6 years away from Home - Life Lessons

I went back Home after 6 years away from Brazil.

I took some life Lessons.

?1. Two sides can be right at the same discussion

2. Friendship over time is gold and it's hard to keep

3. We need to me more thankful even if the glass is half empty

Those lessons can be backed-up by some interesting points I have seen recently in few books.

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Friendships over time

The purpose of book "The Good Life" is to share insights and findings from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the most comprehensive and longest-running studies on human happiness. Robert J. Waldinger, a psychiatrist and a professor at Harvard Medical School, serves as the director of this study and the author of the book.

The book delves into the rich data gathered over decades from the lives of hundreds of individuals, tracking their physical and emotional well-being, relationships, careers, and overall life satisfaction. The central goal is to distil the wisdom and lessons learned from this research and offer practical guidance on how to lead a happier, more fulfilling life.

The Harvard Study has consistently found that the quality of our relationships is a primary predictor of happiness and well-being. The book emphasizes the significance of nurturing meaningful connections with family, friends, and loved ones.        

?What I found interesting is how the book plays the complexity of connections over time. As time goes by… to make new connections gets more difficult as life gets more complex. Keeping up the already existing ones is called by the author as “Social Fitness”.

People who manage to it well, based on the survey, are happier.

I am happy to see I still have deep and strong connections with my friends in Brazil.

Two people can be right even having different opinions

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In "The Psychology of Money," author Morgan Housel delves into the idea that our financial decisions are significantly shaped by the economic realities in which we live. He explores how the broader economic context, societal norms, and historical events influence our behavior and attitudes toward money. Here are some key points the book makes about this concept:

Financial Environment Matters: The writer emphasizes that the economic and financial environment we grow up in or live in has a profound impact on our financial decisions.

1. Historical Context: The book discusses how historical events, particularly financial crises and economic downturns, can leave a lasting impact on individuals' financial behaviors. For example, those who lived through the Great Depression tend to have a more conservative approach to finance and may be more risk-averse.
2. Social Norms and Peer Influence: The author explores how societal norms and peer pressure shape our financial choices.

?People often conform to what they perceive as the norm within their social circles.        

I left Brazil 8 years ago, one of the most impressing things I heard over here it’s a young man telling me Porsche was not a luxury car, Porsche was just an "OK" car.

It’s understandable because he was living in the highest "Porsche per capita region" and his father had a Porsche, most likely his mother as well.

He is right based on his reality.

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For more than 17 years I volunteer in Church especially with teenagers, working few days in Brazil last month I heard: “be thankful for today’s meal even if it was not a complete meal”

The person who said it is also right based on his reality.

Less than 2% of Brazilian population suffers from hunger but this still represents more than 4 million people unfortunately. Makes totally sense to be thankful for what you have.

Conclusion

1. The cost and complexity to build new relations is much higher than keeping the current ones.
2. People are shaped by their reality, if you put people together from extreme different realities, both can be right having divergent opinions.
3. Be thankful, while your glass might be full, millions are with an empty glass.

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Care about your relationships, be thankfull...be happy!