Life keeps teaching us lessons each and every day. But how often do we pause and try to learn these life lessons? How often do we sit and glance back at the consequences of our decisions? I recently started doing that and recorded my insights. We must regularly analyze our life’s trajectory or someday we’ll look back and wonder how exactly we got there. Taking action now, even if it’s small will keep us on track for the future.
I turned 25 today! Another year older, hopefully another year wiser.
Here are the 25 life lessons I learnt through 25 years!
- ✨ Don’t make decisions based on your emotions. When you catch yourself saying “I don’t feel like doing this today”, remember why you started this. For instance, if it’s a pain point, you are likely to remember that you set this habit up to avoid that pain in the future. Therefore, even if you don’t do the thing all the way, showing up to do something is better than nothing.
- ✨ Our believes are only true because of the experiences we have had. However, if you want to expand your beliefs, go out and have more experiences.
- ✨ When you catch yourself saying bad things about your partner. Make it a habit to list three good things in that moment. You’ll realize that it’s easier to criticize rather than appreciate.
- ✨ Be in touch with your emotions. Even if you are a man. Don’t let society trick you anymore. Spending time with your emotions is not a sign of weakness but of courage.
- ✨ The art of making decisions is crucial for life. We have been making decisions to survive ever since the beginning of time. Is this landscape safe? Does this fruit seem edible? In any case, learn to take decisions.
- ✨ The consequences of those decisions do not matter. Especially because, we can never have all the information. It’s important to make a decision based on the facts that are presented to you.
- ✨ The cost of indecision is far worse than getting something wrong. Even if something goes wrong, chances are you’ll learn something. Take that and move forward.
- ✨ Celebrate small moments. It will be worth it. Previously, I didn’t use to do that. They seemed trivial in the grand scheme of things. But I realized if you don’t celebrate your victories, your failures will seem much more unbearable, and you won’t be able to learn from them.
- ✨ Audit your failures and successes. See what went wrong and what went right and why. See if you can prevent anything wrong in the future or improve anything that went right.
- ✨ Invest in good quality friendships. Quantity of friends doesn’t equal quality. Be respective of your time. Spend it with people who uplift you, who challenge your thoughts. You become the average of 5 people you spend most of your time with.
- ✨ No one can outline the principles on which you need to spend your life. You are the only one who can do that. Explore all the ideas that come across you. Try them out and see if they resonate with who you are and who you want to be. If they complement you, adopt them.
- ✨ Life is a series of lessons. But if you don’t learn a particular lesson, it will hit you over and over again until you get it.
- ✨ We are bombarded with information every waking moment. But it doesn’t mean all of it needs your attention. Pick the information you want to act on wisely.
- ✨ Somethings are better to let go. The bad things, statements, events only work like an anchor holding you down.
- ✨ You don’t have to live with any pain caused to you by other people’s words or actions. You can choose to let it go.
- ✨ Forgive frequently. Choose a person who hurt you. Write a letter to them. You don’t need to send it. Acknowledge that you felt hurt by their words or actions. Then write that you understand that they only projected their hurt onto you. And you forgive them. Wish them well in life. You don’t have to keep the letter.
- ✨ We are here to achieve something. Find what that is for you and work towards it. It doesn’t have to be big and bold. It just needs to be a purpose.
- ✨ If everything is in your control, you are going too slowly. This coming from me who had to have every single aspect of my life under her control is something.
- ✨ Don’t gossip about your relationships (whatever they might be) to another. Instead, talk to the person in question about why you found the need to say something behind their back.
- ✨ It’s okay to take time off. Most off days I felt guilty of relaxing, so I found ways to relax productively. It doesn’t help. Make time for your wellness. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
- ✨ We can’t be good in everyone’s eyes and still have our way.
- ✨ Everybody reads a different story in the same book. Similarly, different people will perceive you differently. And it’s okay. Their opinions of you don’t define your worth.
- ✨ Give first, receive later. Want love in your life. Learn to give it first. It will come back to you. Whatever you give, will make its way back to you.
- ✨ Speak to yourself, about yourself in the way you would speak about a dear friend. Believe in yourself like you believe in others.
- ✨ I finished the book Mistborn- The Final Empire this month. A line that stood out to me from the book was. “There is always another secret.” Likewise, there is always another lesson that life is teaching us.
There you go! 25 crucial life lessons I learnt during my 25 years here on the planet. I also made some changes to my lifestyle to improve my well-being which you can read here.
How can we ever move on without learning and growing? What life lessons have you learnt this year? Do share it with me in the comments below.
