Following the rebellion of my teens and the self destruction in my twenties, I have breezed through the early years of my thirties with a new found sense of peace and some regular reflection.
As I get close to approaching 34, I thought I’d share with you the lessons and pockets of wisdom this life has provided me.
In honour of the 33 years of living, these are my top 33 life take aways:
We create things twice. Once in our mind, then in reality. Take control of your thoughts and the rest will follow.
Find happiness through making others happy.
Failure has a function. It asks if you really want to go on? How bad do you want it?
People will remember you by not what you did, but how you made them feel.
Don’t conform to a life you don’t believe in. Easy enough to comprehend. For some of us, it can be hard to answer. If so, ask yourself the following: What does my ultimate day look like? Who am I surrounded by? What am I doing? Where would I be? This should get you on track for working out what it is you do want in your life and what’s not a part of your values.
You can fail at what you don’t want so you might as well take the chance on doing what you love.
Feel the fear but do it anyway. As a born worrier, I fear often. But as I reflect, it’s been in the times when I have feared the most and gone for it anyway, I have been rewarded with the most amazing soul growth.
Listen to your intuition, it has the answers. You know that ‘gut’ feeling you sometimes get about a situation, or person? Be in tune with you and you won’t always need to look outside for the answers.
The problem might be complex but it doesn’t mean the solution has to be. Some of the biggest challenges and hurdles in my life haven’t taken years of therapy to fix. In some cases, it’s been a few short minutes.
Practise gratitude, daily. A great way to do this, is by having a gratitude journal next to your bed. Every night just before you hit the pillow, write 3 things your grateful for from that day.
Give often. Your time, your wisdom, your love. The one on the receiving end won’t forget.
Understand that a humans greatest fear is that they’re not good enough and if they’re not good enough they won’t be loved. Once you get your head around this, it can provide you with loads of empathy and understanding.
All the time you spend focusing on your problems, you take away from finding solutions.
Nothing goes away until it teaches us what we need to know. There are lessons in all the things that happen in our lives. If you miss them, then the universe will keep on delivering.
Be kind. We all have life wounds. You never know what is behind someones smile.
You will never be able to hit a target you can’t see. Work out what it is you want. Make it clear in your mind, write it down, view it daily and go for it.
What would today involve if it were your last?
Always approach each day as though the best is yet to come. Who knows what is around the corner. It could be amazing.
Share. Some of the most amazing moments in my life is when I have exposed my vulnerability, bared my soul, and shared my fears.
Work out what your creativity is and nurture it. Going by Brene Brown’s wisdom, there is no such thing is a non creative person. You have it, bring it out and use it
Happiness starts on the inside. Work on you and the rest will follow.
The thing that scares you has probably already happened. We are all terrified by some things and quite often it has already happened to us. Think about it.
What’s worth doing even if you could fail?
Forgive. Everyone and everything. Holding onto anger and hatred is like holding onto a hot coal. You’re the only one that gets burnt.
Talk to yourself like you would your best friend. Self love. Own it.
Sometimes following your heart means losing your mind.
Ask. Believe Receive. A great daily mantra.
A problem shared is a problem halved. Another perspective can be all you need.
Energy is real. Believe it.
Laugh. Every single day. Almost nothing feels better.
It’s ok to say, I don’t know. We don’t have all the answers and that’s totally ok.
There are no substitutes for exercise, eating well, fresh air and sunshine.
Persistence will eventually get you almost anything. Keep going!
If you have any life lessons, I’d love for you to share them in the comments below.