Shifting gears today from pretty things in life, to a more introspective topic: lessons I have learned over the years. I figured I would share life thoughts every now and then so you get to know the person behind the blog a little better!
You might be wondering if it is my birthday because of the title of this post: but nope, it was actually back in January! I started working on this list waaaayyyy back then but never got to finish it until just recently. Better late than never though, right?!
These are just the highlights of some of the most poignant and life-changing things that I have learned over my lifetime so far, especially in the last 5 years or so! I have been very fortunate to have many wise and godly people in my life to glean things from, and have come across a lot of really helpful resources from sermons, podcasts, books and blogs too. Hopefully you can find some nuggets that inspire you as well! Enjoy. 🙂
- Often when people disagree, it’s a matter of semantics. Ask people what they mean to clarify. Sometimes you may agree on a concept , but are using different words to define the same thing. (my brilliant husband taught me this and it is so true!)
- Always give people the benefit of a doubt.
- There is usually something about someone’s situation that you don’t see, if you did you would understand them better.
- My parents love me way more than I ever realized as a child. There are so many times they sacrificed for me that I never saw until I got older.
- People do the things they do for reasons. Everyone has underlying emotional issues they deal with that shapes the way they interact with the world.
- It was absolutely 100% worth waiting to marry the right person, and making a well thought-out decision. I am grateful for this every day!
- Marriage is the ultimate mirror of the selfishness in our own hearts.
- God is so incredibly gracious.
- Don’t read too much into people’s texts, or lack of texting back. It doesn’t mean they hate you, maybe they just got busy.
- Choose your words carefully, they bear the power to uplift or crush a person’s soul.
- Don’t speak when you’re angry. Cool down first.
- Taking deep breaths actually works to calm you down, oddly enough.
- Never wait till everything is perfect to start living your life. You will be waiting forever.
- Sometimes you have to have painful and uncomfortable talks with the most important people in your life. It’s worth it to get it all out, it will forge a healthier relationship.
- Life never turns out how you planned. A lot of the time, that’s actually a great thing because you would never have thought of some of the awesome things that end up happening.
- We thought our parents had it all figured out, turns out everyone is just doing their best and worried they will screw it all up.
- Fake it till you make it.
- Introspection is a very helpful tool. When you get to know yourself better, you are able to actively work on improving yourself.
- People are complex.
- Give people a break. Everyone has a bad day. Some days that is you.
- Truth is worth seeking. Never be afraid of what you might find. Turn over every leaf, consider every angle. You will always come out stronger actually knowing WHY you believe what you believe.
- You don’t have to make your own mistakes to learn from them. Learn from other people’s mistakes.
- Being observant of people and the world around you will help you understand it better.
- Being still is so rare these days, embrace stillness when you can.
- Being busy is not important, prioritize the things you really want to do in life.
- Shoot high and dream big, even if you don’t reach your goal, at least you have achieved a lot more than you would have otherwise.
- Forgive yourself for not being superwoman. You can’t do it all, and that’s ok!
- Be intentional in your relationships. If you don’t make time for it, it will never happen.
- There is never a “good time” to have tough conversations. Don’t wait.
- Don’t just be bummed out about how a relationship or situation is. Change it. Until the day you die, you can improve anything you decide to.
- Make the time to think about important issues.
- Tell the people you love how much you love them on a regular basis. You never know which day will be your last, or theirs.
So there you have it, some little gems I have discovered over the years! I feel like this quote by Albert Einstein really sums it up perfectly: “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”
Any great advice you’d like to add to the list? I’d love to hear in the comments below! 🙂