“Sometimes even to live, is an act of courage”- Seneca
When we are at some point of our lives where we are vulnerable we believe we have got life figured out. We start believing that we are now invincible and nobody can dare touch or harm us. However, it is a mistake to think like that. Life will never seize to inspire us. At every point we will have something new to learn about life.
I have been on the journey of self development and self improvement for some time now. It was only after I went out of my comfort zone (my home) and saw the real world I understood there was so much to life- challenges, improvements, knowledge, achievements, etc. And it was only when I went out in the real world I had learned the most important lessons- the lessons which can only be learnt better if experienced.
The most important lessons I learned in my life so far:
- You have to be patient in your life. Things will come around if you’re patient
We believe things work out if we are in a hurry. It is true that we must be efficient and fast but sometimes we should not rush into anything.Patience is one of the key to success and people who cannot afford to wait should not expect better results. There’s a beautiful quote that resembles exactly what I mean- “Greatness takes time. Just remember it takes 13 hours to build a Toyota but 6 months to build a Rolls Royce.” So do the work and be patient.
2. Trust the process. Whatever is happening (good/bad) ,trust your life
It is not easy to trust the happenings and events of life when nothing is in our favour. And it isn’t easy either to be optimistic about it. But that’s where our toughness and resilience is being tested. People who can’t trust the process of their lives cannot expect to excel in their lives. It is not that we should blindly trust everything that happens and not change the course of life for the better. What I mean is that we should work out what’s in our control and if we can’t work out what isn’t, then leave it. Don’t ponder upon it and don’t waste time on it. It will work out with your persistence and hard work.
3. Be optimistic but not overly optimistic
Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the best social media experts, rightly says that we must be optimistic in our lives. This is something that I learnt from him. The guy is so articulate in his thought process that it is next to impossible that one wouldn’t be inspired from him. Optimism can turn any situation into an achievable one. However, being optimistic doesn’t mean that we should be overconfident. Optimism is good but over optimism isn’t because that can easily ruin the chances of getting succeeding. It should be like “I can do it.” and not “Oh, it is so easy; obviously I will do it.”
4. Be kind and humble. But not with everybody
One of the most common traits in people who did extraordinarily in their lives is that they are all humble and kind. These days’ people don’t believe in these moral values but no matter what the trend becomes nothing can beat the power of kindness. Kindness is the essence of our existence and if we sustain it we can make huge impacts in the lives of other people. However, I believe not everybody deserves our kindness. Some philosophical minds are of the opine that we should be kind with everybody no matter what. For some cases it is true but for others it isn’t because there’s no wisdom in making a fool of ourselves. The best way is to stop being anything with them. The best way is to stop exhibiting any emotions with people who can’t value kindness.
5. Take your own decisions
Sometimes it isn’t easy to take decisions of life all by ourselves. Sometimes we believe we must seek help. But we must understand that there’s a fine line between taking our own decisions and seeking help for the same. Life will offer events where every time we cannot wait for someone to help us out. Sometimes things happen instantly in no time. So, be bold enough to take your decision because nobody else knows better than you what you are seeking in life. Take help and guidance if you want but the authority of taking a final decision should rest on you.
6. Hustle
One of the most important words that Gary Vee speaks in his video blogs/podcasts is “HUSTLE”. Life never bestow good days in front of those who don’t hustle. In order to become someone and do something we must be ready to work endlessly. Work hard as much as you can. Be persistent and determined. Work. Work. Work.
7. No matter what you think, people just don’t care. Get used to it.
When I was in the depressed phase of my life, I learned that people don’t care about you. And I also understood that I had to get used to this fact. I would always think that people care. And to be honest, some people might including your family and very close friends. But many times people whom we thought would care; wouldn’t. So understand such people and don’t invest your time in them. Invest in yourself and everything else will fall in line.
