15 Things Life Has Taught Me So Far
1) If you haven’t ever taken any risks, you haven’t lived. Don’t famish yourself from experiences. They may not always be good, and there will be days wherein you’ll probably feel like you shouldn’t have done all those things but in the end of the day, it’s always great to have something to look back at and laugh about. And if it’s not all funny, then maybe you can learn something from it. Life’s too short to be persistently vigilant.
2) Have a goal. You can tell a lot about someone by their goals and dreams in life and the way they make it transpire.
3) Sometimes it’s just best not to give a damn. For once in your life, let things go your way. Do whatever you want on account of you being happy. Drop other people off the radar, burn some bridges, color outside the lines. Spare yourself the BS.
4) You don’t always have to forgive people just because you feel like it’s the “right” thing to do. If someone brings you nothing but stress and desolation and could never see your worth, cut her out of the picture. You don’t need someone to add up to the huge pile of glitches you already have in your life. Sometimes you’re the one who gets left, sometimes you’re the one who leaves. It’s nothing personal.
5) You will eventually learn to go on sole voyages. That’s when you know you’ve grown to be independent from other people. It’s great to have someone by your side to accompany you everywhere but nothing beats the feeling of having the audacity to be by yourself in serenity. Learn to watch a movie in the cinemas alone. Go on lone walks, solo shopping sprees, plan and go on exhilarating adventures. Appreciate the clandestine beauty in aloneness. It’s not always sad.
6) It is true when they say that the best things in life are free. A sky full of stars. Ocean swims. Laughter. Love. Just being able to wake up to the sun shining in the morning. A breath of fresh air. Spontaneous and unexpected incidences. Hugs. Kisses. Writing. Gathering all your thoughts into one chef-d’oeuvre. This is how even the homeless people can say ‘they live a wonderful life’ despite their financial deprivation. Happiness can be bought, but the best things in life are priceless.
7) A broken heart isn’t a catalyst for a life wrecked in bits and pieces. Someone walked out on you? Hurt you? Left you hanging? It will be painful at first. It will probably take long for you to recuperate. But you are still bound to live. Life doesn’t slow down for anyone. You were already someone before you met them. Don’t ever forget that. Don’t create reasons for you to stop loving yourself.
8) It’s okay to glug some alcohol down your system, if that’s what it takes to get you into a loophole. We’re all searching for a means of escape throughout the dark days. At the very least, be responsible with the drinking. Don’t let it become a vicious habit that will sooner or later destroy you, too.
9) You don’t always have to hide behind an idyllic façade. You don’t have to keep pretending that you are okay whenever you feel like you’re falling apart. It’s okay to be weak sometimes. It’s okay to welcome the emotions that are trying to devour you. Sometimes you just have to let yourself feel what it’s like to be in the worst state so you’ll know how to go from there.
10) Don’t blame life; blame circumstances. We don’t exist for the sake of just relishing an all-out faultless life. We fall, we crash, we get back up. Sporadically, we can be vulnerable. Sometimes we can be on the verge of giving up but that’s just a constant reminder that we are still humans. Besides, what’s the point of existing in a world astutely crafted as a battleground without a little challenge? Life is just technically a gift bestowed for us to live. Circumstances are the legit game-changers.
11) There’s a fine line between being there for someone and being someone’s emotional punching bag. You are not responsible for their feelings. Draw boundaries and keep them. It doesn’t make you cold; it makes you responsible for your own happiness.
12) Let nobody stop you from perking up your look if that’s what it’ll take for you to feel beautiful. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”, they said. “Don’t change a thing.”, they said. But it doesn’t matter. Go back to #3. Don’t let people stop you from doing what you want. Work out. Slim down. Put on some makeup. Buy lovely clothes. Change your hair color once a month or twice a year. Whatever it takes to make you feel contented and pretty, just go for it. No questions asked.
13) It will get better. Time can heal most anything. Your boyfriend broke up with you. You and your mom had a really big fight. You failed your exam, dropped your phone and cracked its screen. It will pass. You can weep all you can now, but there will be better days, and they aren’t that far ahead.
14) Everyone has a story. That fat kid who ate too much ice cream at the park, the girl you bumped into in a public bathroom with slits on her wrists and a sad smile, the introvert bloke who was always seated in the back of the class with his head down and hands glued to his pockets, the lonely old man you always stumble upon on a daily basis whenever you take the night train back home. This is why we should never judge a person, particularly based on what we think we know. Most of the time, we don’t know the full story. People struggle. People undergo difficulties. So be kind.
15) Smile. It truly makes a difference to the people around you.
