-George Bernard Shaw
Originally written for and shared on The Praying Woman
There are many things I wish knew when I was younger.
I used to say that 21 was my favorite age. It was when I became a full-fledged professional, it was when I first moved out of our house, it was when I met someone I thought I'd end up with, and it was when I became an integral part of the real world. That was when I felt like a real adult; when I thought I had everything figured out.
Boy, was I so wrong.
No matter how much we try to live each day to the fullest, there's always something we wish we should have done differently or known earlier, right?
21 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was Younger
You need to travel more
Traveling makes you appreciate life more; the more you see new places and experience new things, the more you appreciate being alive.
Traveling makes you see the beauty of nature up close, and appreciate the works of your Creator.
You get to release stress, you worry less, you become a happier person eventually. You see things from a different perspective.
Although in my defense, I had to put off traveling because I was helping in the house expenses and my siblings' education, I still could have allotted a budget for mini-vacations. Oh, well. I think the long wait made my traveling more exciting now that I get to do it.
Traveling makes you see the beauty of nature up close, and appreciate the works of your Creator.
You get to release stress, you worry less, you become a happier person eventually. You see things from a different perspective.
Although in my defense, I had to put off traveling because I was helping in the house expenses and my siblings' education, I still could have allotted a budget for mini-vacations. Oh, well. I think the long wait made my traveling more exciting now that I get to do it.
Start investing early.
I've only learned about investing in the stock market when I was 27. And I didn't start investing then! Now, when I look at my portfolio and see how my investment has grown in only a few years, I think about the years I've wasted not investing. You live, you learn.
Time is an illusion.
When I was younger, it always felt like I had my whole life ahead of me. So, I kept on procrastinating; putting off reading that book I've always wanted to read, not dropping a message to a friend I haven't seen or talked to for a long time, not exercising daily, not saving and investing, not going out. Now, I look back and I realized I've wasted so much time planning and not acting.
Friends come and go.
You may feel a certain connection with some people and think you could be friends forever. Truth is, if you're not losing friends you're not growing up. When you feel like the friendship is not helping you grow anymore, you're not learning anything new, or it's holding you back, know that it's normal.
Also, you'll find out some people also change, and feel like you don't belong in their world anymore. It's either you've outgrown them, or they've outgrown you. Either way, it's time to let go.
Also, you'll find out some people also change, and feel like you don't belong in their world anymore. It's either you've outgrown them, or they've outgrown you. Either way, it's time to let go.
It's okay to be the odd one out.
When you're young, people your age call partying cool and not partying boring. In my head though, it's the other way around. Still, majority wins so you go out and hang out as you're expected. But, it's okay to be the odd one out. Don't be afraid to be different. Celebrate your uniqueness.
Why fit in when you were born to stand out?
-Dr. Seuss
You'll get your heart broken.
You'll be hurt and broken. Maybe once, maybe twice. It's all part of the package. Only a very few are lucky enough to end up with their first love. Most mortals will have to meet a few wrong people before they meet the right one for them.
It's never too late to pursue a passion or change career path.
If you're not happy with what you do anymore, it's never too late to shift. If you're itching to pursue something you've always wanted, don't delay it. There's a reason why that dream or passion has been planted in your heart. Use it to bless the world.
You are never too old to set another goal
or to dream a new dream.
or to dream a new dream.
-Les Brown
Take more risks.
When you're young, you have more opportunities to fail. More opportunities to fail means more opportunities to learn. More opportunities to learn is more opportunities to succeed. Plus, you become wiser and stronger in the process.
You can't change a person or save the whole world.
It's God's job to change a person, not yours. Your job is to accept and love them for who they are. The change will follow. If they're sucking out your energy, learn to love them from a distance.
You'll go crazy trying to save the world. It's frustrating!
What you can do is try to save one person at a time. How? Be a friend. Listen. Empathize. Share your time. Let them feel they matter. Never underestimate the power of kindness.
If it is peace you want, seek to change yourself, not other people. It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to carpet the whole of the earth.
-Anthony de Mello
Dance, run, hike. Dare to try something new.
Go out of your comfort zone while you still can. While you still have the stamina, the energy and the time, do something that you think you'll never be able to do.
People you know and care about will eventually die.
That's the hard truth. We can't live forever. Cherish the people around you, show them you care, and never miss an opportunity to affirm. Words are powerful, and it's impact can resonate forever.
It's not what you do, it's not what you say, it's how you affect them. And how you affect them is not your call.
How you treat others is a direct extension of how you feel about yourself, and when you try to make someone else feel bad or embarrassed of who they are, it’s deplorable. A happy, secure person wants to share their light.
-Maddison Jensen
What do you wish you knew when you were younger?
Hey, did you find this post helpful or entertaining? Please go ahead and share.
Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks!
Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks!
8 comments
Lux, those are great life lessons, many resonated with me very deeply. Thank you for sharing your wisdom <3
ReplyDeleteLOVE each and EVERY one of these! Well said - you are very wise my dear friend!
ReplyDeleteA great list. Oh, and same here. I made all the mistakes that you are describing. All of them. Maybe it is just part of growing up, right?
ReplyDeleteThere is a saying that youth is wasted on the young. This is a great list, I think you would have had to put aside a whole evening to talk to your younger self! I've probably done all these things, and although I'm not one for regrets, I would tell myself to go traveling more, not waste money on smoking, invest that money instead and go on even more holidays! Great post, blessings, Andrea
ReplyDeleteI loved reading it. This is a reminder that I have more opportunities to fail. I often lose heart when I think about a repeated failure I face. .... and more heartbreaks to bear and let those friends go. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, I found many of those are still things I would do when I was a kid or right now, even though we now know how things will turn out if we did them.
ReplyDeletePS: here an old post I wrote: http://rsfml.blogspot.com/2012/02/when-i-was-kid-i-wished.html
This is one of the best things I've ever read
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteNice weblog here! Also your site so much up very fast! What web host are you the usage of? Can I get your affiliate link for your host? I desire my site loaded up as fast as yours lol outlook sign in