10 Life Lessons No one will Ever Teach You

When life serves you lemons, for sure, blend them and make lemonade. For life to have a balance there must be ups and downs. There are times when you’ll be on your happiest end, and times when you will flash a frown. The worst part is that there are things that we come to learn later in life – lessons that nobody cares to teach you.

With old age comes wisdom. The wisdom that we amass overtimes is derived from the experiences we encounter as we stride on this life journey. Have you ever come across an experience that you later wished someone should have told you what is on the other side?

Maybe it was a business that you delved into and later flopped, or a relationship that you got yourself engaged in and later came to find you are dating a serial cheater. Or, you just made a decision that you perceived to be right but later landed you in hot soup.

Guess what? Such is life. All of us have those blonde moments when we have no clue of what is going on. We at some wish life had a manual. Better yet, we wish it could have a trailer of what’s to come. So that we decide whether we are ready to binge on the consequences or thwart the end game.

There are life lessons that nobody will teach you. They exist, but not often mentioned. I will explore 10 of these life lessons:

1. You quit, you lose, you fail

A normal human being will always have a tendency to quit on something he or she has started. It most happens when the thing is not working out or when it turns out to be harder than expected.

The truth is, quitting is a smooth road to failure. When we get a grand idea, we always have the zeal and urge to put into action. We assume it will be a smooth ride. But deep down into the core of implementation we realize it’s more than what we had in mind.

The wise say, fall down 7 times get up 8. Always remember why you started, and gauge whether it’s fair to quit after all the time, money and sacrifices you made for the idea.

2. Nobody cares

Societal expectations sometimes pin us to wall. We end up making decisions based on what people will think or say. In the actual sense, nobody even cares.

Whether you choose to follow your dream or quit on it, nobody will give a hoot on what happens to you. Follow that dream, travel to that city, cuff that lady, and shoot that shot. Why? Nobody real cares.

Here is the plot twist: they will pretend to care. Some will talk you out of you decisions, some will criticise. But they will move on very fast. The truth is, people will always talk, whether you do good or bad. But nobody cares.

Bernard Baruch, an American financier and statesman once said, “be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.’’

3. Don’t make assumptions

Have the facts with you. There are things that might look to be good but they are not. All that glitters is not gold.

This applies in relationships. Don’t judge by the way someone flashes his or her first impression and assume that he is the perfect person for you. There is more than meets the eye.  Also, there are times when you are in the grey area – you don’t know whether you are dating or in the friend zone. Don’t assume that you are someone’s partner unless they make it clear to you. Save yourself the disappointment and embarrassment by asking before branding yourself titles.

4. Put your best foot forward

Always, always give out your best. Be it at work, at school or in relationships. This opens doors for more opportunities. The world is always watching, so, your actions can hardly go unnoticed.

A modern day philosopher from South Africa, Nasty C, says ‘’if you put in the work, it will work out.’’ And that hits really hard.

5. Learn something new everyday

If you ever thought that education ends after you graduate, you are wrong. Every day on earth is a learning day. There is a whole heap of knowledge hidden behind books, podcast, people and even nature.

Grab a book and read. Listen to a podcast. Talk to people from different cultures. That way, you broaden your scope of how life is.

6. Listen first, then talk

I once heard somewhere that the reason why we have two ears and one mouth is because we need to do much of listen than talking. And that’s correct. Most people listen to reply, not to understand what the other person is saying.

We always want to be heard, but hardly give others time to express their angle of understanding. Listen first, understand the other person, and then reply accordingly. You will never go wrong with this trick. It will enable you to choose the right words to say and also control your emotions in times of a misunderstanding.

7. Don’t bother what other people think

Like we mentioned up there, people will always talk no matter what. Whether you do good or bad, people will always have something to say. That is just how life is programmed.

What people say shouldn’t be your business. The inner you knows what you want out of life. So, people’s opinions should not go to your head. Most celebrities find themselves in the claws of their fans. But they grow thick skin towards the criticism. That’s the way to do it. Put the focus on what matters.

8. Don’t take the easy road

Yes, life can be hard; no employment, no capital to start a business and life is unbearable. Taking a shortcut in the name of escaping poverty is a risky venture.

Trust the process. Best things take time. It might take some years for you to be at the peak of your career, or years for you to own a house, a car etc. Just trust the process. Shortcuts might land you in jail, or worse, six feet under. Choose wisely.

9. Don’t make decisions when you are emotional

The best time to make decisions is when we are calm. Making decision when we are emotional will just be the cause of impulse. It won’t be genuine. It could be a decision made out of anger, or one made out of extreme happiness. Later on, we always come to regret such decisions.

Before making a decision, make sure you are in the right state to do so. Don’t rush to make decisions, take your time.

10. Take time to know who you are

Finally, self-awareness is paramount. For you to actualize all the aforementioned, you should be in a position to know who you truly are. Knowing yourself is broad.

Know what you want, how you react to things, what motivates you, the things you like and dislike. Having a deeper understanding of who you are will help you to make decisions, achieve goals and even strengthen your relationships with others.

Conclusion

Every step in life unravels a new level – like a video game. We encounter new things daily. Some put us down whilst some escalates our spirits. Some life lessons are hidden in history. History will always repeat itself, so they say. But we can always change the paradigm and make the future a better avenue for our dreams.