Life has a funny way of teaching us.
Whether it’s in the relationships we have, the people we meet, or the experiences we endure, you could say that life is one mighty teacher. It’s what I appreciate most about life, like how there is always another lesson to learn, a notion to gain, and a memory to remember as I venture along the way.
Though I’m only 26, I’m grateful for all that life has taught me. It’s an appreciation that I never want to lose or take for granted. A recent trip to see an old friend led me to a moment of reflection on some of its most deepest lessons that I feel have touched my life the most. I decided to jot them down and share them, hoping that publishing them could make them more real and potentially offer some truths to others reading them. From age 0 to 26 – in no particular older – here are some major life lessons I’ve gained and hope to always remember as I get older:
1. If a person can’t stick by your side during your stress, then they don’t deserve to be near you during your success.
2. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.
3. Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option. (This applies to every relationship in all aspects of your life)
4. When people tell you something can’t be done or is impossible to accomplish, that’s the result of their negative thinking or their beliefs about their own limitations, not yours. Never listen to them.
5. You can seriously accomplish anything that you put your mind to do. Your persistence is the barrier that always defines how bad you want something, despite the obstacles you face.
6. An opportunity that you missed is never gone; it’s simply pass along to someone who wanted it more than you.
7. This is sad, but true: In the toughest times of your life, you find out who really cares about you and who doesn’t, i.e. your true friends. And as you get older, you will find that the circle of your real friends is small compared to the number of friends who you had in kindergarten.
8. Misery seriously loves company. Stay away from negative people, because they will only suck you into their negativity.
9. You are the passenger or the pilot of your life. Have the courage to choose how you live your life. Become the person who you aspire to be.
10. Never, ever try to live up to other people’s expectations of you. You don’t need that pressure. Set and live up to your own expectations of yourself.
11. You’ll find that most people live their whole lives living someone else’s life, then later regretting their choices. Don’t let that person be you.
12. Everything always happens for a reason. Trust this. You may discover the reasons at different moments of your life or sometimes you will never know. Still, trust it anyhow.
13. Don’t freak out over your grades. Just do the best you can and life will always place you where you are meant to be. (In many cases, it’s the “B” students who usually become the bosses of the “A” students. Why? Because “B” students know what it means to work hard to strive for a good grade, while “A” students sometimes breeze through, never knowing the essence of hard work.)
14. All those popular and cool kids who you might want to be like or fit in with may one day not be cool or doing anything with their lives. At your reunion, you will be happy that a.) They thought you were weird, geeky, etc. or b.) Your parents told you that you couldn’t hang out with them.
15. Always trust your instinct, aka your gut. It never lies.
16. Nothing stays the same. Life happens. People change. People get older. People move on. And all of these applies to you too. So when you can, take moments to enjoy the moments of your journey and where you are at that moment of your life.
17. You may be surprised to find out that your dream job is really not your dream job. Don’t beat yourself up about it. It’s better to know and move on than to try and make it work. You will only end up feeling worse and being mad at yourself for feeling so.
18. Take the time to find out what it is that you are passionate about and that you find purpose in. You should especially do this since your career will make up a large portion of your life.
19. Everyone has insecurities, even the people you think to be the most beautiful or the smartest.
20. Fame and fortunate mean nothing if you don’t have God in your life, love yourself, or love your life.
21. Any goal that you think possible is possible. If you can envision it, then you can create it.
22. Even when you feel alone or lost, God is always with you – guiding you and bringing you closer to know Him.
23. Time only speeds up as you get older. It doesn’t slow down for anyone.
24. Marry your best friend. When you grow old, it will make such a difference to have someone you deeply love around who you can talk to about anything.
25. Your flaws are imperfectly perfect. To those who truly love you, your quote on quote imperfections, past, and everything about you are beautiful.
26. As much as we hate to face hard times and challenges, it’s in these moments that your soul is shaped. Challenges mold you in becoming something greater, someone stronger, and someone wiser than you ever thought you could be. And at the end of any challenge, you will usually appreciate the growth in who you have become. Your challenges always serve a purpose.
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