Some days, it feels like everyone got a manual for life, and you didn’t. There are things that seem difficult to understand. So, here is a compilation of the most important things you need to hear today, keep in mind, and use to manage your life.
Problems don’t come with warnings
There will always be problems, and you won’t get a warning beforehand. It’s important to prepare for issues without expecting a warning sign first. You can’t become too complacent, expecting that things will always go well or that you will get enough time to prepare.
It’s useful to anticipate and prepare. You shouldn’t expect a health issue or an accident to give you advance notice. This is not to say that you should always be alert; however, it’s best to take your precautions when you can and not postpone them until you are forced to be more careful. Problems can come at any time, so be ready.
We are all selfish to some degree
People can be altruistic and act in very unselfish ways. However, we are all selfish to some degree, and that’s normal. While it sounds like a sad thought, there are a lot of advantages to recognizing this as a truth and acting accordingly,
First, accepting this idea means that you can work better with others. Accept that those around you don’t owe you their time or labor. If you want something from them, be it your employees or your partner, you can get better results if you offer them something in return and connect your goals to theirs.
Another thing you can get is that you needn’t feel guilty over seeking your own benefit and watching first for your own interests and those of your family and loved ones. You should not seek to actively mess with other people, but it’s fine to say no, to set your boundaries, to pursue those objectives that best suit you. You get to be somewhat selfish, and it doesn’t make you worse than those around you. It’s natural to consider yourself and your loved ones first; just don’t take it too far.
Nobody has it figured out
It seems that other people are so much better at this life thing than you. They appear so confident, especially on their social media. They don’t seem to make the same mistakes you do. But this is just an illusion. Nobody has it figured out. Sure, some people are better at this and some are better at that. But we all have things we struggle with, things we can’t achieve so easily.
Nobody is perfect, and we’re all still learning. It’s useful to remember this so that you can show more compassion for yourself and for other people. We are all figuring out and have things we struggle with. We make mistakes and try to learn and do better, and we can do it with grace, without judging anyone, including ourselves too harshly.
Appreciate what you have now
We often live our lives waiting for the next good thing to come. When I have that job, I will… When I am thinner, I will… When I have more money, I will… Instead of looking at what we have, our eyes are always set on whatever is next on the horizon. Having goals is great, but we also should work to appreciate what we have now.
You can cultivate a practice of gratitude and being in the present so life doesn’t pass you by. Enjoy yourself as much as you can as you pursue the next thing on the horizon. You will find yourself feeling happier, better, and more motivated.
You are responsible for your life
There are things that happen to you that you don’t decide. There is bad luck, there are accidents, there are bad people who do bad things and good people who do good things. But even if something didn’t happen because of you, you still have to cope with it and it becomes your responsibility to manage the consequences.
If you faced a bad situation, now it’s up to you to deal with the consequences it might have on your life. You can’t say: I didn’t choose this, so I won’t deal with it. You need to assume responsibility for your life and make it better. Nobody else will.
