If you couldn't tell by the title of this post, I have recently celebrated a birthday. Birthdays are always a strange time, especially as you get older. This birthday for me was a time of reflection. I have spent the past couple of months writing down different things that I have learned about life so far. Some of them may change eventually but for now they are true. I wanted to share my list with you. In no particular order, here are random truths i've learned on my journey through life ...
Remember That People Are Human
People make mistakes. Not everyone is out to get you or make your life harder. Think back to a time when someone has shown you some compassion and how grateful you were. This doesn't mean to let people walk all over you but it might eliminate a lot of stress if you just take a moment to remember that everyone (including you) makes mistakes.
There Is A Time For Everything
My dad used to say this to me all the time. It's true. There IS a time for everything. When you work too much, play too much, do anything in excess then your life will quickly become imbalanced. You will end up neglecting other important areas in your life. There will be moments that will occur where you may have to temporarily put more energy and time into something and that's ok. If it becomes a habit, though, then other areas of your life will suffer.
Feel Your Feelings
This is so important. You must allow yourself to feel whatever it is that you are feeling. When you suppress your emotions you might feel like you have overcome them but they will always find a way back. They will also come back much worse than before. Being strong does not mean that you don't get sad, angry, or any other emotion.
Don't Judge Yourself For The Way That You Feel
Allow yourself to feel whatever emotion comes up without judgement. It does not define you as a person. Feel it, learn from it, and then move on.
Sometimes Being A Good Friend Means Letting Go
This is a hard one. It can be applied to romantic relationships as well. When you love and care about someone it can be hard to imagine your life without them. But sometimes people take advantage of you, hurt you, or have other problems and they refuse to help themselves. There is only so much you can do. If it gets to a certain point sometimes the best thing to do is to remove yourself from the situation.
Take Small Bites
This lesson came up because I had to relearn how to eat after I got braces. I had to take very small bites. I noticed that by doing that I enjoyed my meals more and ate less. I thought about how that can be applied to life. If you are going through a hard time or trying to accomplish a big goal just take small steps. One at a time. Eventually you will get there and it will be a much more pleasant experience.
Don't Compare Yourself To Other People
We are all on different paths. We all have different pasts. You never know what someone has been through to get to where they are. Comparing yourself to others is a waste of energy. There will always be people behind and ahead of you. Always. Instead of comparing yourself to other people try comparing yourself to yourself. Always try to be the best version of yourself. It will feel a lot better and get you a lot further.
The Only Approval Needed Is Your Own
If you spend your time trying to please others and gain their approval you will be very unhappy. You will lose yourself and find that you always fall short. Do the things that you want to do. Live your life the way that you want to live it. The people in your life that are truly your friends will love you for it.
You Can't Change People
No matter how hard you try. It just can't be done. The only person you can change is yourself.
Choose Your Words Wisely
Words are powerful. Once you say something you can't take it back. You can really hurt someone and even if they forgive you it is highly unlikely that they will forget. Take time to think before you speak and if you don't have anything nice to say it is better to say nothing at all.
Mistakes Are How You Learn
Take risks. Try new things. Not only will you have a more enjoyable life, but you will learn a lot more. Everyone makes mistakes, they are nothing to be afraid of.
Take Care Of Your Body
Our bodies are pretty resilient. However, over time they will start to fail if you don't take care of them. It also takes a lot of time to reverse years of abuse. It's not something that can be fixed with pills. Those fixes are temporary. So try to love your body. It's where you live and it's the only one you have.
Only Worry About What You Have Control Over
Whenever you find yourself with a problem ask yourself this question - What do I have control of in this situation? That's how you should approach everything. If you don't have control over it, no matter how many scenarios you play through your head, it will not change the situation or the outcome. Save yourself the energy.
Listen More
I was watching a Ted Talk one time and the man speaking said you can't learn anything new from listening to yourself talk. How true is that?
Explore
Sometimes you need to visit new places and see new sceneries to be inspired. I often hear people say "it must be nice" when people are going on vacation. But you don't have to go somewhere far to have an adventure. Just because you can't afford a plane ticket is no excuse to not have an adventure! I am willing to bet there are places in your own or neighboring towns that you have never visited. Take some time to enjoy your surroundings.
Stay Humble
It is never fun to be around someone who thinks they are better than other people in any way. If you think your work or your life is better than someone you must remember that you are only seeing their present situation. Everyone has potential. You are not better than any person. It is important to treat everyone with the same love and respect that you wish to be treated with. The golden rule people.
There Is No Way Out - Only Through
Life can dish out some doozies. There are some moments that can be very difficult to believe that you will ever make it through. But you will. Looking for ways to avoid pain will only numb and suppress it. You must actually go through it to come out the other side. Everytime. No Exceptions.
Be True To Who You Are
My mom always told me to follow my heart. My dad always said to trust my gut. However you want to say it, the point is we all have an inner compass that guides us. Don't change who you are or what you want for fear of what other people might think. Go your own way. People will end up admiring you for it.
Don't Take Yourself To Seriously
You have to be able to laugh at yourself. Life is not always so serious. If you fail at something, take the opportunity to find the humor in the situation. Laughter really is the best medicine.
That's all I have for now. Some truths I've gathered from this journey of life. I hope you found some of these helpful. If you have any to add I would love to hear them!
