Life Lessons Learned⚓︎
Life lessons are one of those things that we learn the hard way. Sometimes life teaches you a lesson or two along the way, generally by luck, success, or by paying attention. They're an opportunity for learning and realizing the potential of what life can be.
The following is a list of life lessons, tips, and warnings I've learned over the years, in no particular order.
Important⚓︎
Realizing what's important in life takes work and is often something people don't realize until it's too late. Always strive to keep perspective and maintain the right mindset. Material possessions only hold so much value. The love of a child, a spouse, the respect of your friends, family, and community; is what's important.
Everything below is the key to all of the above.
Your output is only as good as your input
It doesn't matter what you're doing; whether it's in your personal or professional life, your output will always reflect your input. If you spend time and effort on something, it will always show. If you cut corners, it will also show, just not in a good way.
Learn to be humble and stay humble
Being humble isn't always easy, but it's one of the most important virtues you can master. Don't brag or grandstand; it's unattractive and lacks confidence.
Keep an open mind
Keeping an open mind allows you to control the outcome of a situation. Be confident and stay in control. An open mind ultimately leads to inner peace.
Don't be afraid to ask for what you want
Asking for what you want isn't easy; there's no getting around it. However, when you do, there's a lot of power that comes from it. It all comes down to confidence. The worst thing that can happen is you don't get what you want, and in that, your life doesn't change.
The days are long, but the years are short
Something I didn't understand until I had a kid. You don't realize how fast life moves when you're in the moment. All of a sudden, you'll look back and find it hard to believe how much time has passed.
Success⚓︎
How can you measure success? By being happy? Have nice things? An exciting career? Having children? All of the above?
I think to some degree, it's all of the above, but really, there's no one definition of success. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a poem on success, aptly titled "Success."
I feel it's a perfect representation of what it means to succeed in life.
My interpretation of success is below.
Walk your own path
Don't let anyone tell you how to live your life. Learn from others and their experiences. Listen more than you talk. Ultimately, it's your life to live, so live it how you want to live it. Just be sure to make good choices.
Believe in yourself
Always believe that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. You can believe in other things and/or other people, but you'll always succeed if you believe in yourself.
Never stop learning
Try to learn something new every day. It's a great skill and is incredibly rewarding.
Take care of yourself
Above all else, take care of yourself. Exercise, eat right, and keep your head up. You have everything to gain from it.
Every new beginning is a step in the right direction
Like a phoenix, every new beginning is an opportunity. Don't squander opportunities and keep moving forward. Even if you fail again, dust yourself off and get back in there. You only really fail once you've stopped trying.
Accept your lot in life
It's easy to look around and compare your life to others. Sure, you could always have a bigger house, a better job, a fancier car, etc., but what none of that guarantees is happiness. Happiness comes from acceptance, and while it's important to keep moving forward, it's even more important to stop and appreciate how far you've already come.
It will get easier
When life kicks your ass, try not to lose hope or perspective. As bad as things are, they can always be worse. If your situation seems unbearable, try to remember that life rarely throws anything at you that you can't handle. Keep striving and keep moving forward. I promise it will get easier.
Life Pro Tips⚓︎
Life doesn't come with an instruction book or a set of best practices. The key is learning from others and sharing information. Learn to simplify your life and trust that good things will come from it.
If it takes you less than two minutes to do, just do it
It's all small stuff, but if you can get the quick wins out of the way in such a short amount of time, you may as well. You'll appreciate it later.
You're only as old as you feel
It doesn't matter how old you are; it's nothing but a number. If you can get out of bed and take on the day with confidence and you feel good, it doesn't matter if you're 27 or 87.
You can learn a lot from children
There's nothing like being able to see the world the way a child does. Children have an unbiased view of the world. It's so easy to get lost in the day-to-day hustle that you often forget to stop and take in the beauty and wonder of everything around you. Never lose your inner child.
Work smarter, not harder
Always try to consider if what you're doing is the best approach. Often enough, you can do things better, but if you can find a way to be more productive and satisfied while making your life easier, do it.
Caution⚓︎
Part of learning life lessons is also learning from cautionary tales. They can come in different forms, leading to an unpleasant outcome if you lose perspective. Learn from others and take stock in the lessons below.
Never judge a book by it's cover
Some of the best people I've ever known are unconventional. Whether it be their haircut (or lack thereof), tattoos, piercings, or anything else that isn't standard, don't judge based on what's on the outside. It's always what's on the inside that counts.
Don't be afraid to admit when you're wrong
You'll always get more respect from people when you readily admit when you're wrong. You may think there's a weakness in that, but I assure you, it takes a lot of strength and courage to admit you're wrong. Of course, try to be right whenever possible, but own up to mistakes and failures whenever they may come.
Your job title doesn't define you
It doesn't matter if you have a corner office or clean toilets for a living. Your job title means very little in the long run. No one ever looks back on their life and wishes they spent more time at work. Spend time doing what makes you happy.
Don't be a dick
Keep perspective. Don't let anger, frustration, or jealousy get the better of you.
Prejudice
Don't ever fall into this trap. People who do often never get out.
Don't sweat the small stuff
It's all small stuff. Don't become consumed by worry or doubt. There's not much in life that's insurmountable. Always remember, you can do this. Keep at it.