Life lessons commonly have to be learned the hard way in order to provide lasting wisdom as a result thereof.
Yet, the hardest part of the learning process is sometimes realising that not every opportunity to acquire that wisdom lasts forever. More often than not, you finally “get it” long after going through hard times quite a few times.
It is possible, however, to learn a few vital life lessons sooner rather than later.
- You Will Have to Work Twice as Hard if You Want to ‘Do What You Love’.
You know how people often comment on how fulfilled they are with their jobs? Yeah, those people, the ones that ‘do what they love’ are actually in the minority. Most people, in fact, end up doing what they are told or suggested they should do by their parents, friends or peers and just try to make the best of it.
But if you have found your passion in life and truly want to ‘do what you love’, you need to realise that it is a privilege, not a given.
So if that’s what you crave, you have to start putting in the extra work right now.
- Fear Lies Beneath the Face of Anger.
Whenever we encounter suffering, especially for long periods of time, we believe the cause to be something outside of us — something we despise or even hate. And we find the anger connected to that hate is in fact something we have held on to for far too long.
And that is…fear. The fear of loss, vulnerability, change and letting go.
If you can reach the point of acknowledging the fears that are holding you hostage, you can start dealing with them and move forward.
- Our Future Selves are Formed by Our Everyday Habits.
What you do today is one more action toward who you will be tomorrow.Don’t underestimate the power of each and every small habit, replicated over time.
For good or bad, your habits determine who you will ultimately become.
Now I know you already know this, so for starters you can stop fooling yourself and address those bad habits holding you back and find the good habits to replace them with.
- Mastering Your Emotions Take Practice.
Who you are emotionally, takes practice. People are not born upset, rude or overpowering. Who you are, emotionally, is a reflection of the things you consciously (or unconsciously) choose to practice.
Troubled, rude and overpowering people have sometimes merely practiced that emotion far more than they should have and thus became defined by the reflection of their most practiced emotions. You can choose to practice humility, forgiveness, self-awareness and humour, just as easily as you can practice anger, resentment, drama, and conflict. Think about this today and choose wisely until practice makes perfect.
- Everybody Has Their Own Agenda.
This is not meant to be seen in the clichéd negative way. In fact, we all have our own dreams, goals, aspirations and personal priorities and we all want the same fundamental things.
You cannot control others or expect them to put you before themselves and trying to do so will set you up for disappointment.
Instead, make it a point to address and help others move toward their own dreams, as you request their help in moving toward yours. This way, you will build relationships that collectively move in the right direction.
- It is Not about Reaching the Top – It’s about The ‘Climb’.
It is one thing to set a goal and enlist the help of others to see its achievement through. It is entirely another to sacrifice your own well-being and the well-being of those around you, for that goal and its achievement.
The high at the end of your journey is never worth the emotional (and sometimes physical) strain that takes place to get there if you are not able to enjoy the journey with those around you.
The end goal will become meaningless if you lose yourself or your support system along the way.
- Working Hard and Laughter are Not Mutually Exclusive.
Some people never learn this — they become old, grumpy, bitter and resentful. Life is about having fun and it doesn’t mean, by default, that you are messing around and not “getting anything done.”
Au contraire mon frère.
You can have fun and get more done than you ever thought imaginable. The best ideas come in moments of joy and the best flow come through ease.
