The sooner you learn these lessons, the better.
Are you ready to learn some of the most important lessons of your life? Good, because what follows is a wake-up call to take a long hard look at your life and re-evaluate your priorities before it’s too late. Don’t wait until you are lying on your deathbed, apply these 8 common lessons to your life today and enjoy a more fulfilling existence:
1. It’s okay to live for yourself.
When people realize their life is almost over, they look back with a clarity they’ve never had before. The dreams they were chasing were the wrong ones. Their goals were what they thought they should do, what they were expected to do, or what someone else told them to do. We only get one life. Why live it for someone else? Ask yourself what it is you really want out of life, and then go for it.
2. Work hard, but not too hard.
Chase your dreams. Work your backside off all day long, but go home to your family when the clock strikes five. One of the biggest regrets people have is not spending enough time with their loved ones. They missed their kid’s soccer game. They neglected their spouse. They didn’t visit their parents enough while they were alive. Strive to keep a balance in your life. No one ever lay on their deathbed wishing they’d worked more.
3. Failures are lessons in disguise.
Some of the toughest lessons we learn are from our failures. While making big mistakes doesn’t feel like an awesome learning opportunity at the time, that’s exactly what it is. Embrace mistakes instead of letting them weigh you down. Take risks and leave your comfort zone even if it means you risk failure. Failures teach us to face our fear. They teach us integrity. They are the reason we are able to grow into great people.
4. Actions speak louder than words.
Most of us have heard this phrase, but it can take a lifetime to understand it. We believe the lies of others and ourselves. People mistreat us and we choose to believe their words that it won’t happen again. We say we’ll change our lives but we don’t take action towards our goals. The words provide temporary comfort, but action is what defines us. Be true to the words that leave your mouth and trust others based on their actions, not their words.
5. Kindness is so very important.
Smile at passersby. Give $10 to the woman standing in line at the fast food restaurant with three screaming kids who forgot her purse. Learn to give more than you receive. There are opportunities for kindness everywhere you look, and not a single one is too small. Not only does kindness make a world of difference to those around you, but it’ll change your life. It brings positivity into each and every day. By helping others, you help yourself.
6. It’s best to live in the moment.
We all get caught up obsessing about the past or worrying about the future. When your time runs out, you’ll realize there’s only this moment. The only thing you have control over is how you act and what you do with your time right now. Process the lessons you’ve learned, apply them to your current life, and never look back. Plan for the future, but don’t overthink it. Live in the present tense. Tomorrow is not a done deal.
7. Showing gratitude is good for you.
Too often we focus on what we don’t have. There are a million things we don’t have. But there are so many things we do have. For example, you’ve had an education allowing you to read this article, an internet connection, and a device enabling you to utilize that connection. Establishing a habit of gratitude will help you live in the moment and be thankful for all the amazing things, big and small, that make your life worth living.
8. Procrastination turns you into a slave.
Time is a precious resource. Unfortunately, it’s easier than ever to waste it in today’s world. When you procrastinate you become a slave to the past. You have to work harder to play catch up, but you just keep spinning your wheels. You stop yourself from moving forward. Be proactive and take care of what needs to be done now. Then you can move confidently into tomorrow without the shackles of yesterday holding you back. Resist the temptation to procrastinate, even though that temptation is everywhere.
