44 Life Lessons We Wish We Knew When We Were Younger
This is definitely one of the most special posts that I published in the past 10 years (almost). I have long wondered if other people of my age also have those moments when they face a situation where it hit them hard and silently wished that they should have known it earlier. I had wanted to publish something about it when I turned 40, but at that time I was busy with a lot of things and with my trip to the Philippines, up to now, I still regret not being able to do it, I could have done something memorable on my milestone birthday.
As the saying goes, “tomorrow is not guaranteed”, so instead of waiting another 6 years for a round number birthday, I thought my repdigit birthday is a good occasion for me to finally make my friends, classmates, batchmates and co-workers confess the life lessons that they wish they knew when they were younger. The wisdom and lessons that I put together in this article were gathered out of their love for me. These people who shared their inputs in this article instantly said yes when I asked them to help me with this birthday post, their participation was such a pleasant birthday gift.
And I really hope that anyone who’ll read this will find something here (if you do, please let me know through your comments). In no particular order, here are the 44 life lessons that some of the people close to me wished they knew when they were younger:
1 – Always choose to be happy. – GERLIE & MAY
Happiness will not come to you because it should come from you, nothing in this world can make you happy until you choose to be happy and you decide to be happy.
2 – Patience is a virtue. – AYA
In the present time where things can be easily acquired, there are still some great things that requires time before it comes and in order to get these great things, you need to wait.
3 – Make lots of memories with your family. – GENER
Making memories matters. When all the material things are gone, all we have left are the memories we made so make lots of them.
4 – Your standard of beauty should be your self and comparing yourself to others is not good for you. – APOL.
In a society that constantly strive for physical perfection, there will always be people who will attempt to tear you down and break your spirit, it’s up to you whether you’ll allow them to define you according to their standards or you will embrace your own imperfections
5 – Don’t worry about what other people will say or think about you, don’t be afraid to stand up and stand out. – COC
You shouldn’t be concerned about what people think of you because you know yourself better, you know who you are and what you are capable of.
6 – “Seize the day.” – CHIE
Hesitation hinders you from moving forward and will leave you forever wondering what might have been. Take advantage of the time that you have and take actions, because no matter what happens, at the end of everything, you will end up smarter than before. Carpe diem!
7 – Do not regret regrets. – MHENGGAY
Regrets are difficult to deal with but we should not get stuck in regretting the mistakes we did or the things we failed to do. After all, regrets can teach us to become a better version of ourselves. Move forward and use your regrets as your stepping stone to moving on.
8 – Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. – LEO ACERA
Getting out of your comfort zone will help you grow and will not just let you maximize your potentials but will also allow you to acquire new skills. It is an opportunity for you to challenge yourself and conquer the fears and limitations that you set yourself up.
9 – To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want. – MHONDE
Simply wanting something will not guarantee that you get them, to bridge the gap between wanting and getting it, you must chase it and work hard until you finally deserve to have it. You cannot depend on other people to do it or get it for you, if you want something, you must do the necessary work or sacrifice yourself.
10 – Save while you are young. – CLENG / ROMA
When you are young, it’s hard to grasp the real value of money, but after using up 2 or 3 decades of your time on earth, you will realize how unpredictable life can be. If you have planned financially and started saving young, you put your self in an enormous advantage when unpredictable things happen.
11 – It is better to get your life insurance while you are young.– DI / CATHY
No one wants to think about death, especially when you are young and healthy, but when it comes to buying life insurance, the earlier, the better. Buying life insurance at an early age will cost you much less than waiting until you’re older.
12 – It’s okay to say “no.” – ARLENE
We are not obligated to always do something for someone, though, it is sometimes hard for us to imagine hurting other people’s feeling because we turn them down, saying no to people we don’t like or to activities that we don’t find valuable means that you know your value and you respect yourself enough to prioritize what is important for you.
13 – Do not be too trusting. Let people earn your trust. – BOYET MARINAS / KING
Trust is one of the most important ingredients of any relationships. Be cautious, to consider the risks that you may be facing and choose your relationships carefully. Trust is not something you simply give away.
14 – Make each moment count. – BLUE
Live in the moment and be present in the things that you do. Instead of rushing things to happen, maximize the experience and make your time valuable, spend it with the people important to you and who value you.
15 – It’s always about you and not them that matters. – JOY
This is your life to live, at the end of the day you are the only person who needs to approve of your choices. It is better to live a life that you approve of than live a life that other people wants you to follow.
16 – Make your passion your profession, and work will become a game. – ED
Do not settle for something just because it is more convenient or it is easier. Pursue your passion, if you want to work in the field of your passion but you do not have all the resources, no matter how challenging it may be, go for it.
17 – Learn from the mistakes of others, coz you cannot live long enough to make them all yourself. – JAYPEE
A wise man will not be discouraged by failure of other people, instead, he turns it to a positive experience and sees it as his highway to success.
18 – All things work together for good. – DETTE
No matter how bad a situation may seem, it’s going to be favorable in the end.
19 – Life is a continuous learning process. – REYG MUNOZ LINAO
What I did not know then has molded and defined me into the person I am now, I am just fine learning more life lessons at fate’s pace because I believe there are things in life that are better realized at the right time and right mindset.
20– God’s timing is always perfect – never early, never late. – CONNIE
Do not worry too much. Trusting God’s plan requires not knowing how He will allow things will be accomplished and not knowing when it’s going to happen.
21 – There are many things that seem impossible only so long as one does not attempt them. – ANA
Life is not easy but to those who always strive and stand up for dreams and what is right, nothing is impossible.
22 – Never be afraid to grab those opportunities. – CEZ MUNCAL DE CHAVEZ
Opportunity usually knocks only once, be brave and bold, never let any opportunity to pass you by and just be prepared for whatever life may bring.
23 – Whatever happens, life goes on. –DARWIN
Everything happens for a reason, whatever happens life will move on. So instead of thinking about it too much, just let go and accept that it’s not meant to be.
24 – Health is really important in our life. Whether physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. – ANNIE SAUSA
25 – The relationships that we build will keep us happy in the good times and comfort us in times of trials. – MARI
Nothing in your life is guaranteed to be there tomorrow, including those you love. But if you build good relationships, you build memories and build another beam of support to what you’re building for yourself. The time well spent with the people we love will help us through the rough patches in our lives.
26 – Be grateful for what you have. – MIDANG
Do not reserve the feeling of gratefulness for huge or significant matters or events in life. Appreciate every small thing that comes your way and train your mind to remember that every single day that God gives us is a gift.
27 – Sometimes there are no second chances. – RHEA
Each moment presents itself as-is, at that very moment, you must decide whether to go for it or to let it pass you by. Others will say that you can still be given second chances. However, there is no guarantee that it will still be the same golden opportunity as it was presented to you the first time.
28 – Being kind is more important than to be right. – RAECH
Operate from your heart with kindness and give up the need to be right. Everyone is going through something…your parents, your husband, your friend, your neighbor or that waitress at your favorite restaurant. Taking the time to understand the people around you, being more considerate and forgiving not only improves the quality of your relationship, but brings you peace of mind as well.
29 – Time is money. – XANDER
Just like money, time is a limited resource. When deciding on how to spend your time remember to not waste time, since wasted time equals wasted money. The earlier you start on doing the things that you want the better chances for you to succeed. Just like in making investments, if you start to invest early, you will have more time to build wealth.
30 – Never stop improving yourself. – JAZZ
Don’t become complacent instead constantly strive to grow, to evolve, to develop and to improve. Wanting to improve and develop yourself is the best preparation that you can do for the battles that you will face tomorrow.
31 – Money is not the fruit of all evil, its only a catalyst of everything. – CLEFOYE
Money itself is not evil, what money is used for and how money is earned, however, can. The intention behind why a person wants to earn money and how people are spending that money can make money good or bad.
32 – Parents usually know best. – JEN SANTOME-VALENCIA
Some of life’s disappointments and pains could have been avoided had we learned to listen to our parents more, because they always have the best intentions for us.
33 – Youthful vigor would eventually fade away, and there should be something that you could do as a backup. – RONALD
Life is unpredictable and unexpected things can happen anytime, prepared myself in putting up a backup path to a better life. Even if we aren’t sure of what may come our way, we can always put up a backup path to a better life.
34 – Treat people, not as bad as they are, but as good as you are. – POPS ALEX BORDEOS
Always treat every situation with calmness and remember that only weak and immature people seek revenge to people who did not treaty them well. Strong and kind people will always try to understand and forgive other and move forward.
35 – You don’t need a lot of friends; you only need a few real ones and take care of them. – RACHEL
We come across so many people in our lives, and we tend to think that the more friends you have the more popular you will be, but as we aged, you will realize that friendship is about quality and not quantity.
36 – Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of mindfulness. – CEL
Knowing you are vulnerable and accepting it actually gives you strength. The strength to do better and go on with your life. And by reaching out to ask for help to your safe people you also give them the chance to show they care and share their gifts, by having the courage to ask for help, you’re also pulling them up.
37 – Fake it till you make it – will not work. – MISSY
Acting “as if” is not the key to make it to your desired destination. Life can be hard at times, but you should by continuing to work hard towards your goal you have a better chances of reaching them. By facing it instead of faking it, you are investing in competency rather than in a momentary band-aid to reduce diffidence.
38 – Don’t fall in love with potential. – TIN
Don’t look at someone for what they could be instead see them for who they really are. You can’t see potential and call it love. Because love isn’t about feeling good all the time or being with someone who acts like your favorite character in your favorite movie. Love is noticing the other persons flaws and shortcomings and still accept and respect them for it.
39 – Better an “oops” than a “what if.” – KRISTINE
Patient Bronnie Ware’s book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying? reminded us that you should not go to your death bed thinking you didn’t live a life true to yourself, dare to do what you’ve always wanted to do and have the courage to express your feelings regardless if you are unsure of the outcome.
40 – It’s okay not to be okay. – JOIE
It is not wrong to show up for all the emotional feelings that you are going through. Allow yourself to feel and let go of the notion that you are weak if you are not feeling okay. Allow yourself to show up with whatever your feeling because your feelings matter.
41 – “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” – BEBS
People know themselves far better than you know them, when a person shows you and tells you who they are, take them at their word. Because when you look at someone for “who they are at the moment” and not what you expect them to be, it gives you the chance to decide if they will be a healthy or unhealthy force in your life.
42 – Love is not always enough. – REINE
Love alone may not be enough to build a lasting relationship, for a relationship to survive there should be respect, communication, independence and self-love.
43 – You can never keep up with the Joneses. – AIMEE
Make your life, your life and set a standard of living that is within your means. Trying to keep up with the Joneses is a losing battle. Stick with your own financial goals and what truly matters to you and you wont feel the need to keep up with the people around you.
44 – God’s plan are better than ours. – MR. BUSY
The plan that you always thought is the best for you that became the basis of your decision and choices in life is not what you thought they were. God has so much better plan in your life and to everyone who believe in Him. His words are so true for all of us in Jeremiah 29:11 11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. “
I know this post is darn long but I hope you find this meaningful, just like how it is to me. If there’s any part of this post that resonates with you, I’d love to know which one or maybe you also have a life lesson which you wish you knew when you were younger, please share it with us, comment below.
Lastly, I would like to thank my friends, classmates and batchmates who willingly shared a piece of them in this post, I truly appreciate all of you, thank you for the love and support.
Thank you for being here and celebrating with me on my 44th! Stay kind and be safe!
