Life Lessons You Should Know but No One Told You
What did you wish you knew when you were younger? Life lessons that would have saved you both time and emotional trauma for starters. That burning question is forever etched in the back of my mind for all the wrong reasons. Let me explain.
Like many of you I have made a couple of “dumb” mistakes in my life, whether in business, relationships or love.
Call them life lessons or life advice, I figured that I would compile the gems onto one page, distilled from life experience and also from research.
Learning from the mistakes of others
It was wisely said by Eleanor Roosevelt, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”
This took me a long time to realize. You would think that learning from the mistakes of others would be common. But, it is decidedly not so.
If we look at any facet of life we see many markers of people just making mistakes. Sometimes very costly too.
I wonder why divorce rates are so high, suicide and depression are rapidly increasing, and poor financial decisions are leaving millions of Americans living paycheck to paycheck.
Weirdly enough, in my early 20s I didn’t really think about life lessons in a general sense. Rather, I would smash my head against the wall over the newest dumb decision I had made.
After just a short while you figure out that smashing your against the wall isn’t very productive. You may even say counterproductive. Big words I know!
It did not occur to me to take to the internet or talk with friends that have made the same mistakes, before I made them. Sounds like some weird matrix style voodoo. Imagine if we could learn these lessons before we made them. Wouldn’t that be a whole lot easier?
I argue that we can. We can learn why many marriages fail, what triggers depression and suicide, and practice good financial habits to stay above that poverty line. So why don’t more people do it?
A personal quest
Growing up I didn’t really have a normal childhood, at least not in the general sense. My parents were immigrants and I lived in a sketchy New York City suburb.
Some of the life lessons I learned while growing up are highlighted in this article called Growing Up (great title I know).
In addition, I didn’t know what my parents expected from me. I’m sure that many of you can relate. I had my rebellious phase and my mother, a strict disciplinarian, wasn’t shy in letting me know she disapproved. Let’s just say sitting down was sometimes a pain!
In one of my most popular articles, Why You Shouldn’t Listen To Your Parents, I argue on behalf of all children craving to rebel and forge their own path.
A simple argument, that parent’s don’t always know best. Yes, I know it’s blasphemous, yet we both know it to be true.
This page can run as both advice to the younger generation or just in general relationship advice, but it goes deeper than that.
In my quest for truth and knowledge about my existence, I developed a fascination about death. Phrases like memento mori, latin for, remember that you must die, became my motto.
Weird, I know. And that obsession turned into a manifesto, or letter (manifesto sounds cooler) I penned, called Read This Before You Die. This is both a reminder to you as well as to myself.
These life lessons based on research and surveys conducted on those on their deathbeds serves a chilly reminder of what we often take for granted.
Facing a crisis, life lessons I learned
I can regale you with more spiffy life advice for you young and old out there, slogging through the mundane, wishing for something better, but I’ll ask you a question instead.
Are you fulfilled, purpose driven, and content? Yes, I’m talking about you! The dreamer, the idealist, the so-called romantic. I challenge you to reflect on your life.
It was this question that triggered my quarter-life crisis and sent me down a path of chaotic change. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night wondering what’s next for me, is this the life I’m meant to live.
Suffice to say, it led me to creating a bucket list, re-evaluating my life choices, relationships, and career.
It was a humbling experience of self reflection and yelling at myself in the mirror. I wasn’t satisfied with who I was, and felt I had become complacent.
My life had become a routine. Wake up, go to work, hit the gym, and repeat. Even though my job afforded me cool opportunities and exciting travel, something was missing.
Ultimately, it led to a career shift thus concluding my military service. I said my goodbyes and looked forward to the next challenge.
Related article: 10 Life Lessons I Learned in the U.S. Marine Corps
Of course, the next step wasn’t easy. It led me down a path of many unknowns. I felt like the scared, rebellious, teenage boy I once was. This time, I was a fully grown adult, faced with real life decisions.
Surprisingly, the military prepared me well in facing adversity. For the first time in a long time I felt a renewed sense of hope.
This source of strength came from hunger. Hunger for purpose.
Mark Twain nicely said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
And so my quest for purpose begins.
I hope you found value. This blog was created to inspire and teach, but most importantly, it is meant to make you think differently.
If I have done that, please pay it forward and share this page with someone that you believe would benefit.
And if you are hungry too, I suggest digesting my article, 7 Things You Can Do Today To Take Control of Your Life.
See you on the other side.
As always, thank you for reading.