Life Lessons, Revisited.

 

Way back in 2012, I wrote a blog post about the life lessons I had learned in the previous six or so years on a rather all-encompassing quest for self-improvement. Since that time, I've mostly striven to implement these nine lessons as often as possible. It's proven to be a pretty decent roadmap.

The List

1. Help others. If everyone spent time actively seeking out ways to help each other, the world would be a lot better place. Each of us has the power to change that if only we recognized just how much we have to offer to those around us. Whether it’s something big or small, strive to help others. Make a difference.
 

2. Figure out what you enjoy. Do it more. Understand what brings you joy. In almost every case, humans crave excitement, not happiness. Once you understand that concept, living a fulfilling life becomes a lot Hell of a lot easier. Set up your lifestyle to experience excitement more often.

3. Figure out what you don’t like. Do it less. What don’t we like? Most assume this involves avoiding pain whether it be physical, emotional, spiritual… whatever. While it’s not always pleasant, it’s not pain that brings unhappiness. Boredom brings us unhappiness. Understand what you find boring, then set up your lifestyle to experience less boredom.

4. Seek challenges. Humans thrive on challenges. They may come in the form of the physical, mental, social, or emotional. They may involve work, lifestyle, exercise… whatever. Figure out what makes you uncomfortable, then do it with reckless abandon.

5. Learn from everyone. True wisdom is the realization that we’re a lot stupider than we like to think. Every single person we encounter has lessons to teach us if only we accept our role as a student. You have two ears and one mouth; use them in that proportion.

6. Surround yourself with genuine friends. Find friends that you can trust, will help you when you’re down, have the power to challenge your way of thinking, and can ignite your inner fire. The ability to make you laugh and play is important, too.

7. Embrace minimalism. We surround ourselves with way too much stuff under the guise of security. We falsely believe our problems will disappear if we reach some imaginary line of material comfort. Instead of pissing away your days attempting to fill your life with more shit, embrace minimalism. Use your creative energies to develop unorthodox solutions to the minimalism. It makes life a lot more interesting. If you need to spend your cash, spend it on adventure.

8. Realize we can’t predict the future; act accordingly. Too many people spend too much time plotting the course for tomorrow without really embracing today. Don’t miss the opportunity to make today special. In almost every case, you can make today special by helping someone and doing something exciting. Remember, you may die tomorrow.

9. Embrace change. Some will tell you not to fear change. That’s bullshit; change is scary as Hell. Instead, embrace that fear. The exhilaration from the fear of change is what makes it so exciting, and we crave excitement.

~Jason

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