1. You can’t have or do all the things that you want. The odds will not always be in your favor. You and your capability are substantially limited. You’d learn to accept things are meant to be gone long before you get them; things will not go as planned; there’d be unexpected twists in plot – you’ll feel like the universe conspired not to make it happen, but always remember, there is always a purpose and reason for that and believe me, most of the time, they come as ‘blessings in disguise’.
2. You choose your battle. You’d learn to let go of the conflicts that don’t deserve your time and energy and fight for just what actually matters. You don’t have to respond negatively to every challenge that comes your way. You’d learn not just what words to say but WHEN to say them. After all, you shouldn’t be measured by how many fights you have won, rather how significant the fights you have won.
3. You don’t need MANY Friends. You’d appreciate the REAL ONES. QUALITY over quantity. You’d realize gaining more friends will not make your life any happier, but just knowing that you have someone real, someone who’d make you realize how imperfect you are but you still deserve some love, and someone you know would catch a bullet for you is enough.
4. It’s Okay not to be Okay. You’d cry; be broken; be worn out; commit mistakes and regret; stressed; unhappy; but I’m happy to learn that IT IS ALL OKAY. Cry yourself to sleep, break down, show your emotions, feel the pain until it hurts no more. TEARS don’t mean you’re losing. We’d fall apart sometimes so that we can find ourselves again.
5. You are not the best at EVERYTHING. You might be the JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES but remember you’re not always the master at EVERYTHING. You’d learn to give way to other people’s ideas, embrace corrections and defeats, seek help from experts, and most of the time, be surprised at how minor your knowledge is.Be humble.
6. There are BAD DAYS. Things can get uncontrollable and overwhelming but you’d learn to keep in mind that you are in full control of your ATTITUDE towards the situation. The good day will end, so will the bad one. After all, it’s just a BAD DAY, not a bad life.
7. SAY “NO” more often. It might be very hard (well in my case, it was), but you got to learn to say NO more often. We tend to pick an easy YES over a difficult NO but through the years, you’d eventually learn to establish your own boundaries, no need to over commit yourself for someone’s favor.
8. To Count your blessings and be a blessing. You are blessed. The only time you’d be a blessing to others is when you learn to know that you are blessed. You have another day to live, have air to breathe, food to eat, you have a family, you can walk, can see the beauty of God’s creations; but NOT EVERYONE has and can. Count your blessings – big or small.
9. Make the most of each moment. You’d learn to value MOMENTS more than anything else. Time will fly so fast, the people you love, the things you get to enjoy and do, they could all fade and be gone. You only have one life to live. Make moments, make memories.
10. You are not everyone’s cup of tea. Good thing is you don’t really need to impress people. Don’t force yourself to be liked or loved by pleasing people even if you are not happy about it. Be who you are, those who care don’t matter and those who matter don’t care.
11. You look at the bigger picture. You become more selfless. You adjust to what you think is the common good. You compromise if necessary.
12. Reward your self. Give yourself a break. Love yourself. Be good to yourself. You are your only competition. Make sure to end up the BETTER VERSION of yourself everyday. 🙂
13. Appreciate PEACE. You’d find yourself being in less to no crowd at all. Nothing is as rewarding as sleeping and waking up peacefully.
14. Some things can be learned the hard way. Learning even from bad, unpleasant experiences is still LEARNING. Learning is gaining something. Consider yourself LUCKY still.
15. Best things in life are free. Be rich in life, SLEEP, PEACE OF MIND, Happiness, Hugs, SMILES, Family and Friends, Laughter, and LOVE. What more could we ask for?
16. Money MATTERS. You’d learn to value your money as it is something you don’t just grow on trees.
17. Forgive more. Even if it feels impossible. Gandhi said, “Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.” Forgiveness will free you. It is something we do for ourselves and not for others.
18. More concerned about the environment. No Joke. The environmental issues are getting serious. You’d realize, you are educated enough to know and do your part.
19. GOD is still the only Way. 🙂
