12 Lessons I Learned In 2022
So, It’s that time of the year, you know another year is ending and you’re asking yourself, was it a good year? How will the next year be…
So, It’s that time of the year, you know another year is ending and you’re asking yourself, was it a good year? How will the next year be? Did I leave the stove on? Okay, that last one is a bit personal but you get it.
Each year I like to look back and ask myself the three following questions:
Which were my victories (small or big) this year?
What did I learn this year?
Which were my misfortunes, how did I react to them and what can I do to avoid them next year?
Okay, the last one comprises 3 sub-questions but let’s say it’s one question. Before you keep reading do me a favor and pause to answer these questions.
Good, now let’s continue, if you answered these questions you probably realized that they’re the roots of a very tall, beautiful tree that is your life. As you follow these roots you reach the trunk of the tree, the branches, and lastly the fruits/leaves. How can you follow these paths? It’s simple, just keep asking yourself “why?”. When you finally reach a point of feeling content about the past year, you’ll be able to enjoy the “fruits” of your labor, theoretically and practically.
What did I learn this year? Here’s a list of my 12 favorite lessons of 2022, enjoy.
Shit happens.
That’s very mainstream, I know, but it’s true. Life has a lot of shitty moments that fortunately you get to experience them. A lot of people would say unfortunately but It’s not true. Shit happens no matter what — you can either be sad forever or be sad for a little while, take a deep breath, exhale, say shit happens, and move on.
Control is a human illusion.
My therapist told me that and It stuck with me. Humans have the illusion of control but in reality, we don’t. In every scientific experiment, before we conduct it, we set the parameters — our life is exactly like a scientific experiment and we think that by setting some parameters (for example, the road you drive to work every morning) we can control it. We can’t. It’s okay to not have control because It’s much better to learn how to control your thoughts and emotions rather than trying to control situations.
Family is the alpha and omega.
Unless you’ve learned how to love yourself, the family you’re born in or the family you’ll create will be your main source of love, success, and happiness. Take the time to learn more about your parents, spend time with them, talk with them, let them in your life, nothing you have should you take for granted.
Never fool yourself.
Nobody will do the work for you. Be realistic and tough with yourself. The only person that can truly help you achieve your goals and dreams is yourself. So — sit down, have an honest conversation with them and check yourself.
Mindset can make or break your life.
This life lesson is in very close proximity to the next one. The only thing that separates a shitty life from an amazing life is how you approach it. If you choose to see only the negative events in life, it’ll suck — instead see the positive side of everything that happens and you’ll life will be better. EVERY and I truly mean EVERY situation in your life has a positive side, even if you can’t see it at the moment — trust me, it does.
Victimization is truly sad.
The WORST thing you can do is think of yourself — in every situation — as the victim. Feeling like the victim leads you to a downward spiral of negative thoughts which ends in one place, and that place is a sad life of loneliness and inability to elevate yourself. Take responsibility and stop acting like the victim when you’re not.
Take care of your inner child.
It’s a well-known fact that everyone has an inner child. This subconscious part of ourselves has a tremendous role in how our life will develop — from how we react to bad news, and form relationships and friendships — we need to cultivate a healthy relationship with it.
Let people help.
Yeah, you can be independent and that’s great but that doesn’t mean letting people help you is bad. We’ll all need help eventually in our life so why make a big deal out of it? You can do everything you set your mind to, that’s true — but why do you need to put so much stress and pressure on yourself? Ask for help, everyone loves helping — it’s a selfish thing.
Appreciate the moment.
That’s very cliché, but the more you see it the easier you’ll integrate it into your personality. About a week ago my best friend passed his final exam and is finally a doctor. Before leaving I helped him move out. I couldn’t stop reminiscing about every single amazing thing we’ve done together, that day will forever be embedded in my memory. The more you appreciate the moment the more content you’ll be.
You want to destroy yourself.
Your inner-self is very insidious. It strives to make you as passive, comfortable, and apathetic as possible. That little voice you hear every morning before you get out of bed, that says — stay a bit longer it’s comfortable and warm — or before you eat that whole bag of chips that says — you’ve worked hard you deserve it — is wrong. Don’t listen to it. Instead, get out of your comfort zone as often as possible. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Don’t follow the herd.
I want to stand out. Being like everyone else is boring. That herd is a silent but very deadly killer of your creativity, individuality, innovative thinking and many, more truly fascinating traits that you need to cultivate to be special.
Talk less and listen more.
Everyone has value. No matter the situation — from meeting a low status and education to a high status and educated individual, everyone has something to offer you. From a new idea to a deeper understanding of yourself or your emotions, conversing with people changes you.
What are some of your life lessons for 2022? Which ones stand out the most?
Let me know.
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