Since last week, we have been thinking: what other knowledge could have an incredibly positive impact on our own lives? and if we answered that question, we would be willing to share it with you.
That's when we came up with this idea. Fortunately, we all have many years ahead of us, so why not learn from those who have walked the path before us, those who have faced life and are still alive to tell the stories?
How amazing it would be to tap into their knowledge at this time in your life. If you know what they regret the most, the lessons that took decades to learn, maybe, just maybe, you can play smart and make better decisions starting today.
We recommend that you take a piece of paper and double check if you agree or disagree with the items that we will mention in this list.
Keep in mind that these lessons are drawn from people who achieved success and lived the lifestyles most of you are having a hard time living.
That is how this article came to be.
You are looking at 15 lessons that most people learn too late in life.
Number 1: Everything is temporary
We even said it in our introduction, we believe that we still have many years ahead of us.
Depending on your age, you don't even think that far ahead, but even you yourself are temporary.
Coping with the idea that everything you do, every person you meet, everything you build… Is temporary, it can be an experience that will make you lose reality.
The family dog is temporary, your relationships are temporary, the items you buy are temporary, nothing really lasts.
It is one of those things that you can only understand when you have already seen what happens in your past. We all want to live forever… We all want to be eternal.
But whatever you do, at some point it will be gone and people will have forgotten.
So it could be better! At some point, whatever the outcome, it will be gone and forgotten.
Number 2: Life is not fair.
Yes, you were expecting something else. Sorry to disappoint you with the truth.
The promotion will probably go to someone who has been nice to talk to the boss, even though you are the most qualified and work the hardest.
Maybe she likes the jerk better, even though she thinks he would be the perfect man for her.
You are experiencing life through your own eyes, so you will be biased no matter what.
We don't live in a perfect world and even if you did, it wouldn't matter much to you as an individual.
We are 8 billion people, the world owes you nothing. Just because you think you deserve something doesn't mean you're going to get it.
Number 3: Family matters more than friends.
Do you remember the first item on this list? You can't choose family, but no one would be willing to go further than you.
Friends are awesome! Have as many friends as you can, but family is something special, something that most people seem to ignore these days. While friends will be by your side in the trenches, none of them would take any chances for you.
Family is the only one who would really be willing to put you above them. Don't take them for granted. Talk to your parents while you have them with you. Talk to your siblings and don't let the relationship cool down.
Spend time with your children, because they need you more than you think.
Number 4: Others treat you like yourself, not like them.
Isn't it strange when you realize that another person's attitude towards you depends on you and not on the other person? How you present yourself, what you think of yourself, who you are as an individual, all of this is under your control.
You can choose to grow, learn, improve. You, as an individual, are the sum of your experiences and beliefs. Once you fully accept a different set, the world's entire perception of you will change.
Think about this little experiment, if you were to move to a new city where no one knew you, wear different clothes, listen to different music, start talking differently, and change your interests, the people you meet there will accept your new self. because this is the reality they encounter first.
Have more respect for yourself, even demand it. Defend yourself from what you believe and don't let others step on you. It's these little things that will haunt you when you're older.
Number 5: The sacrifices you make today will pay dividends in the future.
Many of those in the last quarter of their lives remember the poor decisions they have made, especially the time they wasted.
It's always easier to see where you could have done better when you look back.
Many of them agree that with just a little more strategic play they could have been in a much better position than they are right now.
They all regret not having read earlier and none remember the time wasted watching television.
If they were smarter with their time, they wouldn't have sacrificed as much as they had.
Number 6: Sacrificing your health for success or wealth is not worth it.
It's weird to see this after the previous point, but it's definitely true.
We have a tendency to always want more and very few people know when to stop.
Money is the most important thing in the world when you don't have it. Once you have it, it doesn't matter much anymore.
No one wants to sacrifice their own health in the pursuit of money or success, but very few are willing to make the necessary adjustments to protect themselves from potential gain.
With old age, you'll look back and think you're a fool for not paying more attention to the one thing that could give you more time with the people you love.
Number 7: Fear of embarrassment or criticism kept you from being who you really are.
You have a chance at life, so... You might as well do it!
The main reason most people fail at anything in life is because they don't even try.
We all find excuses or try to protect our perceived image from what other people might think of us, but in the end, it doesn't matter. It is a choice you must make yourself:
Who do you want to be?
Will you be yourself or will you be someone other people expect you to be?
Number 8: Things don't matter that much.
When you're young you want things because you see other people having things and you think your life would be better if you had them too.
Things are just things, they don't make you who you are. Possessions are raw materials moved from one place to another.
Do you think 10 years from now you'll care that you have the latest iPhone right now?
We want things because they sell us for wanting them. Look around you right now, not really, look around you.
How many things do you have around you, that you don't really need.
You need tools, not things, and no one needs more than a couple of essential tools to get the job done.
Number 9: Even the longest night is followed by a morning.
Some things will take more than 12 hours to approve. Maybe a couple of months or even years, but one thing is certain:
No matter how hard it is now, how dark everything seems, there will come a day when you will feel better.
Even the bad times are temporary. This particular mindset will help you get through some of the toughest times life will throw at you.
Number 10 – Happiness is a choice and it takes a lot of hard work.
Happiness is not something that depends on other people or gets their approval. Happiness is something you experience yourself because your reality is in tune with your expectations.
The good news is that you can choose to be happy.
The bad thing is that you have to put in a little effort, because everything worth pursuing will not happen by itself, at least not to the extent that you are looking for.
Number 11: In this moment, you are alive, this is your moment
...and you're going through the second.
Every "now" you are immediately absorbed by the past, how poetic it is!
When we think about life, we usually see the whole thing, but rarely do we realize that now are moments like this, in which this article is read that you are part of it.
Most people realize the importance of the "moment" too late in life and miss out on a lot of opportunities to seize it.
Number 12: Everybody's on their own.
They're all heroes in their own movie and they all want to ride off into the sunset with the girl.
We are all experiencing life in the first person and since you were born you were the most important thing you have ever experienced. You need to protect yourself and thrive!
Guess what: that's what everyone thinks! It can be difficult to accept, but in the same way that you consider yourself special, someone else thinks the same.
We can't all be the lead in the same movie, so people will try to get that sunset for themselves.
As long as you live, remember this, because it will help you see other people for what they really are: human, just like you.
Number 13: Beneath anger is always afraid.
As the wise Yoda says, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.
Whenever we suffer, especially for long periods of time, at first we believe that it is due to something outside of us, something we hate. And if we get past that emotion, we will then discover that hate is a roar of rage and, indeed, something we have held on to for far too long.
But underneath all that there is always fear: a fear of loss. A fear of vulnerability. A fear of letting go.
But if you can get to the point of acknowledging fear, you will see its shadow joyfully, and compassionately.
And you can move on.
Number 14: The world is bigger than what you experienced.
Almost everyone wishes they could have seen more of the world, experienced more, and revealed more secrets.
Our planet is amazing, full of different people, different cultures, cuisines, architectures, beliefs and visions for the future.
If the whole world is like a book, it would be a shame to read only a couple of pages.
Number 15: A life is not very long.
It's something you never think about when you're young, because it seems to look.
Life is abundant, because we compare the amount of life we have lived with the amount of life we think we have left.
Let's do a little thought experiment, shall we?
When you are 20 years old, you expect to have at least 3 times more life than before. But there is a catch to that.
Let's say the average person dies at 80 years of age. Right off the bat, most people get 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night, shaving off a third of that. You have 53 years left. That's not so bad right?
If the average man works for 40 hours a week from 25 to 65, that's another 10 years. But you're left with 43, which still isn't too bad, right?
As of 2016, the average person is taking over 10+ hours of screen time per day, this mixes social media with mindless entertainment (such as TV shows or sports) alongside news related content. The TV show part is 4.5 hours a day and it's increasing with companies like Netflix fighting more and more for your eyes.
This means that the average person spends 7-8 years of their life just watching TV.
If you start counting everything that consumes your time every day like: eating, cleaning, dressing, driving and all other small tasks, you will be surprised to discover that the average person in a developed country has less than 30 years to live.
If you live in a poorer country, you can easily cut it in half to less than 15 years.
If this doesn't put your life into perspective, we don't know what else will.
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Life lessons