My 41 Life Lessons

Some Reflections on Turning 41

1. Pursue God and go deeper in Him.

2. Discover your life’s purpose. I believe we are all here for some unique purpose and going through life with no purpose might be the most painful thing any person can face.

3. Set some clearly defined goals. Goals clarify our desires and help us to focus on only those activities that will lead us to what we want.

4. Don’t take everything personally. Life is not about you. People have lives and you aren’t always the center of them.??

5. Learn to save money. Even if it’s $2 a day, it adds up. Not sure where to start? Read anything by Dave Ramsey https://www.ramseysolutions.com/store/books.?

6. Travel/ move away every chance you get. Staying in the same environment can trap you. Get out and experience different places and cultures.

7. Get good at asking.?It is not a sign of weakness. There’s a Chinese proverb that says “He who asks may be a fool for five minutes. He who doesn’t is a fool for a lifetime.”?

8. Be On Time.?You don’t want to be that person who is always late.?No one likes to wait for you.??

9. Know your strengths and weaknesses.?It’s okay to suck at something. We can’t be good at everything.

10. Be a person of your word.?When you don’t keep your word, you lose credibility.??

11. Take care of your mental health. It is as important as your physical health. Don’t work so hard that you forget to enjoy life along the way.?

12. You are worthy of being heard.?Your opinion or view on something matters.??

13. Never stop learning. Learn something new daily. Update your knowledge, stay informed, read books, and develop new skills.?

14. Share your expertise and enthusiasm willingly with the world.

15. You can soar higher and past your circumstances and the life you have been dealt with.?The past lives and the sins of our fathers should not determine how far you will go in life.??

16. You can rewrite the story of your life and even decide the way you would like it to unfold, change some characters and create a new ending.?

17. Distance yourself from unhealthy relationships and friendships that drag you down emotionally.

18. Find someone who believes in you more than you believe in yourself.?Someone who recognizes your greatness even before you do.??

19. Give without the expectation of getting anything back in return.

20. Be bold and courageous!?Live your life to the fullest, take more risks and do the things you fear.?

21. Do things better than you initially expected; better than other people would do in the same situation.

22. Keep persisting and moving forward no matter how many difficulties you face along your path.

23. Keep your motivation levels primed at all times to help you get through difficult periods of your life.

24. Make sure to always say “I love you” to the people you love. Tell your family and friends you love and appreciate them.

25. Stand up for yourself in the face of injustice, of people taking advantage of you, of asking for that promotion, or ask for a raise to reflect what you're worth. When you know your value as a person and as a professional, standing up for yourself becomes easier.

26. Be the bigger and better person- make things right- reach out, apologize, and/or move on. Sometimes it is better to be at peace than to be “right.”??

27. Take pride in your work, consistently pushing yourself to raise your levels of productivity.

28. Get a mentor/ coach. One of the most effective ways to improve your personal and professional effectiveness and rise to a new level of excellence is to find a mentor to coach you. A personal coach can illuminate your path, encourage you when times get tough, and shave years off your learning curve.

29. See your troubles as blessings, resolve to transform stumbling blocks into stepping stones, and vow to turn your pain points into wisdom.?

30. Have compassion for yourself. A lot of us were raised to be "the example" or "be the best" and when things are not turning out to our expectations we tend to be hard on ourselves. Don’t do it.

31. Commit to being of service to others. Albert Schweitzer puts it this way, “There is no higher religion than human service. One of the greatest lessons for a highly fulfilling life is to rise from a life spent chasing success to one dedicated to finding significance. And the best way to create significance is to ask yourself one simple question, “How may I serve?”

32. Celebrate all your victories no matter how small and insignificant you may they are.

33. Live today like it is your last. Tomorrow is never promised to anyone.

34. Don’t worry about the things you can’t change. Whenever I am faced with a challenge in my life, I always return to the Serenity Prayer of Reinhod Neibuhr: “God, give me the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.”

35. Do what is right- the sign of deep moral authority appears in the individual who consistently does what he ought to be doing rather than what he feels like doing. A person of true character spends their days doing that which is the right thing to do.

36. Volunteer - it allows you the chance to help others and pay back the debt owed to those who have helped you.

37. Listen to music daily, sing out loud and dance with reckless abandon. Music can lift your mood, put a smile back on your face and add immeasurably to your quality of life. I make it a point to do a 15-minute praise dance daily.

38. Become a more valuable person. Acquire skills no one else has. Read books no one else is reading. Think thoughts no one else is thinking.

39. Forgive yourself for past mistakes or failures. It is easy to spend much of your days beating up on yourself for past mistakes. You are a human being and human beings have been designed to make mistakes. Just don’t keep making the same errors, have good judgment, and let your past mistakes serve you.

40. If you are carrying unforgiveness towards anyone, remove it. Settle it and move on otherwise it will eat you inside.

41. Finally, be open to new perspectives, viewpoints, and ideas. There is always a better way to look at a situation; there is always an alternate perspective; there is always an inspiring idea that you haven’t yet thought of.