Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching… (the Buddha, apparently)
I was reflecting this weekend on things that I have (finally) learned in my nearly 44 years on this planet.
Wow, I feel old.
But sometimes (okay, for me, many many times) it takes many missteps and mistakes and errors to finally figure out what is often relatively obvious. Sometimes, it’s remembering something I used to know…but conveniently forgot. Sometimes, it’s learning that one way doesn’t necessarily work, so maybe it’s time for a change.
Anyway, here are a few things I’ve learned…
1. If it hurts, don’t do it. Just. Stop.
2. Relaxing once in a while won’t kill you.
3. Eat the damn cheese.
4. Tweezing your lip hurts. A lot. (and is not necessarily something your mother will warn you that you will probably need to do at some point in your life)
5. The life you have in hindsight is probably not going to be the life you imagined. That’s okay. It might even be better than what you imagined.
6. Just because you can hold a grudge like a champion, do you really want to?
7. I can do hard things.
8. Sometimes, where you are is almost as important as what you are doing in terms of your happiness.
9. Your life – your relationships – your job – are not going to make sense to everyone. This is more than okay. Live the life you need to live.
10. Not all relationships and friendships will be lifelong. This is also okay.
11. Wherever you end up, find your people.
12. Who you are is who you always were. Remember what made you happy as a child… and find a way to bring that into adulthood. Trust me, it will make you a much happier adult.
13. There is nothing like finishing the day with a hot cup of tea, a piece of chocolate, and a good book.
14. Relationships change. They evolve. When you think about all the ways you’ve changed over time, this makes perfect sense.
Obviously (well, hopefully) it’s not an exhaustive list. I don’t feel like a very wise person, but life is a good teacher. Constantly learning, constantly growing.
