No one in this world lives life exactly like you do. You are unique in that your experiences and choices have shaped you into who you are today, and no one else has been through the exact same experiences. Despite that, there are certain universal truths about life that we cannot deny. You may know some of them, but whether you do or not, it’s good to have a proper list that you can read and share with the people you care about.
1. Growth Is Almost Always Accompanied by Pain
Be patient when you’re going through hardships, because one day that pain you’re experiencing will show its meaning. People who have the power to succeed in the long run are those who have used life’s bricks to lay the foundation for growth. Don’t be afraid to break from time to time, nor to fall apart, because those moments are the ones that will also present you with the best opportunities to grow and rebuild yourself.
2. Only You Know What You’re Capable Of
Unless there’s a person out there who can stare directly into your heart and soul, and see your strength and desires, no one can tell you who you are and what you’re capable of. Others may know what they can and cannot accomplish, but they can’t apply the same standards to you. Furthermore, if you remember and maintain this attitude, you just might surprise yourself.
3. True Beauty Is Internal
Only when you truly know someone, do their physical traits fade away. You begin to feel the person’s energy, recognize their scent and can appreciate their wit. You see that person’s essence and not the envelope it resides in. This is why you cannot fully love someone based solely on their appearance. You may feel desire, or be charmed by a person, but we can only truly love him/her once we get to know them.
4. You’re Always a Student
At every stage in your life you will be presented with new lessons, and will have something new to learn. Every bad experience can teach you how to avoid it in the future, or cope with it if need be. Every good experience can teach you how to preserve it and extend it. As long as you follow your heart and never stop learning life’s lessons, you’ll never become truly old, but evolve and grow.
5. Your Love Creates Your Happiness
Your happiness is a direct result of the love you give the world. When you love, you aspire to be a better person. When you become a better person, everything around you becomes better than how it was in our youth. Love is our teacher: As adults, love is the foundation we must live by. In our old age, love is our sweetest memory. Love creates our happiness.
6. The Respect You Give Is the Respect You Get
You can’t demand respect, nor convince someone to respect you by saying what they want to hear. Respect is earned by listening to others, acknowledging their feelings and respecting them as you would like them to respect you. Be kind and respect everyone, even those who don’t respect you back – not because they deserve it, but because you do.
7. Negativity Is Poison for the Soul
Don’t let negativity and unwanted drama lead you astray from your path of becoming a better person. Focus on the here and now, life is too short and your time is too precious to be wasted on trivial matters. When you decide to put your life on track again, the answers to your questions will present themselves on their own.
8. Your Health Is Your Life
No matter what size and shape it is, your body is the most important tool you’ll ever have. The way you treat your body will directly affect the quality of your life. Exercise to be in shape, not to lose weight. Eat well to nourish your body, not because you’ll be thinner. Go for a jog, a swim, a bike ride – it doesn’t matter, just get some exercise, your body will thank you. A healthy body is an energetic body, and an energetic body is an energized mind.
9. Letting Go Is Part of Moving On
You’ll never get what you truly need if you stay attached to things you ought to let go of. Sometimes we love, then we fight, and then we learn to let go, and that’s perfectly fine. If you want to take your life’s proper course, you need to learn to let go.
10. The Here & Now Is a Gift
It’s not called “the present” for naught. Your whole life has led you to this very moment, right now. Think about it for a second, everything you’ve been through and experienced, every challenge you’ve overcome, every fall you stood up from, all of them have led you to this moment in time. This moment is priceless, so don’t lose it.
11. Your Choices Shape Your Life
Every day, we are presented with choices. We can appreciate what we have, choose to give ourselves time, choose to do something that will make us smile, choose to be excited, choose to laugh, choose to spend time with people who make us feel good, choose to pursue our goals, and more. Make a choice every morning what your day will be like. This choice is the toolbox that will help you live the life of your dreams. Just remember to choose.
