35 Essential Life Lessons Everyone Should Learn Early in Life — OMAR ITANI (2023)

I've had this dream of changing the world since I was a kid, but growing up I had no idea how let alone what I wanted to do with my life.

So I tried different things: I studied abroad, I worked at Google, I backpacked a lot, I started my own online business. I kept looking outward without really feeling any sense of contentment or peace until I came to these words of the 13th century poet Rumi:

“Yesterday I was smart, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I change."

It was at that point that I began to understand that any changes I seek to make in my life start with myself first. And any changes you are looking for in your life start with you first.Change the inside and the outside fits.

The truth is youIs it like thisable to create whatever you want, but what stands in the way between where you are and where you want to be, you are. No time, no money, no trouble, you. And do you know why? Because you are your biggest obstacle.

The sooner you learn this the better, and the sooner you accept it, the sooner you'll want to learn how to change. One more time,Rumi prepared Worteenters and sounds so true:Yesterday you were smart and wanted to change the world. Today you are wise, so you change.

Here are 35 life lessons to learn early in life. Read them, consider them and apply them. And while you're at it, remember that change takes time, so give yourself as much time as you need to grow.

1. Your whole life can change in an instant. So instead of passively taking what you have for granted, be thankful for it and do as much good with it as you can.

When I was 27, I fell off my bike and passed out in the street. I immediately fractured my spine and tore the ligament in my knee. In an instant it changed the entire trajectory of the next year of my life.

Earlier this year, the third largest explosion in human history rocked my hometown of Beirut. In an instant, 200 people lost their lives and 300,000 people were left homeless. It could easily have been one of them.

We often forget that death looms over us; it stays in the space we cannot touch, and in the blink of an eye, in a second, it can capture us and rob us of the most precious blessing of all: the gift of being alive.

Your whole life can change in an instant. So stop taking what you have for granted. Instead, be thankful for it and do as much good with it as possible.

2. It's okay to feel lost sometimes; The truth is, you owe nothing to your younger self, but you owe everything to your present self.

When I was younger I always thought it was shameful to feel lost. Now I realize that it's the normal course of life, because life isn't a straight line going from A to B, it's a canvas of circles and waves, ups and downs, ups and downs. It is a journey of self-discovery and creation. We paint it with one set of colors and then repaint it with another.

Life is transformative.

So feeling lost is normal and no matter how "together" everyone around you seems, if you dig deeper you'll find that everyone "finds out" as they join in. Every businessman isconstantEvery couple in a relationship is trying to figure out how to get more customersconstanttrying to figure out how to move forward, and every new parent is doing itconstanttries to figure out how to maneuver his way through parenthood.

The truth is that I realized thatfeeling lost is a sign of growth. It means that the things you once valued are no longer the things you care about today. And do you know why? Because you're not your younger self anymore.

As a child, you set goals and dreams for what you would like to become when you grow up, but over time and with new experiences, your interests and thinking have changed. I have now realized that the previous ideas I had for my future self are no longer consistent with the ideas I have for my present self.

The same goes for you: the person you are today is not responsible for being the person you once thought you were.The person you are today is solely responsible for the adult you want to be today.You owe nothing to your younger self, but you owe everything to your present self.

So it's okay to feel lost or like you don't know what you're doing with your life. You are not expected to have everything figured out because it is a process. Most importantly, don't use "lost" as an excuse to sit in the doldrums. It is important that you work more in the language of action than in that of contemplation and thought.

3. Action creates more clarity than thinking, so you can't imagine your way to a new life, you have to evolve to such a life.

How do you find outFor realdo you want in life you lean on whatto thinkYou want it and act accordingly. That's the best answer I can give you, because that's what I've learned: Action creates more clarity than thinking.

I spent most of my teenage years thinking that I wanted to be the CEO of a multinational company with my time on Earth, until I joined a corporation and realized: That's not what I want. A few years later, I spent most of my time at Google dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur and building the next great unicorn startup, until I started my own company and realized: This is not what I really want.

Action creates more clarity than thinking, because at the end of the dayYou will only learn, improve and solve it by doing it.You learn to cook by cooking. You will master the art of writing if you sit down to write every day.

Leaning on your curiosity and walking the path, you will gain experience and the answer to whatFor realwhat you want will be revealed to you as you work to achieve who you areto thinkYou want to.

So all you need is a direction to move in.All you need is the "where", not the "how".Once you start walking the path and trusting the process, the answers begin to reveal themselves and the path begins to show itself. That's why you can't think your way into a new life; You have to behave in your own way.

4. The pursuit of happiness will lead you to misery until you realize that happinessesthe way.

A few years ago, at a campout at a music festival, I met a woman in her early 30s who told me that she hadn't found happiness in her life, that she was still chasing and seeking it. Unfortunately, I thought exactly the same thing.

Perhaps it's because modern society tricks us into believing that happiness is a goal we achieve: the promotion that takes away all our problems, or the freedom we get when we do a 9-to-5 -quit job. "If X happens, I will be happy."

I've spent the entire last decade cultivating this toxic mindset and it has influenced every major decision I've made in my life. I've always been looking for the next big thing, constantly searching for what's next and never really surrendering to the fullness of what I already had here.

I want you to realize that happiness isn't an island paradise that we have to seek out. no Happiness is a ingrained rose of joy that you take with you wherever you go - and you decide whether or not to water it every morning when you wake up.

Your happiness and wellbeing has nothing to do with how well you think you're doing, how far along you are on the path you've come, or what's next.Your happiness and wellbeing has a lot to do with how present, accepting, and content you are with everything that is here and now.

In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, “There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way”. If you don't appreciate this feeling and keep chasing that big, elusive dream of a distant and happy future, you will never experience the self-esteem and satisfaction you can find in this moment.

And it doesn't take much to be happy: practice presence, write down what you're grateful for every morning, accept what's happening, and do something that pleases your heart every day. These are some of the simple, easy and practical ones.Tips to be happier.

5. If you want to change the trajectory of your life, follow these rules and stick to them: Commitment gets you started, persistence gets you further, and perseverance keeps you going.

From the age of 24 to 28 I only talked about being an entrepreneur but I never did. Why? Because at that time I only talked, but never "acted". So on my 29th birthday I registered my first business: I made a commitment to be an entrepreneur and it changed my life path.

A year later, when I turned 30, I decided to become a writer. I have dedicated myself to this new calling and over the course of this yearI built a systemto help me be consistent. In 12 months, I've published 140 articles online, which has taken me from zero views to over 500,000, from zero followers on Medium to over 6,100, and from zero subscribers to over 1,500.

what was my secret

fromConsequentlyHe wrote and published 2-3 articles a week. Even on days when I didn't feel like writing, he made me introduce myself, sit in a chair and write.

If you want to change your life, you should do the following:

1. compromise on one thing.

2. Be consistent with this.

3. squeeze him

Commitment is what sets you on a new path. Consistency, the key to making lasting and sustainable changes in life, gets you everywhere. And persistence is what keeps you going in the face of adversity.

6. We break down bit by bit, day by day, but we also take care of ourselves and we build up bit by bit, day by day. Why? Because your habits define you: what you do today reflects who you will be tomorrow.

There's a fine linebetween where you are today and where you will be tomorrow. The hinge that connects the two is that little habit you repeat every day. If you tend to bad habits (or neglect good ones) you will gradually break down day by day, but if you practice good habits you will build yourself up bit by bit day by day.

In my first six months as an entrepreneur, I completely neglected myself. I stopped meditating, I stopped socializing, I stopped exercising, I stopped taking care of myself. The result? Sleepless nights of brooding, constant frustration and worry, emotional turmoil and confusion - I was miserable.

Thankfully, as soon as I became aware of this self-sabotaging behavior, I vowed to myself that I would.oh noAllow me to sink so low again and again. Since then I've worked my way into it10 daily habitsand they still practice it today. These include but are not limited to a daily 15-minute morning meditation, a gratitude journal, daily stretches and exercises, and intermittent fasting.

The reality is that we face new challenges every day, some bigger and more catastrophic than others. Despite the emotional shipwreck we may find ourselves in, we must look within to ignite the power that allows us to stand up and move on. How shall we do it? We let our daily rituals support us. Our daily habits and self-care rituals shape the pace at which our lives flow and the direction in which they progress becauseWhat you do today reflects what you will be tomorrow.

Do you want to know where you will be in a year? Look what you're doing today. Do you aspire to be a writer? Are you writing today? Do you want to be in the best shape of your life? That's great, but did you work out today? You will change your habits becauseYou are what you keep doing.

Whatever you want from those daily anchors, habits, and rituals, do your best to stick with them because breakthroughs don't come overnight.Transformer Breakthroughs happen after small steps of change in your everyday life grow into something beautiful over time.

7. Share your progress, not your goals, and you'll always be motivated.

Research has shown that the hasty praise we receive for publicly sharing our goals is a substitute for achieving those goals. That's why so many people talk about what they want to do but never actually do it. And that's why I've learned to stop publicly announcing my goals. Rather, I work quietly behind the scenes and share my progress.

Tracking and sharing your progress keeps you motivated. Tracking allows you to see your progress before your eyes, and sharing allows people to praise you not for your results but for your process.

to track my progressone of three strategiesI use it to stay motivated to write. I created a dashboard in Google Sheets to track and measure my progress for three reasons:

1. That motivates me and encourages me to keep going.

2. It helps me to be disciplined.

3. It helps me make better decisions (because I now have data to work with).

So if you want to move the needle, start sharing your progress and stop sharing your goals, start sharing what you're actively doing and stop sharing what you want to do .

8. Every second you spend comparing your life to someone else's is a second wasted wasting yours; So stop comparing and create your own definition of success.

Comparing yourself to others is one of the most toxic habits that can drastically affect our mental health and emotional well-being.

As I began my entrepreneurial journey, I compared myself to everyone else. I would compare my chapter one to someone's chapter twenty without knowing the full extent of their story. In fact, I didn't even know any of the people I would compare myself to. Did that make sense? Absolutely not. Has it made me unhappy? If yes.

The truth is that each of us is unique. We all have our own story that we must continue to write and our own paths that we must continue to walk. So instead of comparing yourself to others, create your own definition of success; As long as you stay true to that definition, you will thrive.Here is a definition by Ralph Waldo Emersonwhich i like.

Part of my definition of success for the past year has been publishing two articles a week. I did. Do I feel successful? Yes.

Who cares if society thinks differently?

9. Create a meaningful life that you loveespossible, but doing what you love won't make your life easier, it will only make you more disciplined and cheerful.

My ideal life is one in which I create more than I consume, enjoy time with the people I love, tell good stories that inspire positive growth in others, be healthy and financially independent, and have the freedom to pursue my creative work from to do where I like. That ismidefinition of success.

For the last two years, every morning I wake up to a reminder that creating a meaningful life I love, by living it on my own terms and doing what I truly enjoy,espossible.

Why? Because every morning I receive new notifications that remind me of this possibility: the growing number of readers of my articles, the growing number of subscribers to my newsletter, the messages I receive from readers.

Visions are achievable and anyone who tells you otherwise are cynical people who have given up on the bounty of beauty that life has to offer. The truth is,People will always project their fears and limiting beliefs onto you. What you need to do is put up a shield against that noise so you can protect yourself from it.

But here's the caveat: if you're waiting for someone to give you the green light to start creating the life you want, you're waiting forever. No one will come and push you down the path of what you want. You have to push yourself. No one will come and give you permission to be yourself. The only permission you need is yours.

if youlataBuild a lifestyle of doing what you love every day. The first step is to take responsibility for it. Define what makes life worth living for you, and then shape your life around it.

Your second step is to realize that doing what you love doesn't make your life any easier. In fact, at first you will find it harder to go your own way. Some days get toughFor realTook. You have to work ten times. You will doubt yourself. You will question everything. And yet these are the greatest signs of growth and renewal.

Stay with him and visit him.

In Rumi's beautiful words: "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do". And that's because there's magic in itdo what you love: You will prioritize, you will become more disciplined, you will enjoy working towards it and once you get into your flow it will rarely feel like work.

10. Right or wrong, everything you do comes from a set of beliefs. This implies that personal hygiene is not all roses and chocolate; Self-care means digging deep to bring to the surface all the unconscious thought and behavior patterns that are sabotaging your growth.

Self-care isn't all roses and chocolates. Self-care means looking in the mirror and asking these tough questions:

• What is bothering me?

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• What do I have to let go of so that I can blossom upwards?

• What habits and false ideals no longer serve me?

• What self-limiting beliefs am I holding onto?

Self-care means recognizing that you are your biggest obstacle. And that's one of the best lessons I've learned in the last few years. Your beliefs, your ideals, your habits, the way you talk to and about yourself, the level of your self-acceptance, your subconscious thought patterns and behaviors... All of these things will, if not evaluated and updated , you sabotage progress in life.

Today you act unconsciously to confirm old narratives. You have seen how things are done and now you subconsciously think that this is the only way things can be done. You have been criticized and now subconsciously believe that you are incapable of being successful. You have been hurt and now unconsciously hold grudges that do you no good.

The reality is this: Every action you take is born out of deeply held beliefs, whether those beliefs are right or wrong. So if you want to change your self-sabotaging behavior, and therefore your life path, you must first change those inner beliefs. How? Youincrease your self-confidenceso you can make the subconscious conscious.

We will never be able to thrive or experience any positive lasting change in our lives as long as we continue to carry the full weight of our baggage.Self-care is the active learning process of recognizing and then letting go of those self-sabotaging patterns that weigh us down.

As soon as we let go of what no longer serves us positively, we make room for what wants.

11. In an age of speed and acceleration, try to slow down. When you live slowly you become more aware and aware of how you live your life and you begin to take care of your body, mind and spirit so they can take care of you later.

We now live in an age of speed and acceleration, where fast pace can be found all around us: fast food, fast fashion, fast internet, fast travel, fast money. In my early 20's I was also living in the fast lane after falling into this emotionally devastating trap of the rush life philosophy.

It was only a little over a year ago, when I was hitting an all time low in my life, that I decided to slow down. I stopped rushing. I stopped optimizing. I stopped being aimless and thoughtless and became much more conscious and mindful, and this approach is at the core of what it means to live slow.

Slow Living is a philosophy of life. It is a state of mind that you embody in your everyday life and is the opposite of mindless rush. It shifts the focus from speed and efficiency to the idea that we should be doing what matters most to us and our growth, and doing it to the best of our ability, not as quickly as possible. It improves attention, creates stillness and develops emotional maturity.

Here are some signs that you are slowing down:

1. You put yourself first, which means you put your own emotional and spiritual well-being ahead of others because you've finally realized you can't give what you don't have.

2. You become more conscious of how you want to live your daily life and the kind of lifestyle, so you don't do more, you do less of what isn't important, you can do more of what you do.

3. You are not in a hurry in the morning. Instead, take the time to figure out how you want to set the tone for the day, so create a self-care plan that works for you and meets your needs, rather than what society tells you. . -The care plan should be similar.

4. You meditate and read books to nourish your mind. You journal and make time to pursue hobbies you love so you can feed your soul. You treat your body with the respect it deserves. They stretch to stay flexible. You exercise and exercise regularly. They try to eat healthy and wholesome foods, but also enjoy sweet treats.

5. Whenever you face a dilemma, ask yourself this question: "Does this matter to me?" If the answer is yes, give it your attention. Otherwise you leave it.

6. You say no more than you say yes. They protect your time and secure your energy. You don't jump into things just because they sound cool, you go back to that question, "Does it matter to me?"

7. You learn to create an environment conducive to your growth; You choose to walk away from people with negative energies and move closer to people who encourage you. In this way you create more space for amazement and inspiration.

8. You begin to accept that struggle is simply a refusal to accept what is. So now you are teaching yourself how to surrender to the flow of life. You learn to trust the process and become more aware of the benefits of only focusing on what is within your control.

9. You slow down to become more attentive and aware of the beauty around you. You will become more and more grateful for all that life has to offer you: the sun in the sky, the soothing sound of the waves kissing the shore, the comfortable bed you will sleep in tonight.

10. You create more than you consume. You realize that a sense of purpose is rooted in service to others, so now you look for meaningful work that you enjoy doing and choose to do your best.

11. You acknowledge that sanctuary lies within you and that the only way to reach it is to be kind to yourself first so that you can then be kind to everyone else around you.

Slow Living is a way of life that prioritizes conscious and intentional choices over rapid, intense, and aimless acceleration. So instead of living an escapism life of running away from what is wrong, slow down so you can see the path that will allow you to move towards what is right for you.

12. Journaling is the most timeless and invaluable form of therapy, helping you think clearly, understand yourself better, and find better meaning in life.

Journaling is simply the act of reflecting and pondering certain aspects of your life and writing them down, and putting your thoughts into words can have a profound impact on all areas of your life.

Writing helps you clear your head andHandle your feelings betterthat lead to better thinking. You're also 42% more likely to achieve your goals simply by writing them down regularly.

I tracked a5 minutes intentional diaryI've been exercising every morning for a year and it has helped me be more aware of my day. For the past seven years, I've written a free-flowing journal entry once a week reflecting on what's going on in my life and strategizing for what is to come.

The truth is that only by writing regularly can you develop a deeper confidence and better understanding of yourself. So keep a journal as a form of reflective meditation and as a means to tap into and talk to yourself.

Write to better understand yourself.

Write to think better.

Write to give meaning to life.

Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Marco Aurelio ueven Vincent van Gogh– all these great thinkers wrote diaries and they did it for these reasons. Why aren't you?

13. You get rich by looking for new experiences, not material things.

Material things break. They collect dust. They might even be forgotten over time. However, the experiences will live with you forever. Looking back I remember the day I went skydiving, when I first moved to France, when I got a standing ovation for a speech I gave, the trip to Thailand with my brother, to the week of silence in sri lanka excitement to start my own business.

When I look back, I remember experiences, not things.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. once wrote that "a mind enlarged by a new experience can never return to its old dimensions". That's so true. Experiences stretch us because they push us in and out of our comfort zoneour growth zones. And the more experiences we have, the more we grow, we heal memories, we build relationships: we evolve and become richer mentally, physically and spiritually.

14. In today's digital world, the power of focused attention is the greatest skill you can harness, and the way to develop it is through daily meditation.

For my 28th birthday I signed up for a one week silent retreat in Sri Lanka. It was one of the hardest but most beautiful experiences I have ever had. Difficult because you can't speak. nice because youFinallyLearn to create the mental space for peace of mind.

After this retreat, I spent another two weeks touring the island on my own, a significant portion of which I spent writing. By the end of my 21 days, I had rewritten and edited a 100-page book I was working on at the time.

That's how I realized that meditation works wonders. Why? Because meditation teaches you not to fall prey to the wandering thoughts of the mind. It trains you how to control and direct your mind's attention however you want.

As I've always explained to my clients while working at Google, we now live in a digital world where the average user's attention span is less than 5 seconds (which is why YouTube video ads can be skipped after 5 seconds).

What does that mean? That means the greatest skill you can use now and in the future is thisPower of Focused Attention.Focused attention is your ultimate currency.You can train this attention muscle and combine it with the daily practice of mediation.

15. The equation for financial prosperity is quite simple: learn to manage your money, master a set of skills that make you valuable, and create more than you expend.

Mike Tyson made about $300 million at the peak of his boxing career but lost all his money and was $23 million in debt when he filed for bankruptcy in 2003. Allen Iverson, once an NBA MVP, earned a total of $154 million from his playing career during that time and nearly went broke after retiring. In my twenties I was in debtThreemal.

What do we three have in common?

we never learnedWasto manage our money.

Look, everyone shares the motivation to make more money and there's nothing wrong with that, but what's the point of getting more money when the problem of sabotage is our inability to deal with it?

So the first step to financial prosperity is to improve our relationship with money and develop better habits so we can handle it better. You'll develop the basic skills to manage a 5-figure income and these become transferrable to a 7-figure income.

At the end of the day, money comes and goes. It comes in the form of income and leaves in the form of expenses. Your income is what you earn from the work you produce, and your expenses increase as you continue to consume. So, simply put, the more you produce or create and the less you consume, the more wealth you will create.

But the question is, how can you make more money if you only have one source of income? How do you quadruple your production or creation?

Here's the answer: you master a set of skills that make you valuable.You think like a craftsmanand become one of the best at what you do. Why? Because that opens the door to more creation, which opens the door to more streams of income: now you can teach others what you know. Now you can produce your knowledgejyourself.

The wealth equation is quite simple:

1. Learn to manage your money.Fix your relationship with money and develop essential skills that are transferrable.

2. Master a variety of skills that make you valuable.Think like a craftsman and become so valuable in certain skills that people are willing to pay for them and learn from you.

3. Create more than you consume.reduce coststo saveyour money, but create more income streamsmakeyour money. And how do you build more income streams? They create products that add value to the market. How? You benefit from the skills you master.

Do you see how it all connects?

16. You are a student of life, for life. So your only goal is to keep learning, evolving, and expanding your mind.

thousand years agoConfucius wrote these words: "True knowledge is knowing the extent of one's own ignorance." And yet, whether it's rooted in our ego pride or low self-esteem, we continue to overestimate our ability to accomplish some things even though we doclearYou don't have the right skills to achieve them.

In psychology, this is known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, a type of cognitive bias where people who are incompetent at something fail to recognize their own incompetence. I learned this lesson exactly two years ago when I dived headfirst into the world of entrepreneurship and thought I knew everything and it would be a walk in the park.

Newsflash: That wasn't it.

It was then that I adopted this new philosophy into my life:You are a student of life, for life.. I hope you accept it too. As you do so, your only goal is to keep learning, evolving, and expanding your mind. How? Read books and stay busy - explore new hobbies, seek new experiences, or master a range of skills.

17. Fear isn't there to stop you, it's there to show you that you're interested and cared. So make friends with fear, don't fight it, because if you do something that scares you, the second time it becomes almost insignificantly small.

Once you realize that fear is an emotion that only arises when you are interested in something, your relationship with fear changes. You stop fighting it. Instead, you lean towards him and befriend him, putting you in charge and in control of your destiny.

that's wherea little change of heartIt can help you overcome the fear of taking action - realizing that when you take that first small step forward, everything else becomes easier, because if you do something that scares you, the second time it becomes almost insignificant small.

Once you quit your job, it will be easier to quit the second time. Once you've built your first business, your second will become significantly easier.Over time, the more Fear Gains you can accumulate, the more fearless you become.

18. You have to believe in yourself in front of others. This is the cornerstone on which real trust is built.

Let's get this straight: nothing in your life will change unless you take action to bring about the change you want to see. And to be honest, you most likely won't bother to take action if you don't believe in your ability to make that change happen in the first place. Part of this is due to the fact that your brain is designed to keep you busyyour comfort zone, but another part comes back to it:You don't believe in yourself, so you don't try to achieve what you want most.

Because every action you take—or avoid—is rooted in a set of beliefs, the first step is not to build the confidence to act, but to change the belief itself. Look within yourself, work from a place of identity and rewrite the script of the story you keep telling yourself:

I believe in my ability to figure things out on the fly. I know I can weather the storm when it comes. I know I can set my sails when the wind blows. I trust that I can find a way as the obstacles increase. I believe that I am capable of achieving what I set out to do.

Confidence is the light that lights your confidence. And it's your confidence that drives you to immerse yourself in new experiences that go beyond your comfort zone.

The path to true confidence isn't bragging about what you've accomplished or talking about what you're about to do. no The path to true self-confidence is exactly the opposite: let silence and actions speak. Why? Theretrue trust speaks in quiet action.

In this sense,This is how the trust cycle works, and here they areFive habits that can help you develop true confidence.

19. Nature, laughter, kindness, love and self-pity: The best and most beautiful things in life are imperfect and free.

sunsets. A dip in the sea. A walk through nature. Waking up to witness the sunrise over the mountains. One minute hug. Laugh. Friendliness. Love. Self-pity. All of these things are imperfectly beautiful, and all are free.

The question I always ask myself is why do we spend so much time, energy and money looking for temporary pleasure in monetary material when we can find eternal meaning in the beauty that exists around us?

You find solace in nature.

You can find love in self-pity.

Laughter can bring relief.

And you can find beauty in imperfection.

Nature, laughter, kindness, love and self-pity are the best and most beautiful things in life and they are completely free. They are imperfect and that is what makes them perfect. Nature soothes you, laughter has the magic to revitalize you, and kindness and self-pity weave a fabric of love into your world. And together they heal wounds.

20. Failure and adversity are the best teachers: There's a reason we can only see starlight in the darkest of times.

I was ashamed to say I failed. Now I realize it's a blessing because failure gives you experience and teaches you how to deal with itnodo things in a way that makes you more likely to succeed next time.You have to fail first to succeed.Failure is then a stepFenceto succeed than not to try.

I used to be discouraged by adversity. Now I accept it because I know that obstacles are not there to keep us out, but to give us the opportunity to develop the strength, character and resilience to overcome them.

Taken together, failure and adversity remind us not to let our own disappointments affect us negatively, but to meet them with the positive enthusiasm that gives us the opportunity to move forward.Trotzfrom them.

So when you are at a low point, remember that it is only in the dark that we can see the stars in the sky. Likewise, light can only enter us in the darkest moments. Therefore, those who have been hurt the most have the greatest ability to heal.

And healing, like everything else in life that we can control, is a choice. We open the door to him as we learn to be more grateful for our struggles, to appreciate all of life's small blessings more, and therefore to be a more beautiful being because of them.

21. Stay curious, question everything and if you want something, ask for it. Live with such an attitude and you realize that when one door closes, anotherforeverit opens

I realized that as we get older, we tend to listen to our inner critic; but I've also learned that the only way to avoid this is to amplify the voiceour inner child. Those who do are the ones who grow old but remain young in spirit. They're the kind of people who see what they want -the opportunity, not the obstacle—and do one of two things: either ask for it or look for it.

That's because it's our curious inner child that allows us to explore, question, and create. It is the engine of our wonder and imagination. And we all need to play with a greater sense of miracle if we are to bring about change in our lives.

The truth is,How far you go in life depends on three things: how curious you are, how often you question things, and how likely you are to take action.

When we reconnect with that inner child, we add a solid new level of critical thinking. And it is this curious attitude that will help you see this lifeesgenerous; When one door closes, another opens; You just need to have enough resources to create it.

22. If you play the quick short game you win little, but if you play the sequential long game and give yourself time to grow you win big. So be impatient with your actions, but be patient with your results.

The best things in life take time to grow.

Palm trees.

Relationships.

thriving businesses.

Mastery of artistic activities.

This is a lesson that has taken me years and years to learn: thisanything meaningful in life requires a long-term commitment.That's when I stopped looking for shortcuts, slowed down, and rewired my thinking to only consider long-term activities.

The truth is that sacrifice, dedication and hard work are fundamental parts of the equation to get where you want to be, and the rewards are on the other side.There are no shortcuts or hacks.. There is only dedicated and purposeful work that combines and blossoms into something beautiful at the right time.

To write a book, you have to sit down and write page by page. To cross the ocean you have to swim one move at a time. To reach the top of a mountain you have to climb one step at a time. In order to achieve something great and reap the rewards, we must first learn the language of work, and we do it step by step.

So here's my advice:Be impatient with your actions, but be patient with your results.Focus on where you want to be in five years, who you want to become, and take small steps every day that move you in that direction; This is how you create a positive ripple effect in your life. And while you're at it, take time to flourish: play the long game, never the short.

23. True mental toughness is a game changer. You build it by consciously focusing on what you can control (your inputs and outputs) and ignoring what you cannot control (your results).

life can beSoSometimes it's hard, but you already knew that.

What taught me about staying in bed for two weeks and not being able to walk, what taught me about being broke, about building a startup, and about managing a pandemic was this:True mental toughness is your ability to focus and focus on what you can control and ignore everything else outside of it. This is the only way to keep the enthusiasm to keep going.

How you do that?

You focus on your inputs and outputs, confident that if you keep working, the outcome will work in your favor.

The life you experience is simply a reflection of your mindset:In any situation in life, you can stop and complain about all the things that are bad (things you can't control) or you can focus your attention on themAllwhat it can do (what it can control: its inputs and outputs). Step by step, day by day, if you consciously practice the latter, you will develop resounding determination and strength of mind.Here are 12 habits.this can help you with that.

24. Your purpose in life is to be where you are and to do your utmost to serve people and make a positive contribution to society. Once you see purpose through that lens, you will realize that your purpose is not to do what you are passionate about. Your goal is to be passionate about your purpose.

"I feel like I have no purpose in life. Why do I wake up in the morning? Why am I here in the office every day? I don't have a destination, so I have to go out there and find it."

If this sounds like you, then I want you to consider the following:You won't find your purpose anywhere else; You create your purpose right where you are and give it meaning.The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can begin working from a place of passionate intent, meaning, and drive.

At this very moment, your goal is to be alive. Its purpose is to introduce yourself in your particular work area. It is designed to be useful and to evolve, adapt and grow. Its purpose is to keep learning and solving things as you progress.Your goal is simply to be where you are, to do what you do, and to do your best.

If you are not satisfied with what you are doing and you know deep in your heart that you want to take your life in a different direction but are not sure how to go about it, then it is a good place to start thinking about it .the equation of purposeand discover how you can be part of itthe service to otherswhat you're good at, what interests you, what you think the world needs, and how you can use the above to help people solve a problem. As Gandhi once said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

Note, however, that its purpose will likely change over time. Because as you experience different phases in your life, your sources of meaning will change. When you are in school, your goal is to learn and to contribute positively to the classroom. When you work as a young adult, your goal is to do well, pay the bills, and serve the people you work with.

25. You don't just live once; You live multiple lives in one.

Consider this: In my early twenties, I was a student, then a clerk, then a traveler, then an entrepreneur, and now a writer.

It's five lives in one. Why? Because everyone demands that another of you appear. Each requires you to die a little so you can be reborn into something new. That is why Picasso once said: "Every act of creation is above all an act of destruction".

There is a common understanding that it takes 7-10 years to master anything in life. So if you live to be 88, after the age of 11 you have 11 chances to be great at something. Most people never let themselves die. Perhaps out of fear or lack of ambition, they cling to the one life that doesn't serve them without finding the courage to explore something else.

This new perspective of 11 possibilities changed my way of thinking; It helped me to realize two things: first, there is no need to rush because life is long; it feels short when you live it without intentional action. Second, it never gets stuck: it's right where it needs to be. Why? Because every event or phase in life tries to teach you something, which means there's always an opportunity for renewal, reinvention, and personal transformation that can come from it.

You live many lives;live it fully and live it well.

26. Make time for the people you love and surround yourself with happy people who cheer you up - it's the people you share your life with that make life worth living.

I have now lived in six countries and traveled to over 40 and I can say this with confidence:You won't miss a place more than the friendships you made there.Because the people make the place, not the other way around. And they are the people we make memories with, cry and laugh with. It's the people who make life worth living.

Every morning I think about what I'm grateful for and almost every morning I'm reminded of itstillHaving my parents and those close to me whom I truly love in my life is one of the most wonderful blessings of all.

Make “making time” for the people you love a priority in your life. And the best way to do that is to be kind and make them feel valued. Use your words to make them feel loved. use your wordsmake her feel beautiful.

Sure, your circle of real friends will shrink over time, but that's not a bad thing. It means you are growing and evolving. It means you choose who will and will not be in your circle. It means you are more conscious about the kind of energy you want to have.

The goal of life is to have deeper, more vulnerable and more genuine connections than shallow, fake and materialistic ones. It means staying away from negative mindsets and embracing optimistic outlooks and having a circle of support that pulls the wind in your sails and lifts you up:Friendships that will stand the test of time.

27. Keep an open mind and act like an artist, but think, fail and learn like a scientist: Realize that your life is an experiment and you will live a life without fear or regret.

Ralph Waldo Emersononce written:: "Don't be too shy and fearful with your actions. All of life is an experiment."

All of life is an experiment.

I think the people who don't realize this are the ones who don't enjoy life: they forget to play and lose touch with their inner artistic child. They are the ones who shy away from action and change. They are the ones who end up regretting that they don't have the courage to live a life faithful to them.

The people who realize that life is an experiment have fun. You try things. They break things. You see opportunities and act.They do what makes them feel alive and they bring the whole of who they are into what they do.Above all, they are brave enough to follow their heart, knowing that they will make mistakes along the way and that's okay, because that's how they will learn.

Luckily, I've decided to adopt the latter's mindset because I also believe that life is an experiment and I want it to be the biggest, boldest, sickest, artistic, wild, fun, and exciting experiment I've ever done ever could have done. has lived so that in twenty yearsI can look back and say: "I'm glad I did it."

As a creative, I'm beginning to realize that success in any field is part art and part science. The artistic part asks you to express your personality, your enthusiasm and your authenticity. The science part requires you to study the process, learn from the best, hone your skills, and strategize.

So this is my advice to you: keep an open mind and act like an artist, but think, fail and learn like a scientist.In other words, be yourself and make mistakes, but don't make the same mistake twice.

When you realize that life is just an experiment, you will stop kneeling in fear and meaningdecrease your chancesto live a life of regret. You will start doing things that make you feel alive again. In short, you start telling a better story, and who doesn't like a good story?

28. If you can leave something in your world, leave the ego. And if you can be anything in this world, be kind.

My spiritual journey over the years has taught me that the ego is nothing more than a construct of the self, forged to hide our deepest insecurities.

We feed our ego by playing the status game because deep down we are very insecure about how people perceive our wealth. We feed our ego by pretending we're better than others or by bragging about our accomplishments because deep down we feel so insecure because we're perceived as insignificant.

Our attachment to the ego and the idea of ​​"I, the I" is what creates constant fear, confusion, worry and hatred. That's why we're so unhappy. Therefore we sabotage and destroy ourselves... The only way to dissolve this ego is mindfulness and kindness.

Mindfulness reminds you that they arenoinvincible that you're a speck of dust in the air, a bright light in a blue sphere floating in space, so why do you act like you're better than others?

Kindness reminds you that we all have the same power: we can love vulnerable or hate viciously, so why lean towards separation and hate when you can lean towards oneness and love? Why are you constantly judging everyone around you when the only person you should be judging is yourself?

Mindfulness and kindness are the stepping stones to empathy and compassion.So if you can drop anything from your world, drop the ego. And if you can be anything in this world, be kind.

Be kind with your words, actions and intentions. You don't know what problems people are going through because the injuries are silent, just because you can't see the scars doesn't mean they don't exist.

29. Honestly nobody cares what you do, everyone has their own problems to deal with. So stop putting yourself down and start being yourself.

I've lost count of the number of times I've talked to a friend, and after he's pushed him to come up with a creative idea, he pauses and says bluntly, "I worry about what other people are going to think."

Fear of external judgment is one of the biggest things keeping us on track. The truth is, whether you do right or wrong, there will always be people who will judge you. So life is. All you can do is do your best, focus on what you can control and ignore those who make you feel less than worthy of who you are.

When you let the fear of what others think keep you from doing what you knowgot toIf you do, you give up your power. I say no to that. I mean, why would you live a life where you are not really and completely yourself?

May I ask you: how often do you meet?disturbingAbout other people's problems? For real. Like once a day? And the only reason you could do that is because that person's problem is related to you in some way, which makes it your problem too, and that's why you care.

Everyone is busy with their lives; So whether you follow your heart or not, nobody cares. Nobody cares if you fail or not.

Sure, in the heat of the moment, your close friends will take care of it, but by and large, your life is yours because everyone else is living theirs. So stop belittling yourself and giving your power to what others think. This is your life, live it fully:Be yourself and do what makes you happy.

30. Money comes and goes in life, but time only moves in one direction. All you have in power and influence is what you choose to do with the time you are given.hallo.

A few years ago I went on a solo backpacking trip through Central America. I landed in Mexico and drove through Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua until I reached Panama.

After three incredibly adventurous months and the day before my flight home, I arrived at a hostel to check in. In a dejected voice, I said to the host, "I wish I could stay longer, but I have no money." To which he smiled and replied, "Okay. Money comes and goes, but time doesn't. Now you can go home and work and when you make money again come back and visit us.”

Money comes and goes in life, but time only moves in one direction:Forward. FromlataGet back the lost money, youlataCreate new revenue streams, youcan notredeem or create time that is now obsolete.

All you have is "now" and what you do with it.

The past is done and dusted, all you can do is reflect on it to learn from it. And the future doesn't exist yet, but it is defined by what you choose to do in the next moment. In essence, our future is nothing more than the sum of a series of “nearest consecutive moments” that are linked together.

All we have is the present.

With this new perspective, you will realize that whatever power and influence you have is what you choose to do with the time you are given.hallo. With this new perspective, you'll see how whining, procrastination, procrastination, and fun excuses can waste your time.

So stop wasting time and living in an abyss of excuses. after all, Excuses are manufactured illusionsWe create to rationalize our behavior when we are too afraid to go after what we really want.Instead, start honoring your time on earth by doing what makes you feel most alive.

31. Be smart enough to ask advice, but be wise enough to know where to look for it.

When I was growing up, my mother used to tell me the story of the fox and the giraffe.

The giraffe was knee-deep in a lake when the fox, standing on land, asked, "How deep is the lake?" The giraffe replied, "It's nothing deep." Then the fox comes in and immediately drowns.

He yells, "Liar! You said it wasn't deep at all.

And the giraffe replies, "It's not! The water is only up to my knees.”

There will be all kinds of people who feel entitled to give you advice in life. And the sad thing is that most of these people share their opinions on any subject, even if they are obviously inexperienced. I've learned to ignore these people because they end up saying nonsense.

Then there are those who only share their advice when asked. Listen carefully when these people speak. But remember this gold nugget:People give you advice based on their perspective.

The giraffe wasn't lying when she said the lake was shallow. From his perspective he was, but from the fox's perspective the lake was deep.

Who you ask for advice is more important than anything else.If you're a digital entrepreneur selling courses online, don't seek the advice of a freelance consultant who runs their business entirely offline. And if you're someone who values ​​mindfulness and slow living, don't take advice from someone who preaches the "Hustle" lifestyle.

Be smart enough to ask for advice, but smart enough to know who to turn to. In other words, never seek advice from anyone who has not yet achieved what you want to achieve yourself.

32. Self-love comes from self-acceptance and self-awareness. And the only way to get all three is through solitude. How else can you create the space to look inside yourself?

Do you know why you sabotage yourself?

It's because you're trying to live up to a false image based on what you've been taught of what it means to be perfect. Youbelievethat you should reflect that image of perfection even though you realize it totally contradicts who you are but because you don't measure up you examine yourself and hate yourself.

You reject yourself for not being what others expect you to be and you hate yourself for not having the courage to find out who you really are. So you end up languishing in this humiliation, masking your inner pain and sabotaging your growth.In the words of Ram Dass, "You can't create joy with a sense of self-loathing."

I want you to realize this: you are fighting to become who you want to be because you don't accept who you are, you are fighting fire with fire. Accept who you are today and stop trying to be something you are not.

Once you accept yourself for who you are, only then can you become more confident and create the space to mold yourself into who you really want to be.

How you do that?

You look inside yourself.

You close your eyes and look inward.

They meditate, reflect and keep a journal. You talk to yourself. You spend time alone to distance yourself from all the noise around you and hear your own voice. You spend time alone to find stillness, to go deeper within yourself, and to open your heart so you can heal your wounds.

As you become aware of who you are, you begin to break down the barriers you have built against yourself. Over time you will discover that love is not something to be looked for because your love has always been there, buried deep within you.

Solitude is essential to your well-being.Use it to build a foundation of radical self-knowledge and self-acceptance - use it to transform the inside so the outside can fit in.

33. Sometimes the world tries to tell you who you are, but if you don't stop to think and listen, you will never be able to listen.

When I was a teenager, I wrote poems for my mother's and father's birthdays. If someone bothered me, I would write them a letter using words that came from my heart. In college, I wouldn't pass my multiple choice tests, but I would pass my essays.

In my twenties, as I traveled across 40 countries, I wrote about my adventures, shared my stories, and published a handful of blog posts to document them. The few friends who read them immediately messaged me to encourage me to continue writing. "You are good with words.," They said.

A few years later I started a collaborative storytelling platform where people could upload a photo and write a short travel story about it. My goal was to inspire people to get out and explore the world around them. The project was short-lived as it failed in my accident, but after spending three weeks in bed recovering from my surgery, I wrote a 100-page paper.

The irony is that in all those years, spanning a little over a decade, I failed to notice the recurring themes of writing, storytelling, and inspiration. I didn't know what the world wanted to tell me:

be a writer.

For over a decade the universe has been giving me signs and trying to tell me who I am, and yet I've never stopped thinking and listening. I've always looked with my eyes at the next big thing I could do, the next hot train I could ride, but I've never looked into it with my heart.

Maybe the same applies to you.

All too often we throw our own ideas, philosophies and sense of identity out into the world, but have you ever wondered if the world might be trying to tell you who you are?

Sometimes you have to stop and think.

How else can one recognize the signs?

Sometimes you have to stop and listen.

How else can you hear them?

If you try to find outwhat you really want to doWith your time on earth, my best advice to you is: first learn to admire this gift of life. Be amazed by this journey of self-discovery and creation. Being in reverence will keep you present and alive in the moment, and that awareness will guide you to the signs. And then, with all your courage, follow these signs.

Search with your heart, not your eyes.

In the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; The essential is invisible to the eyes."

34. The more grateful you are, the more beauty you will see around you, the more bounty life will seem to you, and the happier you will be.

My journey to a more grateful attitude to life began sometime in August 2017. It was while I was still bedridden recovering from my surgery.

My mother brought me a plate of fresh fruit in the mornings when she read the news and saw photos of a father carrying his son on his shoulders crossing rivers to escape massacres in Rohingya. I snuggled comfortably in my bed and read stories about the 65 million refugees who had nowhere to go.

That's when I realized how lucky I was.

Luckily I still have my mother in my life.

Lucky to have a home.

Lucky to have a job at one of the biggest companies in the world.

I am fortunate to have money that allows me to choose spontaneously what to eat, what to buy, what to wear and what to buy.

happy to be alive

That's when I started practicing gratitude.one line per day. Lately I've been writing down three things I'm grateful for every morning. Sometimes I'm grateful for the sun in the sky, sometimes I'm grateful for the freedom I have or the continued presence of a good friend in my life.

It was Rumi who reminded us: "Wear gratitude as a cloak and it will nourish every corner of your life." The reason is simple: the more consciously you practice gratitude, the more grateful you will become, the more beauty you will see around you, the more generous and lush life will seem to you, and the happier you will be.

The smell of life does not spread with the rhythm of haste, it floats in the sound of silence. Beauty is everywhere, but most of the time, beauty isn't something you can see, it's something you can feel. Gratitude is the gateway to this awareness of beauty.

Take a moment each morning to notice what you're grateful for. Open your notebook and write down three things. Slowly, as you pay more attention to appreciation, you will receive more in every corner of your life.

35. Life is what you make of it; for the reality you experience is a direct reflection of the quality of your thoughts.

A few years ago I was in Menorca, Spain.

One day my girlfriend and I spontaneously decided to swim in a wide bay that opened onto the Mediterranean Sea. The water was crystal clear and some locals swam in it. That's when we met an elderly lady, well over 60, who gave us tips on where to watch the sunset and what to do on the island. When we broke up, she said, "Good luck with your life."

I thought it was a nice way to say goodbye.

Today, at 31, I've learned that life is what you make of it.

Yes, good luck is necessary and luckit doesThey play a role in shaping our reality, but happiness is only part of this mysterious equation that makes this beautiful thing we call life what it is. And to be honest, youlatainvite more luck to play in your favor. How? You stop talking about what you want or don't want, what you like or dislike, what scares you or not, and just start doing it.

You don't sit on that couch and dream about what you want, you get up and chase it. You don't complain about all the stuff that sucks right now: you stop focusing on what's out of your control and instead make the most of the deck you're given.

You stop being jealous of others' success and start taking responsibility for not being as "successful" because you don't commit, aren't resourceful enough, and don't put in the dedicated work

Here's how I see it: keep whining and life will keep feeling miserable; Very soon everything that happens will seem like bad luck. Or practice gratitude and be bold and determined in your work, and life's opportunities suddenly seem abound; Very soon everything that happens will seem like luck.

it's all in your head

It's all a matter of mentality.

The reality you experience is a direct reflection of your thoughts.Good thoughts trigger good emotions, bad thoughts trigger bad ones.It is really that easy. And that's why I say:Life is what you make of it.

Your life will only be as good as the attitude you carry with you. This is why famous thinkers say that "you can't solve a problem with the same mindset that created it" and "when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." “.

The truth is, you always have a choice. You have the opportunity to frame the challenges you face. You have the power to create your day as soon as you wake up. You have the ability to choose the type of energy you project into the world around you.

Will these experiences be positive or negative?

Will they be optimistic or gloomy?

That choice falls back on you.

And in a way that's why life is what you make it.

I chose the simple but extraordinary life and that's what I make of it. I'm alive, I'm here, I'm present, I'm grateful.

I hope you too.