29 Powerful Life Lessons in 29 Years
Life has a way of showing us that there is a time to pause, reflect, endure, and be grateful. As I approach 30 years old, I realize that I have come across many valuable lessons.
It’s important to me to spread my life lessons to others because it could save time, frustrations, and inspire someone. Let me shower you with the lessons I learned through trial and error.
1. Greetings before drama.
If you haven’t spoken to a person in a while, be sure to inquire about their well-being before you jump to conclusions.
There is nothing worse than being offended that someone hasn’t reached out to you, just to snap on them, then discover that they have been going through a hard time.
Ask about their life, family, and health. Get the facts then choose your approach.
2. Perform as if every moment is an audition.
You never know who is watching you, so it’s very important to be on your best behavior. Whenever you think it is time to let your guard down or act out of character, usually, it is a terrible time. Someone is always watching and likely remembering.
Something so trivial to you could make or break for your next opportunity.
3. You can’t please them all.
Although you should always mind your behavior, there is someone out there who thinks that’s wrong.
You could have straight A’s, perfect hair, appropriate clothes, come early and stay late, graduate with honors, become the president and end up on the moon. There will still be someone screaming, “YOU FORGOT TO CURE CANCER!”
As long as you are happy and the people you care about are supportive, forget the rest.
4. Be scared then do it anyway.
Fear is the number one killer of dreams. Don’t be afraid to go after the things that are constantly on your mind. That’s a sign that you are on the right track. Ditch fear and get to it!
5. Take the hard route.
The easy lane will only produce ordinary results. If you are set on being average at whatever it is, then take the easy route.
However, most things in life worth having are hard to come by and not many people have them. You know why? Because too many people are satisfied with taking the easy way out.
Be different.
6. Forgive. Forget. Watch Out.
If you have a conversation with someone and it ends with forgiveness, forget about the situation. It’s a shame to see someone apologize, then the other person accepts the apology but secretly holds onto the issue. Really? Let it go.
Though you let it go, make sure to watch out for similar behavior. If you have let a situation go but the person continues to exhibit the same actions, it may be time to forgive and forget the person.
7. Log out of social media and sign-in to life.
How can you enjoy the present if you are scrolling down your newsfeed? You tweet about being bored, get invited to hang out with friends, then stare at your phone the entire time.
That’s backward.
Don’t let life pass you by while you are checking-in on everyone else’s tall tales. Get real experience by living life through your own eyes.
8. Spend more money on experiences.
Material things could last a week depending on what you buy and where you buy it. Yet, a trip to the museum with a friend could last a lifetime. Vacations, investments, and even learning a new skill are worth way more than clothes and accessories. Choose wisely.
9. Read before you sign anything.
Contracts are long and boring for many reasons. One of those reasons is to catch you off guard. It doesn’t matter if it’s one page or fifty, at least glance over it. You could save yourself a lot of time, money, and suffering simply by reading. Read the fine print and in-between the lines.
10. Don’t be a bystander. Help.
When a serious situation is taking place, don’t feed into the bystander effect. The Bystander Effect is the assumption that out of all the people witnessing the event, someone else will step in and help.
Be that someone else.
Situations have ended tragically because of bystander miscommunication. Save the situation. Anyone can be a hero.
11. Ask a child’s parent(s)/guardian first.
Before you give children anything edible, make sure you run it by their parents. What if the child has allergies? Before you post children to your public social media accounts, get permission. What if the parent is against their child’s photo being on your account?
No matter how innocent you think the action is, remember, this is not your child and all parents aren’t the same. When in doubt, or certainty, ask the parent(s)/guardian(s) first.
12. Admit when you are wrong.
Mistakes aren’t strangers to anyone. If you are wrong, it’s not the end of the world. Admit it and shake it off. No matter how intense the mistake is you will recover. Often, reversible circumstances turn into huge problems because someone was afraid to come forward with a mishap. Be the bigger person and take fault with dignity.
13. Understand the importance of return on investment.
Take risk with return in mind. Don’t just take risks for the sake of being a daredevil. Think about your potential gain before you do anything for free, money, relationships, or advancement. The gain doesn’t always have to be profit or self-seeking but be sure something favorable is coming.
14. Volunteer.
Giving your time to others or a cause could be extremely rewarding. Not only will you impact lives, but you will also learn skills and meet amazing people. Volunteering is a humbling deed that everyone should experience.
15. Reevaluate the method, not the goal.
Many obstacles are standing between you and your goals. However, that doesn’t mean abandon your dreams. Often, people think that it is the goal that they need to ditch. When in reality it’s their approach. Get rid of old techniques and habits. Find alternative ways to achieve your goals.
16. Check yourself.
If you find yourself in the same situations frequently, it may be your fault and not the world ganging up on you. There comes a point when you have to stop hanging with the wrong people.
Stop making the same choices. And, stop blaming others for hating on you. Every piece of advice is not hate, it might just be real talk.
17. Be a ghost sometimes.
Allow your presence to be missed. No one deserves access to you 24/7/365 and leap-year. Limit your sharing of every detail of your life. Give people time to ponder your who, what, when, where and how.
18. Keep your secrets to yourself.
In a perfect world, you can tell your deepest secrets to friends, family, and accomplices. Meanwhile, in the real world, keep secrets to yourself. Family, friends or whoever you think you can trust will tell your business quick. Put it like this, you couldn’t even keep your secret, what makes you think that the next person will?
An old adage states that, “Three people can keep a secret, only if two are dead.”
Don’t kill anyone, just keep your secrets to yourself.
19. Don’t hold the wall. Dance.
Why spend 3 hours getting dressed, 30 minutes putting on make-up, and arrive late just to look good on the wall? Do yourself a favor and enjoy yourself. Dance when your song comes on. Accept invitations to dance. Engage in conversation with other guests. Make all your efforts worthwhile.
20. Replace more texts with calls.
Do you ever find yourself in a deep text message conversation typing novels? Well, exit the messages and dial the person’s number. Invest some time in verbal conversation. Give yourself a chance to laugh out loud, instead of faking it through text.
21. Leave a tip in your hotel room.
If you have ever stayed in a hotel, then you know how quickly it can become a junkie mess. The best part about a hotel room is the fact that you won’t have to clean your mess. However, this doesn’t mean leave the place ridiculous. If by chance you do leave your hotel room a mess, make sure to leave a tip on the dresser for the housekeeper. It’s a sign of respect and appreciation.
22. It’s okay to be alone.
My mother always said, “You came in this world alone, you will die that way.” This saying helped me realize that I didn’t have to ever cancel my plans again. I go with or without company. You should too. There is a lot of fun to be had by your lonesome.
23. Read more books.
Reading books elevate your consciousness. Books allow you to free your mind of ignorance and embrace new perspectives. Whether you’re reading fiction or nonfiction books, you can broaden your stance on personal, professional, medical, and so many more topics. Choose to incorporate reading materials, even if they aren’t books, into your daily routine.
Read more often.
24. Learn a new word each day.
Studying new words each day is not just important for passing graduate exams. Learning new words is beneficial for understanding how the world works around you. New words can enhance your resume, blog posts, essays, and/or comprehension. Your vocabulary does not have to be filled with fancy words either. Slang words come in handy as well.
25. Avoid stress.
Staying clear of stress is easier said than done. However, eliminate stressful triggers, situations, reactions, and people as often as possible. Stress is rooted in many health issues.
However, even when you are healthy stress can affect you. Find the things that help you de-stress. Exercise, read, join a club, or journal.
Whatever helps you feel stress-free, do it!
26. Laugh More.
It’s funny how kids do not take any thing seriously. They laugh at everything. Even when there is nothing to laugh at kids create humor. We should take after kids when it comes to laughter. Laugh when the time presents itself, and create the moment when it does not.
Laughing is good for the soul.
27. Acknowledge the grey area in life.
Everything isn’t black and white. Sometimes you have to read between the lines. See what’s implied in situations and give the benefit of the doubt. Nothing is just black and white. Each situation requires a specific assessment. Give every situation a fair chance, instead of holding it to the same black and white standards.
28. Protect your energy.
Being in certain places can play tricks on your mood. The best way to ensure that you keep control of your mood is to protect your energy. Guard yourself against emotional badge, gossip, and negative auras. When possible do not show-up to places that give you anxiety before you go. Simply say no when you do not care to go to certain places.
Protect your energy at all cost.
29. Elevate the energy.
You have the power to elevate the energy in any room. Feel the energy in the environment and do what is necessary (within reason) to increase the positivity. You can bring positivity to any space if you choose too. Leave all rooms and spaces you enter better than you found them. There is never too much positive energy.
Life lessons present themselves every day. It is our responsibility to see the value in them. Once the value is determined, it is our responsibility to apply the lessons. The beauty is that lessons keep evolving. So, keep, alter or delete lessons. Just keep learning.
