LIFE LESSONS

As the journey of life branches off into different paths for every unique soul, where every tiny decision or moment leads us into our present reality - It is important to realize and appreciate some of the lessons that made us the people we are.

In my personal experience, these are some of the most crucial lessons I learnt.

HAPPINESS DEFINED

I truly believe that happiness is not defined by the money you have or the power you crave. It is spiritual and mental - encompassing a sense of contentment.

There will always be someone who is better or less off than you. You may continue to thrive for more success but 'success' but this is in my opinion not the single measure of happiness.

Your drive to be the best in the world will be reserved for a few and even their accomplishments too will be one day surpassed.

In my opinion, happiness is your sense of contentment in the present 'now'. Look around you, appreciate at all that you have and get your head around what truly happiness means to you. At the end of the day, happiness is only defined by one person and that is 'you'.

Be content in everything you have - accept life for all its uncertainty take a moment to enjoy the 'gift' of life.

LIFE IS NOT FAIR

For me the faster this realization is accepted, the better.

Nothing in life is fair - sometimes you are up, sometimes you are down, sometimes you are always down and for some, it appears that they are always on the up!

We sometimes tend to blame life for a number of our woes but in my personal opinion 'the harder you work at something, the luckier you tend to get'.This is a philosophy which has much truth in it.

There have been times when things seemed to be going nowhere, but the important thing is not to give up because no one will pick up your pieces.

There is no point blaming life for your circumstances or the position that you are in. As Leadership Guru (Tony Robbins) said "Your income right now is a result of your standards, it is not the industry, it is not the economy."

Accept life for what is it - but the question is - what are you doing to achieve all that you want to - knowing the uncertainty of life.

This is why millionaires stay rich even in times of recession. This is because they have proactively anticipated the ups and downs in the market.

GIVE IF YOU WANT TO GET

If you believe in karma or the theory that 'every action has an equal & opposite reaction' you will understand that the merit of giving something to someone far outweighs the satisfaction of receiving.

Help someone out, give to the poor, be a part of someone's life. There is no guarantee that one day they will be there for you, but there may be a chance that your kindness could be repaid in some form. You will never get unless you give!

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

I have over 2500 friends on Social Media, but what matters the most is who will be there for me when I will be in hospital on my death bed.

Sometimes we don't prioritize those who are most important to us - some may think we take them for granted but the truth of the matter is that, these are the very relationships we need to foster and nurture the most.

In the business world, we spend so much time and effort to please our customer, but how much time do we really invest on our family.

People will step in and out of your life - but we need to acknowledge those who provide us with unconditional love.

You will really cry, when you die..?!

YOUR BODY - INVEST NOW

If you ever listened to the song 'Sunscreen' - a part of the lyrics states that your body is the most valuable asset you own.

With so many new illnesses and diseases out there, topped up with chemically injected foods - it makes staying healthy an additional challenge.

However, this is an investment we need to make if we want to stay healthy through the twilight of our years.

Drink water, eat more fruit, exercise, go for your health checks, stay off the sugar and salt, laugh and breathe fresh air.

So many people I know have put their body into retirement at such an early age. Friends, it is your vehicle to take you form 'a' to 'b' - take good care of it.

SUCCESS LIES IN YOUR PASSION

In many cases, the most successful individuals have taken a path which they are passionate about.

A number of friends and associates who run successful businesses have attributed their position in the market to the simple fact that they are passionate about the work they do.

It is not always possible to get into a line of work in which you are continuously motivated, inspired and propelled to go the extra mile - however, evidence does suggest that those who find their 'calling' in areas that they are most passionate about; seem to fast-tack their growth.

It you so happen to be in a job that does not give you the desired satisfaction you would like - try and create that passion within the role.

For example: I am in HR which is a flavor for traditional personnel management intertwined with modern Human Strategies. My passion has always been sports - but even though my line of work is not directly linked to sports, there are rudementary values, lessons and leanings that can be applied to my role using sporting philosophies. (Such as: Team work, Trust, Achieving Goals, and even Performance Management)

Find Your Passion..!

UNDERSTANDING YOUR UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

Like snowflakes everyone is different, the question is how to we market ourselves so that are uniqueness is highlighted.

A simple question comes to mind when we interview candidates ; "What should we select you out of all the candidates that applied for the position?"

Unless you know your Unique Selling Proposition, you will simply just be a face in the crowd.

However this is only half the battle. Knowing how to market your 'selling point' so that you create an image in the minds of others is also important.

We all are marketing ourselves in some way - we are all looking to market our uniqueness. I remember the other day when a close acquaintance said she hated to be seen in the public eye and avoided getting her pictures on entertainment magazines like everyone else. Well, although she is not marketing herself as a social butterfly, she is looking for uniqueness in doing the opposite of what the perceived masses are doing. That is her selling point and although we may not admit it, we are all doing it in some form.

Know what you are good at - at the end of the day we are all looking to create an identity for ourselves.

Do you have a personal brand..? Are you Unique - just like everyone else?

LEAVE A LEGACY

We come to this earth, use its resources and we are put to rest in the dirt. That's the most simplest definition of life. However, what do we really give back in return. What impact have we left behind in terms of the planet or its people.

Nelson Mandela, Adolph Hitler, Michael Jackson all left this earth having imprinted their legacy and memory that will be researched for generations to come. Some positive and others negative.

We all may not have the opportunity to reach the heights of these individuals, but it is important to make a positive impact whilst we are here.

This could be as simple as planting trees to show your kids the importance of environmental conservation - so that they one day could pass it down to theirs.

You have a greater impact to humanity than you may think.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - M.Gandhi

PEOPLE WILL LAUGH AT YOU

As you progress in life, you will have your share of critics. People will laugh at your efforts, some will demoralize you and push you to the brink of giving up.

In my experience, this is the first sign that you are going somewhere.

People laugh and sneer because what you do is not in line with their dreams - with their definition of normality.

Heed not to their pressure - you have embarked on something you believe in.

People laugh at me all the time for taking too many photos - but I personally like to preserve all my memories and share these with my friends & family. It may not be important to others but it is to me.

Have an unwavering focus to achieve what you have set your mind to - and don't submit to the opinions of others.

Never give up on your journey. You may not make friends on the way, but don't stop your relentless pursuit of achieving your goals.

BE SO GOOD - NO ONE CAN IGNORE YOU

There should be no substitute for excellence.

You set standards that are incredibly high for yourself - trust me - someone will notice how good you are.

Not everyone gets the same opportunities in their career or life - but if you work hard at it, you will at some point be appreciated and acknowledged.

DON'T SET LIMITS FOR YOURSELF

I think the biggest issue we all had from the time we were infants was the ingrained limitations that perceived of our roles in life.

We are often bound by our own assessment of how far we can go or how much we can achieve in society - and we tend to set our stretch targets based on these limits.

By doing this, our minds are the biggest stumbling block that holds us back.

I was reading a book the other day about the slums in Calcutta - and one dweller mentioned that he was born in the Shanties and his aim in life was to get employment at the railroad and live happily with his family in the shanty where his parents and gran parents lived for over half a century. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is evident that the individual has created a goal that limits himself to the shanty.

Dream big and don't limit yourself...!

DIVINE BELIEF

There are so many different religions, chains of thought and interpretations of the spiritual world.

I have seen so many followers of different religions battle against each other because either they assumed their own belief was superior or felt threatened by another group. Some of these worshipers even resorted to violence to preserve their 'point of view'.

I don't think it was meant to create this much of segregation and intolerance. I do however believe that all religions provide us with guidelines & a blueprint to live a better life.(Just made in different versions - all sharing the same message)

My belief system focuses on a few simple elements:

1) Treat everyone with respect

2) Be kind to every living thing

3) Be humble

4) Be thankful for everything you have