6 Life Lessons I Wish I’d Known About Earlier

I love personal growth, and I adore reading books of great minds.

I try to learn as much as possible from people who already achieved something that is desirable for me.

And most of the time, these are people whom I wouldn’t be able to reach in person.

However, by consuming the content they produce, I can learn from them and grow into their way of thinking.

That’s why I’ve consumed hundreds of books in the past three years.

Most of them, I read, to some, I just listened as an audiobook, and some were so bad that I didn’t finish.

I don’t believe that you need to read that much to be smart or win in life.

Yet, I am sure that it was the right way to go for me.

Lately, I reflected on the following question:

If I could travel in time, which life-lessons would I teach my younger self?

And I realized that most of the tips I came up with were pretty similar.

Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual, and I believe that’s what makes it so exciting.

Yet, there are a few rules I wish somebody had taught me earlier.

Even though I am beyond grateful for having access to all the knowledge that is out there, I hope that I won’t forget to teach these rules to my children one day.

 

1. Go after dreams, not people

We all should dream and act bigger.

By not having big dreams or goals to pursue, we are tempted to follow someone else’s journey.

No matter if that person is your boss or your partner.

I believe that having healthy relationships is an essential part of life, yet, I also think that one should always stay true to herself and her own vision of life.

If I’d meet my younger self, I’d probably force her to create a vision board.

Having a picture of your ideal life in mind is the most powerful tool to create it in reality.

Yes, our dreams and goals may change over time, yet, not having any particular image in mind leads to confusion.

If you know what you are pursuing, you can distance yourself from people who are blocking your way and build a community of supporters.

 

 2. Love yourself

There’s a German book called “If you love yourself, whom you marry doesn’t matter”.

I recently got it, and I am highly looking forward to reading it.

I didn’t arrange these learnings in any particular order, but if I would do, this one would probably be in the first place.

I don’t know why self-love is still a taboo topic, but I hate the fact that it is.

If you don’t like yourself, why should someone else do?

If you don’t believe in yourself, how do you want to convince someone else to do so?

It all starts within you.

Relationships are essential, and the most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one with yourself.

You are the only person who will be by your side each day of your life, so it makes sense to like yourself.

I am not talking about being ignorant towards others or self-centered.

I am talking about genuine self-love and acceptance.

We all make mistakes, we all get hurt, and we all have flaws, so what?

No one will ever appreciate or pay you for being perfect or flawless.

Stop blaming yourself for your mistakes.

Focus on your strengths.

Focus on your goals and what you want to create and leave on this planet.

 

3. Never lose your sense of wonder

I believe that our world and the whole universe is pure magic.

As Roald Dahl puts it:

Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.

You have absolutely nothing to lose by believing in yourself and the miracles of the universe.

But you have everything to win.

By believing that anything is possible, you open yourself up for miracles.

Every day, so many incredible things are happening on our planet.

People are curing of diseases, nature is doing crazy things, records are being broken.

There is no reason not to believe in wonders and miracles, especially because it makes life more enjoyable.

We live on a blue planet that circles around a ball of fire next to a moon that moves the sea, and you don’t believe in miracles?

 

4. You are capable of anything

I recently ordered a new journal, and the cover says:

If you are alive, anything is possible.

I love that.

Too often, we forget about our own.

Each day we wake up to is a new chance to transform ourselves and our lives.

And most limitations that we believe only exist in our minds.

Of course, there are natural limitations and a few no-gos.

But besides these minorities, I believe in the fact that one can achieve anything in life.

Whenever I talk or write about this topic, I face people trying to tell me why that’s not true.

If you think that something is not possible for you, of course, it won’t be.

If you, however, ignore the limitations in your head and go beyond your fears, you can achieve greatness and pursue your dreams.

Again, you have absolutely nothing to lose by giving your best, but everything to win.

People often ask themselves, “What if I fail?”, well, what if you fly?

What if it works out? What if you go after your dreams and achieve them?

Would it be worth it? If not, stop lying to yourself. But if you can say HELL YEAH, please keep going and believing in yourself.

 

5. No regrets, only lessons learned

I am only 22 years old, and if I’d go back in time, I would do tons of things differently.

I believe that every year, a few hundreds of things can be added to my list of “Could be done better in another way- experiences”.

However, I am thankful for these lessons.

It doesn’t make sense to be upset or worried anyway, so I give my best to learn and grow through the mistakes that I make.

I regularly reflect on my days and try to take as many lessons as possible.

Of course, I can’t put every lesson in practice and do everything correctly in the second attempt, yet, I am giving my best to grow as a person every day.

 

6. Life goes by quickly, so live

Days are passing by incredibly rapidly, and it’s so easy to waste lots of time.

I’ve not mastered it yet, but I am giving my best to eliminate time-wasters.

I am not even halfway there, but I am trying to live every moment intentionally and enjoy all the precious moments of life.

When I spend time with my loved ones, I put my phone away and try to be fully present in the moment.

I just attempt to enjoy life instead of letting it happen to me.

I know that I can’t control everything that happens, but I also know that I can control my emotions and how I spend my time.