70 lessons learned after living 20 years of life

Life doesn’t come with a help manual. As we go through different events and moments, we gather varieties of experiences and the lessons we learn from them. A way to learn as much as we can is to try everything possible. We have to be able to take risks and come out of that comfort zone to see the  life as it really is.

The time I gave a serious thought to how long I wanted to live was in a program held by W-CARP about two years ago. It was a sisterhood/brotherhood program. The speaker wanted a volunteer and I was quick on my feet to get up. I made my way to the stage flawlessly. The speaker looked at me and asked my name. Then he asked me “How long do you want to live?”.. I gave it some thoughts and I said “90“. The audience seemed amused. Then the next question was why. I said I want to complete my purpose of being born and want to achieve my aim. The next question popped up,"Would you want to have 50,000 people come to mourn at your death like of Ban Ki Moon?”.. I said “Yeah sure”. The speaker added, “You have to do something significant for that.”

Frankly, living up to 90 may be a lofty goal, but still so what, all of us aim to live for very long. I’m just at the beginning phase. I have only spent 20 years living this life. I haven’t done or seen many things but I have learned a vast amount of lessons by now. I think most can relate to these lessons.

70 lessons learned after living 20 years of life:

1. You need to surround yourself with intelligent people. Influences of dumb   people makes you dull as well.

 2. The most important thing of being alive is to create your own immortality. You have to do something significant in order to make people remember you even after you’re dead.

3. Everyone is selfish and only think about themselves.

4. You can stand out from the crowd, you don’t really have to be one of those sheep in a herd.

5. You don’t need anybody to follow your aim.

6. Don’t try to change others. It just won’t happen. You will only waste your time.

7. There will always be someone who says that your ideas are ridiculous. Don’t believe them. Use those ideas.

8. School tries to generalize the abilities of students and tries to make them average.

9. Don’t correct your teachers. Especially not when you’re in college. They will feel vulnerable and act indifferent towards you. Even if you may know something more in the topic they are teaching, just keep quiet.

10. It’s your choice whether to be an average person who just wants to have a job, get married and have kids, or you want to be an amazing person who chases their dreams and leaves a legacy.

11. You will make mistakes in life, no matter how much experienced you think you are.

12. Keep a diary to record the wonderful memories. You will feel happy you wrote them down because they will make you smile and be grateful.

13. Religion divides people.

14. Research before you believe what others claim to be true.

15. Happiness is everything.

16. When doctors tell you that it won’t hurt, be prepared, it will hurt.

17. Extractions of healthy teeth are one of the most painful experiences. (People who needed it for orthodontic braces can relate to this.)

18. When you try to keep up honesty in an exam hall, you sure are going to be hated by your peers. ;)

19. The people who don’t look good are the ones who think that everyone sees them as someone beautiful/handsome.

20. Don’t blame anyone for bad things you go through. You have to sit down and work them out.

21. Most people like to sing, even though they may sound like icejjfish.

22. Just because a large number of people do something doesn’t guarantee that it’s the right thing.

23. Don’t check phone or receive calls unless its important when you are with somebody. It shows lack of manners.

24. Drinking lots of water can help you to prevent a lot of diseases. It also makes your skin glow!

25. Be thankful to those who do well to you, even simple things.

26.   A genuine smile from someone can make you smile as well. They may be a stranger, yet they can spread the “happiness”. So, smile and make someone’s day. :)

27. Happiness grabs people’s attention.

28. It’s hard to trust a person who lies all the time.

29. No one can be “100%” honest. If someone claims to be. They are fraud.

30. Stop comparing yourself to others. You are different. They are different.

31. There are 2 quick ways to disaster: Follow nobody’s advice or follow everybody’s advice.

32. The person who means the most to you will not always be there when you need.

33. The person who you always ignore will sometimes be the one who’ll be the most helpful.

34. Little favors can make a great difference. Even a short simple word can make your day.

35. You have to forget all the bad things in the past, or else you'll be stuck in the past.

36. As you grow older, You’ll want to be a child all over again and cause trouble.

37. Your close friends are going to change so much that you cant recognize them.

38. Money will buy everything except happiness.

39. Everyone is willing to give up a lot just to be rich.

40. Nobody actually likes ugliness.

41. The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.

42. Do good to everyone. Life is too short to make enemies.

43. You will never like that person who emotionally hurts you.

44. You will never succeed if you are trying to accomplish something just for revenge.

45. You will realize who your true friends when you need help.

46. The person whom you adore will surprise you with a great idea.

47. You don’t get anything from gossiping and spreading rumors about others.

48. The longer you stay in friendship, the harder it is to let go.

49. The future is always a blur.

50. The saying that it takes few seconds to love someone and forever to forget someone may not be too true. Our mind can be easily fooled into forgetting someone within a very short span of time.

51. There will be situations where you have to tell a lie.

52. Cheaters will always be cheaters. There are people who make relationship cheap.

53. True friends will never forget you even if you don’t keep in touch for a long time.

54. Best friends are so unpredictable. You fight with them. Get mad at them. Yet, the friendship is for eternity.

55. Never be too attached to someone or something. All is temporary.

56. If you want to understand a person, you need to understand their nationality and culture.

57. People will not answer you the way you want them to.

58. Never wait for someone who has left you without a reason.

59. Always clear any misunderstanding you have in a relationship as long as the other one wants to co-operate.

60. The longer you know someone, there are more chances of you falling for them.

61. Proposal will never happen at the right time. Life is not a movie.

62. You have to create your own happiness, nobody else is responsible for that.

63. “Love conquers all” is nothing but a foolish idea. Compatibility and mutual understanding is more important.

64. Our existence in the universe is trivial. We are all organisms living in the pale blue dot.

65. When you reunite with a person from your past after many years, all you will remember is happy memories.

66. You don’t need to be a size 0 to be beautiful. If you feel beautiful with your natural look, you are beautiful. The standards of beauty are made up by society.

67. New technological possibility scares everyone at first.

68. Doing the job you like makes you happy and more efficient at work.

69. If you are prohibited to do something, there is more chance that you are going to do it.

70. Life is not a fairy tale love. Sorry, there is no "perfect happily ever after" in a relationship. You have to work to keep things in a perfect shape. You have to put efforts into it.