
Fight for Yourself
Don’t let other people dictate how you should act or who you should be. When you find yourself, defend it.
Always say “Please” and “Thank You”
These three words make an enormous impact. It could be that one small thing that makes someone remember you by and it could make a difference in some circumstances. Even when you don’t feel like saying it, it might change an outcome.
Do Good Things and Get Good Things in Return
When you exude positive energy and do good things not just for yourself but for others, then you’ll start to see and receive good things back. It’s the “Pay it Forward” effect.
Patience is a Virtue
“Good things come to those who wait” is true. Being patient is also essential to life every day. It also shows you that you can stay calm in a frustrating environment.
It’s Never too Late to Start Over
When you think you’ve failed, it doesn’t mean it’s over. You should never feel like you can’t start new because something didn’t work out before. The road to success and the road to failure are intertwined.
Pick Your Battles
Knowing when and when not to engage in arguments sets you apart from others. Be tactful, diplomatic and approach the topic realistically and ask yourself if it’s worth bickering over or whether something is easiy to get over.
Never Stop Smiling
Even in the most troubling times and when you don’t want to, remember to smile. It sparks a chain reaction in people and allows you to enjoy a brief happy moment in life.
Understand That Things Could Be Worse
Things may not be going your way right now, but it’s not the end of the world. Only you can control your actions and reactions to events that happen and that sometimes the outcomes may be far worse. You will always find a way to get back up.
Appreciate What You Have
Never want what others have and you don’t. It creates a feeling of inadequacy and failure. Understand that there are people who have far less than you and are happy. Appreciating what you have brings understanding. Humility is as just a virtue as patience is.
Quality over Quantity
It’s never about how many friends you have or how big your home is or what status your credit card is. Having quality people and things in your life over how many of them and having an overall good quality of life is essential to being happy.
Take Time for Yourself
You don’t truly know yourself until you spend time with yourself. Only you know when you need a break and when you can keep going. Being alone isn’t a bad thing and you shouldn’t be scared to be alone. It can provide insights into what you really need and might find along the way of your self discovery.
Read
Reading stimulates creativity and allows you to learn new things. What you learn could help you later down the road. Reading also is an escape and allows your brain to calm down.
Take Care of Your Skin
Extensive sun exposure not only ages us faster but puts us at risk of several health issues. Taking care of your skin is not only a good and easy preventative measure but can also motivate you to eat better and take care of other places in your life.
Actively Add into your Retirement Plan
Recent generations find saving money much more difficult than our parents’ generations. Things change and shift more quickly now making saving hard. Preparing for retirement by knowing how the world is shirting is essential for us later down the road. Start small and keep adding and investing.
Never Skip Meals
Being thankful for what you have is often overlooked. As humans, we love food. Be thankful you have it and enjoy it with people that matter to you.
Be Curious
Embracing the urge to explore and find new things helps us understand our changing world. It also helps us find our passions and dislikes. Plus, curious people are happier.
Asking Questions Does Not Mean You’re Incompetent
Asking questions makes you a better innovative thinker and gain a better understanding of situations, especially at work. Asking questions should never make you feel incapable but to help you understand things in greater depth.
Clean Up Your Clutter
A clean house is a happy house. Being organized in life reduces your stress levels, allows you more time for what you love and promotes productivity.
Never Assume Things About Someone
You never know what someone is going through or their reasons for what they know or do. Allow people to voice their opinion and thoughts to formulate a valid reason instead of assuming their actions or reactions.
Don’t Make Excuses for People’s Bad Behavior
Accept that sometimes people are jerks. However, we’ve become programmed to let their bad behavior slide because we fail at communicating our displeasure out of fear. By not saying anything, we allow other people’s bad behavior to happen.
Don’t Blame Others
Learn to take the blame for your mistakes and back it up with a plan of action on how to rectify it. Your boss and other will appreciate you more for it.
Learn to Listen
Pay attention to what someone is saying, hear them out and don’t jump to conclusions. When we stop planning our responses to someone who is speaking with us and allowing them the time and space to express their thoughts in turn, allows us to really show them you’re listening.
These life lessons I carry with me every day and sometimes I even forget about a few. When I do, I’m always reminded of them in some way or other.
