In this article we explore a number of important life lessons learnt through experience, observation or from being in relationship with people who have had experiences more interesting than mine to say the least. These lessons are not in any particular order of importance and you may find some more relevant than others.
Live for Something
Not everyone is religious or believes in aspects of living that is cannot be detected by the five senses and in that case, it may be difficult to relate this point.
From experience, most people from a Judeo-Christian and Islamic background believe they exist for a reason and how that reason manifests is beyond the scope of this article however the point is relevant.
It is important to wake up and go to bed for something much bigger than yourself – living with a sense of purpose and direction. This will vary based on who you are and what your life experiences is but no purpose is insignificant.
I recall my days in university where a lady told me she would be the first person in her family to go to university and graduate. Now for some people, this is no big deal but for this lady, it was everything during that time of her life and she put in a lot of effort. She graduated and simple as it sounds, she made history in her family. Despite the hard times that came up during her studies, she reminded herself of what she was looking to accomplish and she attained it.
You may want to do or accomplish something to make your parents proud due to the sacrifice they made. At a stage you may want to do something to make yourself proud or your children. Whatever the situation is, give yourself a reason. If you cannot find something worth living for, find something (a cause, etc) worth dying for.
Education
Education or the lack of it has been something that been instrumental in society for a long time. Slaves in America were not allowed to read and write or be formally educated. In apartheid South Africa, some people were denied access to education and that was used as a tool to keep them in the dark.
Education as we understand it, is one of those topics that is easily confused perhaps because it is not well defined. Consider this example. Back in the days during the time of my grandparents, children were born at home and hospitals were not mainstream and while I do not know the mortality rate, I know that my grandmother was born at home and so were her parents.
They may not have known Algebra, Calculus and the speed of sound in a vacuum but they know how to deliver a child at home and this is no mean feat.
The important lesson here is that you know the difference between formal education in a classroom setting, and education about ‘how things work’ for lack of a better term. Some people migrate to another country in order to have a better life and are forced to do jobs that do not reflect their educational or intellectual capacity and yes, you could question why they did not make better choices.
The lesson here is that a classroom or educational institution is an opportunity for to learn a particular set of skills. There is a lot more out there to be learnt and depending on what your goals or interests are, you will gravitate and focus more on one type of education. Educate yourself where possible so you do not spend your time thinking what you know is all there is to be known or that you know everything.
Relationships
Relationships are the most important aspect of our lives are humans and from our first breath to our last, it is all about people. In good times and not so good times in our life experiences, it is all about people and how we relate to them.
Relationships take on different settings as we are aware for example, your relationship with your parents, siblings, teachers, neighbours, partner, extend family, boss at work and colleagues. These are examples of relationships for the average person so that is a lot to manage.
Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert or somewhere in between, the bonds you form through the relationships you have are quite important.
It is important not to ‘use’ people for your personal gain. In every relationship value the other person and aim to enrich their lives. Nobody lives forever and nothing stays the same. Children grow, parent die, friends travel, we change careers or jobs, etc.
Invest in your relationships. Value people and look for ways to better their lives. Put them first but not at the detriment of your development. Relationships are important. Knowing the right thing and the right people can open doors for you and set you up for success.
How the World Works
As simple as the text suggests, that is what needs to be done. In age of ‘fake news’, political turmoil, political correctness and all sorts of happenings on the news it is easy to get very passionate about the ‘wrong’ cause while neglecting what is actually important.
For the rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender. My take on this: those who have will use ways and avenues to ensure what they have is protected and increases and the person who borrows is at the mercy of the person who borrowed what they have to them.
I have found out that the better you understand how the world works socially, financially, politically and otherwise, you are able to make better decisions, able to read between the lines on world events happening and most of all, know what you have the power to change and where to focus your resources.
To improve this knowledge, read books, read articles, listen to experts in certain fields, listen to the other side of the argument have a non emotional attachment to the topic at hand or being discussed and only then will you begin to see basic fundamentals that sometimes we miss in the heat of the conversation.
One thing that accelerated my knowledge in how the world works was following the money and in many ways this determined what I read and watched. The power derived from money is universal and understood everywhere in the world.
Information and Relevant Knowledge
Information has an expiry date and at a certain point what we may know becomes relevant only for historical context.
It is important to have access to information because it allows you to make better decisions and this is critical. It is also important to know where and how to obtain this information. Relevant knowledge is key and in this day and age where we are bombarded with a lot of information and knowledge, with the aim of monetising our eyeballs, we need to know what is relevant and what is not.
One of the best ways to determine this is to have a clear understanding of what we are looking to accomplish. If everything is important then nothing is and the goal is to determine what is important and relevant at that present time to what you are looking to do.
Money and Power
This phrase is not something we are not aware of however my take on this is Impact and Relevance. There are many people with a lot of money and while a lot is relative term, these people do not have as much power you would think.
The real currency is influence and money and power are a quick way to get this. If the aim is to have influence over how certain things are done, how capital and human resources are deployed, money and power or the right kind of influence can make that happen.
This is something I have observed with trying to understand how the world works. Developed countries, G7, NATO, etc in many ways use influence acquired through money, political and military power to have their interests protected. You may not agree, but it is a fact.
All that charity work and hand outs are a mere pittance in comparison to the gain they make in whatever setting. Now it may not be fair, but remember think of How the World Works.
Managing your Time
Your time is finite and there are so many hours in day, week and month. It is important to be effective in the way your time is spent. When you are younger, you think you have a lot of time but in actual fact, you do not.
There are a different ways of managing your time and we will discuss that in future articles but for now, one way is to determine your priorities and set goals. What you do each day is a seed that will grow for you to harvest in the future.
Rest and Exercise
There is no substitute for resting every night and studies debate how long we should sleep each night. When we rest, our body repairs itself and when our body gets the rest it needs, we perform better cognitively, our memory is better and so is our mood.
It can be tempting to go hard during the week and catch up on sleep during the weekend however this means we do not spend quality time with the people around us and it also means the damage is done. This points to a greater need to prioritise our tasks and set goals so that too much time is not spent doing many different things.
Exercise is important and any runner will attest to the reduced stress and mood lifting benefits of running to name a new. Losing weight should be a product of a healthy lifestyle that includes eating right and exercising frequently.
What people tend to do is work towards a summer or beach body and then for the rest of the year, yo-yo in between summer body and something else. Having a routine will help establish a balance.
What exercise should you do? How long should I exercise? We discuss some of these points in our article. The main takeaway here is that is importance of exercise and rest and in the process, give your body the nutrients is needs to recover and function.
Gratitude
This could seem like an odd one to be honest but it is as aspect of our daily lives that can be missed as we are reaching for new heights, new goals and bigger dreams.
Take time to express gratitude to your partner, valentine’s day comes to mind however it needs to done on many other days. Express gratitude to and for your parents, for the relationships in your life, there are many things to be grateful for and being thankful is a way to take stock or count your blessings are the good ol’ song says.
Communication
One of the biggest issues many aspects of life is communication. This transcends speaking as one may be hasty to conclude; it includes tone, body language, speaking, listening and writing.
Without complicating the matter further, it is easy to have an opinion or a point you want to put across and the problem often arises when that message is being delivered or the manner in which it is conveyed.
For some people, their language skills may not be developed in that local language so that stands a barrier to effective communication. Others are shy and struggle to speak clearly perhaps due to a speech impediment or lack of deep knowledge on the topic.
We cover aspects of communicating in greater detail and we breakdown how to improve aspects of our communication. The lesson here is that communication is very important and it can be improved on a daily basis. It is important to understand the message being communicated so that our understanding is complete.
Adding Value: Producers and Consumer
The phrase Learn, Implement and Teach is something I have come across recently and it aptly summarises the point of adding value.
The person on the producing side of things whether it is knowledge, skill, content or whatever it is, will at some point have more resources (could be money) or the potential to earn more than the person consuming. It important to put this in perspective with an example too perhaps.
In some aspects of our lives we are producers and in other aspects we are consumers so that will not change. The question here is, what can you teach someone else based on your experiences? Who can benefit from what you know and what medium can they be reached on?
Seeking to add value in any environment we find ourselves in will make us more valuable. Find a way to enrich and add value to your work place, your relationships and any other place you find yourself.
