Life is a work in progress. I’ve certainly learned a lot about myself and about life in the past 10 years. By reflecting, we remind ourselves of how far we’ve come and prepare ourselves for years to come. As I turn 40 next year, I would like to dedicate my first blog post to reflecting on some of the lessons I’ve learned.
1. Life is the toughest teacher because it gives you the test before the lesson. It will create deep sadness so that you can appreciate happiness. It will test our beliefs, and sometimes we have to fail to move forward.
2. The past is called the past for a reason. Things pass, and sometimes the best you can do is to really let it go away.
3. Don’t wait until a health scare to take your health seriously.
4. Cherish the time with your pet. Pets’ lives are shorter than ours, and while you have your friends and family, your pet only has you. You are their world.
5. Listen to what a guy tells you. If he says he’s not sure about you, don’t wait around or make excuses for him. Keep moving forward and focus on yourself.
6. Not everyone has to like you, and that’s ok.
7. Everything is temporary. If you’re currently facing a tough time, it will eventually fade. If you’re experiencing misery, those feelings will also come to an end. Similarly, if you’re on cloud nine, this too shall pass.
8. Time doesn’t heal a broken heart, but it helps you forget the pain.
It’s this mental, physical, emotional ache and feeling so conflicted. Nothing distracts you from it. Then time passes, and the more you live your life and create new habits, you get used to not having a text every morning saying, “Hello, beautiful, Good morning.”
TAYLOR SWIFT
9. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can solve a lot of problems.
10. Make it a habit to pay yourself first and put money into a savings account or invest it.
11. Put your phone away when you’re in the company of other people.
12. Stop spending money on things you don’t need. Consider asking yourself if you need it, if you have space for it, and if you’ll use it all the time. If you no longer need it, can you donate it or recycle it, or does it end up in landfill?
13. Collect experiences, not material things. Travel more and immerse yourself in different cultures.
14. Take responsibility for your own career development. Avoid relying on your boss to recognise your commitment and efforts for promotion or the roles you want.
15. Don’t be afraid to ask for things; it doesn’t hurt to ask. The worst that could happen is they say no.
16. Show your parents compassion. No one gets a manual on how to be a parent; they did the best with what they had.
17. Getting older is inevitable. You can slow down the ageing process by adopting a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating well, exercising, engaging in continuous learning, and maintaining an active social life.
18. Apply SPF daily, even during winter or on cloudy days.
19. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Life doesn’t have a timeline; everyone’s journey is unique. Focus on your own path.
20. Be mindful of your expectations and of others. Not everyone shares your perspective, priorities or values.
21. As your life changes, so do your friends. It’s ok to grieve the end of a friendship.
22. Your company can continue to operate without you; no one is irreplaceable. Stay with a company for the right reasons, such as career growth and opportunities, but don’t be afraid to consider other opportunities.
23. “Not everyone will accomplish something great. Some of us may just have to find meaning in the little moments that make up life” – Howard Wolowitz, The Big Bang Theory
24. Live within your means and learn to budget.
25. Always pay off your credit card balance in full every month
26. There’s no such thing as “…and they lived happily ever after”. Relationships require effort; it takes effort to communicate and understand each other.
27. “You won’t be important to other people all the time; you have to be important to yourself”
VEX KING
28. Be patient with children and elderly people. You were a kid once, and you will be old one day.
29. Listen to your parents. They were young once. They too had hopes and dreams, and probably envisioned a different future.
30. Be humble. You are not more superior or more important than anyone else.
31. Love your parents. We are so busy growing up that we often forget they are also growing old.
32. Stop worrying about what other people think of you. People are busy thinking about themselves to think about you.
33. If you feel lost or overwhelmed, just focus on one thing. Everything else will fall into place.
34. You’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you do.
35. Treat everyone you meet the way you like to be treated.
36. Don’t expect life to be fair. The only thing you can control in life is your attitude and your mindset.
37. Not everyone you meet will stay in your life
38. Letting go is one of the hardest things in life.
39. Consider freezing your eggs if you are in your early 30s, single and have the financial means to do so.
40. Change is inevitable. We need to adapt to grow through that change. Resisting it only prolongs the discomfort or pain.
What advice would you give your younger self?
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