Top Life Lessons at 33
I turned 33 recently. Thinking about my life I realized that I have learned many life lessons. Looking at those lessons, I can identify the top four that I think are important for success in my future, and important for anyone younger than me who wants to be even more successful than I am by time they are 33.
Accept Christ at an earlier age. In my life, accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior is the most important decision of my life. Being connected to God through Christ has enabled me to live a supernatural life. My life, my body, my intelligence, my community, my purpose, my work have all changed for the better because of my relationship with Jesus. I encourage people to develop a relationship with Him early. The early you get to know Him, the better your life becomes for a lot longer. The relationship gives you: Better Outlook. More Power. Better Life. The life even lasts forever.
Learn lessons from others. A young man is walking down the street and approaches a ditch. As he gets closer, he notices that there is another young man in the ditch. The young man in the ditch cries for help. Both young man lock arms as the young man in the street pulls back and the young man in the pit aids this effort by using his legs to climb. After much effort and methodical movement, both young men collapse in exhaustion on the concrete in the street. The young man from the pit eventually stands up and heartily shakes the hand of the young man from the street. He explains how he fell in the pit, how long he was there and what it was like to be there for the past half-hour. The young man listens with empathy and offers some words of solace. The young men say some mutually encouraging words to each other then they leave.
You should always learn the "pit experiences" of life like the young man in the street did - from another person.He listened to the story, connected, provided empathy and kept it moving. He did not need to experience the "pain" of the situation when he had the trusted word of a man who experienced the pit. The main piece of advice is to seek mentors and people, listen to their stories, avoid their pitfalls and embrace their stories/advice of success. This can come in the form of people. When you do not have access to people, read books. Read tons of books. Read boatloads of books. The conversations and literature will change your life, and empower you to be more successful.
Its better to ask for permission than to beg for forgiveness. I got the phrase right. You are used to reading it as "Its better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission". The truth is that permission may hurt more on the outset but the success from asking permission lasts longer. Whereas bypassing permission brings your the satisfactions of getting what you want in the moment but the pain of begging most likely will last forever. Permission is the single most important asset in any era. It is especially important in the 21st century. The connected economy calls for permission as our technology makes it easier to establish relationships with people to a profitable end. The best book to read is Permission Marketing by Seth Godin. Even though it is written from a business perspective. It is has immeasurable value for using permission to start friendships, work with co-workers or even work with your boss.
Love is the greatest conqueror. What do Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. have in common? They changed the world without once using a weapon. Well ,that is not true. They did use a weapon, love. They destroyed regimes, toppled social hierarchies and inflamed the world with purpose - all through love. They chose the higher ground of love to change their life, and consequently, the lives of others were changed. If you want to change your work, your school, your church, your environment, your family, act with love.