18 SKILLS THAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE LEARNED WHEN I WAS YOUNGER

I was thinking the other day about skills that I wish I had learned when I was younger. ? These skills would have paved the way for more success, more fulfillment, more peace of mind and more happiness. ?I share them with you today in hope that they will help you achieve some of the same outcomes. ?They are in no particular order.

1. ?Learn to say “No” easily and graciously. I have limited time either the offer is something really exciting and I want to say “yes” with gusto or I should say “no!” nicely and emphatically. ?Saying “yes” when I really want to say “no” just ensures mediocrity.

2. ?Learn to focus. Distractions and lack of focus kill more productive work than anything. ?My best creative juice flow when I am in an environment that is devoid of distractions.

3. ?Learn to be patient. I have become used to a microwave life. ?I want it and I want it now. ?Often things need time to work right. ?An overnight success take 15 years. ?Good things come to those that are patient.

4. ?Learn to be authentic. I have a choice, I can be a first-rate me or ?a second-rate copy of someone else. ?An original me will always be better that a second-rate someone else. ?And besides my reason of?existence?is to become a first-rate me.

5. ?Learn?to?observe without judgement. I often find myself observing things and immediately making judgements about them. ?My judgements are often wrong. Observing?without?judgement makes life a lot more interesting and learning a lot more fun.

?6. ?Learn to be totally honest with your feelings. I create inner tension when I try to stuff my feelings. ?I don’t necessarily have to express them or act on them. ?However, if I was honest with myself about what my feelings are. ? I could, then, make rational decisions about what to do with the feeling. ?When I am not honest about my feelings they become an internal pressure cooker.

7. ?Learn to stop worrying about what “they” will say I become fearful from worrying about what others think of me. ?The truth is I will stop worrying about what others think about me when I realize how little they do.

8. ?Learn to be?incredibly?grateful on a daily basis. There is nothing that affects my state of mind like gratefulness. ?It is impossible to be truly grateful for life’s blessings and be depressed at the same time.

9. ?Learn to be gracious to everyone in all situations There is no?characteristic?that?I value more than graciousness. ?It is what makes truly great people, truly great. ?“With charity towards all and malice for none” is an amazing way to live.

10. ?Learn to be forgiving Most people really are doing the best they can, even if it appears differently. ?Allowing people to mess things up, and still be forgiving about it, is truly noble. ?Little minds can’t get into this behavior. ?It takes a nobility of spirit to become a ?master at this skill.

11. Learn to stay curious Healthy?curiosity creates gateways to learn a lot of interesting things. ?When I have questions and show?interest?in others and what great things they are doing I learn a lot and become much more interesting.

12. ?Learn to simplify There are all kinds of new technologies are there to make my life easier. ?For some reason, my life seems more?complicated?and cluttered than ever before. ?I want to get rid of anything that is not adding tangible value to make my life more fulfilling, my?relationships deeper and my?experiences?richer.

13. ?Learn to play more I can choose to play through life as opposed to working through life. ?Play is much more enjoyable, exciting and worthwhile. ?I would like to find things that I?can?seriously play at and get rid of the “work” in my life.

14. ?Learn to feel the fear and do it anyway Everything that is new is a little scary at first. ?But, I can never grow without venturing into new vistas. ?I often get?paralyzed?with fear. ?Sometimes I move forward anyway, sometimes I don’t. ?I want to learn how to feel the fear and do it anyway much more often.

15. ?Learn to realize that the present is perfect I am where I am at the present minute because it is the?absolutely?best place for me to be right now in my journey. ?I have lessons to learn that I can do best exactly where I am. ?It might not always be?pleasant, but it is always true.

16. ?Learn to unhook from the future and enjoy the present For a long time I sustained myself by how great life was going to be when.. when I got a great job…when I got married… when I had children…when my children moved out… ?What I found was that I can’t enjoy the future today and I can’t enjoy the present when I am living in the future. ?So my focus is to make today the very best day that I?can?possibly?make it and the tomorrows will take care of themselves.

17. ?Learn to celebrate my strengths and embrace my?weaknesses There are somethings that I am really good at. ?The more I do of those things the better it is for me and those around me. ?There are things that I am really not good at. ?For a long time I tried hiding them from others thinking that I would be?diminished?by them. ?I have learned that when I celebrate my?strengths?and embrace my?weaknesses?my credibility goes up through the roof and I am more excited about myself.

18. ?Learn that to be valuable, I must create value for others No matter what I do, my value will be in direct proportion to the value I bring to others. ?If I want a better financial situation for myself, ?I had better be doing something to make someone else’s life better. ?They will gladly pay more if they are getting more. ?The idea that I should make a lot of money?without?creating value is ridiculous. ?I can create value everyday and by doing so I can increase my value and thereby my finances.