There are so many lessons we can accumulate throughout life. Some are more important than others, some you will remember forever, some are fleeting. This is a short list including ten life lessons that are valuable for everyone to learn regardless of who you are or where you come from.
1. Happiness Comes from Within
It is important to learn that while outside circumstances can make an impact on your life, happiness must come from within you. Choosing to be happy can be hard sometimes but how you react to what life brings and how you perceive issues can make all the difference.
Learning to be grateful is one step you can take towards achieving true happiness. Studies have shown that gratitude is the best means of increasing personal happiness. Some people write daily in a gratitude journal just to put things down on paper and let it sink in.
2. Anything Worthwhile Takes Time and Effort
Hard work pays off if you believe it will. Achievements or relationships that are worthwhile take time, effort, patience, perseverance, and sometimes a little bit of luck. Washington.edu describes how people’s belief in their own academic abilities is a reliable predictor of their actual achievement.
They stress that in order to become more motivated and ambitious and to find the strength to persevere, we must believe that those efforts will pay off.
3. Strengths Matter More Than Weaknesses
According to Gallup, people who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged and dedicated in their jobs and over three times as likely to rate their quality of life as excellent. Those people who worked on their strengths in new and different ways were happier and less depressed six months into the experiment as well.
4. Life is Not Fair
Sometimes people grow up feeling like they are the most special or like something is owed to them. We aren’t all dealt equal hands and it is important to realize that life is not fair. Naco.org points out that we have no choice about the demographics or socioeconomic situations that we are born into. We have not control over the country or culture we are born into either.
While it is possible to squander advantages and overcome obstacles, how you react to the life you are given is what makes you you. If you are in a position to help those who are less fortunate it can result in a longer and healthier life for you as well in some cases.
5. Appreciate Meaningful Relationships
Continue to work on relationships that make you happy and add to your life. The University of Minnesota says that strong relationships contribute to a long, healthy, and happy life. Strong connections can teach you a lot of lessons in life as you learn about yourself through others and through your relationships.
Spend your precious time on those who mean the most to you. Having someone who cares about you and who you care about in return can keep you focused on what is important in life and can reduce risky behavior.
6. Experiences Matter More Than Possessions
Possessions and comparing what you have to others will not make you happy in the long-term. Take the opportunity to expand your horizons and experience more in your life instead of hoarding possessions. Lifehack.org states that while experiences are priceless and last forever in our memories, material possessions have an expiration.
Electronics and toys break, we use up cosmetics, and clothes go out of style. It will make you feel better to spend your time and money on experiences that stick with you for a lifetime. You might even learn some important life lessons while you are out exploring new experiences.
7. Perseverance Leads to Success
Once you have determined your goals you need to go for it. Perseverance leads to success even through and past mistakes and failures. The more you focus and push toward your goals the more likely you are to achieve them. Firstteesiliconvalley.org defines perseverance as to persist an idea, purpose or task despite any obstacles. Perseverance is never giving up no matter the hardships you face.
8. Taking Care of Your Mind and Body are Important
Taking care of your health is one way to make sure you can survive and live a long life to soak up as many lessons and experiences as possible. Try to eat healthy, exercise, and schedule regular doctor and dentist visits.
Don’t neglect your mental or emotional health because they can be just as important or sometimes even more important than physical health. If you’re feeling lost or down, anxious or just not right, try talking to a professional or someone you trust to help you get back on the right track.
9. You Are in Charge of Your Life
Take credit where credit is due and take responsibility for your mistakes. You are the one who is in control of your own life and you can change it based on actions that you choose to take or not to take. Our actions can also cause a chain reaction of other effects or consequences that we may not have intended but are just as responsible for, according to timeforchange.org. Other people can guide you or help you but you are the one who has ultimate control and it is up to you to make what you can of your life.
10. Choose to be Kind
Being kind to others is good for them and for you. Those who are kinder and give more tend to have longer healthier lives. Kindness can also benefit you by opening up exciting opportunities for you and building beneficial relationships with others.
It is in good sense to be kind even when nothing is in it for you. You never know what might be going on in someone else’s life, so it is important to try not to judge and lead instead with compassion and kindness towards others.
