Important Life Lessons Can Appear at Any Time

Two types of essential learning occur during life. Life lessons start from the moment we take our first breath and continue until the last. Education is a more formal type of lesson that lasts a relatively short period of time. Each source has its own type of value.

It’s common to have a situation occur long before we’ve learned the best way to deal with it. When life throws a curve ball and we’re not prepared to deal with it, we wing it based on what we know and hope for the best.

15 Life Lessons

The following 15 life lessons will help prepare you for some of the hard knocks that are part of living.

1. Learn what is most important by determining your priorities and values. The ambition to acquire material goods provides motivation, but relationships are more valuable and people are more important to your success. A life that lacks the support, love and concern of friends and family is shallow regardless of how many material things surround you.

1. Richard Carlson’s explained, “don't sweat the small stuff”. Many of the things that happen in our lives are essentially small stuff. Consider some of the instances during the past week that irked you and caused some stressful moments even though they were small potatoes. Stressing ourselves over inconsequential matters that have little or no impact on our lives causes us to lose focus, upset others, and lose the opportunity to enjoy the overall moment.

1. Developing into the type of person others are proud to know is one of the most important life lessons. Moral fiber and disposition confirm our worth. Inspire loyalty and support from employers, family and friends through good words and deeds.

1. “I” is such an obnoxious word. It centers on the speaker who drones on and on about personal accomplishments without giving others the chance to share their experiences. Success and self-confidence are admirable traits, but no one is really the star of the universe. A self-centered monologue of achievements does not demonstrate self-confidence.

1. Avoid ignoring the importance of good health; life lessons will show it’s not guaranteed. Your moods are affected by your physical well-being. Nothing replaces the benefit of a daily dose of sunshine and fresh air, healthy meals, and exercise.

1. Keep on keeping on regardless of hurdles along the way. Giving up accomplishes nothing, while pursuing your dreams inspires your faith that goals are reachable.

1. You can learn from an incident without experiencing it yourself. A Zen proverb reminds us that “It takes a wise man to learn from his mistakes, but an even wiser man to learn from others."

1. When life gives you lemons, make lemon tarts, cookies or lemonade. The choice of wringing our hands in despair or accepting life lessons that provide the opportunity to overcome challenges and be the better for the experience is ours alone. Keep an open mind as you contemplate the solution.

1. The greatest tribute to your life is the sorrow at your passing. Add value to the world during your lifetime by being at your best with everyone you come in contact with, whether they are friends, people with whom you work, acquaintances, or family. Similar to the rules of Scouting, always leave the campground better than you found it.

1. Happiness is a matter of choice. Your state of mind can only be shaped by your feelings and choices. Learning what makes us happy and applying it maintains balance. Add richness and value to your life with relationships while remembering your happiness relies on you alone.

1. Never underestimate the power of forgiveness. Enemies, friends, strangers, yourself - We’re just humans capable of bad calls and actions. Forgive yourself, your friends and your enemies. Dwelling on hurtful trespasses by holding a grudge hurts us by reducing our joy in life.

1. Limit the time spent watching television and put it to good use. Learning, reading, exercising, and spending time with friends deliver positive results for you and others.

1. Laughter is an excellent medicine. It’s free and it’s easy. Share a good joke and laugh each day.

1. Failure is a way to encounter life lessons. It directs us to analyze what we’re doing and figure out how to do it so we get the desired result. Thomas Edison realized the value of failure by quipping he had not failed; he’s just found 10,000 ways something wouldn’t work.

1. Never hesitate to tell others you love and care about them. Learning to give and receive love is one of the greatest life lessons you’ll experience. Life is too short to let the opportunity to love and be loved pass by.

Gregg Swanson is a human potential and peak performance coach and owns Warrior Mind Coach. He specializes in the development of mental strength and focus to achieve a flow state for maximum performance. You can grab his complementary mini eBook, “How To Make Change Easy” by going HERE.