Twenty Lessons I Learnt In Twenty Four Years

Life is a constant series of lessons, most of which can be quite challenging and hard, but once learnt, they are most rewarding. Here is a short and crisp list of twenty lessons I learnt in twenty four years of my life : –

1. Persistence is Key – I never understood this for a long time, but it turns out, we are best at the things we persist at. Every activity we take up, needs long term commitment and persistence to master. There are no shortcuts.

2. I’d Rather be myself and be called weird, than suppress who I am and be called normal – If you’re always trying to be ‘normal’, then you have no idea how remarkable you can be

3. The only person you have control over is yourself – Whether it’s the person you are, the situations you face, or the people you come across. Only your own reaction  are in your hand.

4. The best advice can be found in good books – I’ve found some of the wisest words in autobiographies, memoirs and even personality development books. There’s a reason these people are so renowned, and their words live on for years.

5. My mother is my true best friend – Ofcourse, we did have a few battles during my moody teenage years, but growing up, I did realize that my bond with my mother was a real blessing, and my mum is my role model and best friend.

6. Binge watching TV shows is a real waste of time – TV series would sometimes take up hours of my day, and practically teach me absolutely nothing.  I found myself switching those hours back into reading books, or learning something new.

7. Exercise changes your life – Yoga, swimming, gymming, changed my life. These activities released endorphins that made me so much happier, kept me fit, toned and looking and feeling absolutely fab!

9. Investing in yourself is the best investment you can make – Whether its getting fit, learning a new skill, taking up a new course or saving up to travel to a place you’ve always wanted to visit – The best thing you can invest in, is yourself.

10. The smaller your close circle of friends is, the less drama – I’ve found keeping my close friend circle small to be very beneficial in ensuring our friendships are strong, reliable and fruitful.

11. Keep your mind like a sponge – Ensuring that your mind is like a sponge, open to learning, ready to listen to new ideas and views, constantly learning from every place and every person, is a great way to grow.

12. Admitting mistakes and apologizing is a sign of strength – I’ve learnt that its okay to be wrong, to admit that I was wrong and apologize about it. It makes you a stronger person, and also lets you let go and forgive yourself.

13. Twenties are the best years to start saving – After speaking to a lot of friends who have majored in Finance, reading good books about conversations with money, I’ve realized, that using the power of compounding and saving in your twenties, is the most rewarding thing you can do.

 

14. Forgiveness is the true key to happiness – Letting go of moments of hurt, people who have hurt you through their words or actions, is extremely liberating. It enables you to rid negative feelings and move ahead feeling unburdened.

15. Laughing is the greatest stress buster – Whether its having a humorous conversation with my family at the end of the day, or watching an episode of impractical jokers or Saturday night Live, laughing is a great stress buster, and makes you feel great!

16. Crying is almost as effective – I’ve always been rarely known to shed tears, and convert my sadness into anger instead, which was quite destructive. Crying however, is an effective stress buster, and lets you clear your mind.

17. There’s a perfect wine for every occasion – Whether its a special event, an occasion or just a long dinner with family or friends, I’ve learnt that there is a perfect wine for every occasion, to make that day just a little bit more fine.

18. Prayer unties all your knots – A few moments a day in prayer, whether in gratitude, making a request or praying for someone else, solves all your problems. Prayer is the way to destroy all fear and communicate with God.

19. Life can be quite humorous when you stop taking things too personally – Taking things personally, getting too defensive and thinking that the world is centered around you, is quite a waste of time. Life is way better, when you take a step back and laugh things off.

20. Gratitude is a way of living – “If the only prayer you said was ‘thank you’, that would be enough” is a quote that says it all. Immense gratitude changed my life, and maintaining a gratitude journal is a great way to get started.