10 Life lessons to learn before it’s too late…

1. You attract more abundance and joy into your life with gratitude.

How grateful do you feel about the good things in your life? Have you tried noting it down? A gratitude journal has been reported to help many as noting it down may make them more aware of other positives or could it be some cosmic or spiritual force at work? Whatever it may be, it’s something worth working on. You can always use more positives in your life and much of that starts with a grateful attitude.

2. Approach challenges with the attitude that you’re already successful.

Do challenges make you nervous? That’s understandable. The whole definition of a challenge is that it’s not easy, it’s a competition; you versus an unknown; like a new job, a new skill or a new city are all normal. Life changes, we tend to fear the unknown and that fear makes this all the more difficult. What we fear often is the fear of failure. However, here’s a tip…You can fight this with a simple mind hack. Trick your brain into thinking you’re confident and can see the potential to achieve your goal. Focusing on that will reduce your fears.

3. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

When you hear ‘save for a rainy day’ what do you think of a paycheck tucked away? Maybe you should lay out all the stuff you need for a big interview tomorrow. Truth is, life is unpredictable, which makes it fun, yet somewhat stressful. Thinking ahead and planning may help to reduce anxiety as it gives an answer to the questioning and worried anticipation that anxiety often brings.

4. Productivity requires relaxing at times.

Ever seen someone boasting about being busy, busy, busy? It’s like being busy is a badge of honor and really it’s actually a badge of burnout. An article posted by Tony Schwartz in the New York Times explains that we have the ability to recharge our energy stores simply by relaxing and that doing so is more valuable than the alternative. Basically, you need to take some time for yourself and don’t beat yourself up about it.

5. Our journeys are all unique and incomparable.

FOMO or fear of missing out seems to be common these days. Maybe too common. No matter what it is, specifically comparing your situation to someone else’s or to an arbitrary societal norm makes you feel bad, our timelines are all personal and unique so you can flourish in your own way and at your own pace. You’re not missing out on anything, you own your journey and no one else.

6. Sometimes, change can (shockingly) be good.

Wanna hear something ironic? The only consistency in life is change, and if you’re avoiding change, you’re avoiding living life to the fullest. Change can be scary, yet it’s also necessary for growth. Through change we gain new perspectives and bring forth new and exciting opportunities in life. So, take a deep breath, put on a brave face and go for it. You’ve got this!

7. You are the master of your happiness.

If we were to ask someone with more life experience than us about happiness, what do you think they’d say? An article in an Ohio newspaper featuring a 90-year-old woman discussed this. One of the lessons in the article was that relying on external things to come along and make us happy will only bring us more suffering. “No one is in charge of your happiness except you,” she quoted.

8. Money can’t buy you lasting joy.

Even though having money can help you, open a few doors in life, and make you feel secure, it won’t truly make you happy in the end. Material things like an expensive watch or clothing may make you feel momentarily happy, but the happiness won’t last long. What makes us truly happy are things like family, friends, community, authentic connections, a sense of purpose and meaning and self actualization.

9. The less you care what others think, the happier you will be.

You often obsess and worry about what others might think of you. Usually what other people do to you has nothing to do with you but their own insecurities. If someone doesn’t like you, that’s all right because you’re not living your life for them, you’re living for yourself. You alone have power over how you feel.

10. Be unapologetically you.

 Have you ever wished you could be like someone else? That put-together friend or even the social media influencer who makes everything look easy. A study by Giulia Porras in 2014 concluded that those who were more authentic to themselves showed greater life satisfaction at a later point. Do you know what the world is in need of? A unique and awesome you. It may be scary to be vulnerable and authentic, but it’s worth it.

– Article by Nathuli Malwana