10 Things I Wish Somebody Told Me While Growing Up
Do you remember when you were a small child and you look up at your parents or other grown-ups and think that they have all the answers to all your questions, and the answers would in fact, reflect the ultimate truth as to how life really is and how it should be lived?
Well, what you didn't know back then (and what you probably still don't have any clue about) is that each of us have our own set of beliefs and principles. And based on those sets of beliefs and principles, we build our lives and our own realities. We become our own mind, our own individuals with our very own realities and identities and that the way we live our lives and develop relationships with others are based on these beliefs.
Now here are 10 things I wish somebody told me while I was growing up...
1. judgment prevents us from seeing the good in others. the moment we judge another human being, we block ourselves from seeing beyond the labels that we stick to that person. we miss out on the good things that might develop from personal relationships because we are already prejudiced to begin with.
2. with gratitude, comes happiness. the more grateful you are, the happier life is. gratitude turns what we have into enough and more. it turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order and we learn to be appreciative of what we have. when we love what we have, we have everything we will ever need.
3. what others think of you is none of your business. i used to care a lot about how and what others think of me. i was imprisoned in this need to feel accepted and I feared that if I don't do good or perform well in everything I do, people will think of me less. growing up and getting older has made me realize that your reputation is not something in which you have complete control of. yes, you can take good care of it and uphold it as best as you can but the more people with whom you interact with, the more reputations you get. it's actually funny how it is but it's true.
4. money can't buy you real happiness. but it can certainly buy you a Channel or a Louis Vuitton handbag! no, seriously...if you love what you do, you will always find a way to earn money. i love money. i earn a lot of money working my profession and i enjoy the luxury it affords me and my family but as you grow older, you do realize that money isn't everything.
5. love people, not things. things are never permanent. they are transient. they are replaceable. but people, once they're lost, they are lost forever. say i love you as much as you can. spend time with family as much as you can. pay attention to how you treat everyone around you and choose to always be kind.
6. you attract what you focus on.when you focus on something and work hard towards it,you'll be surprised the universe will conspire to get you what you want.
7. reality is overrated. the truth is that reality is a relative term. your reality is what you make of it. every one develops one for his or herself. you have to be careful not to fall prey to someone else's reality. it's completely OK to find your own reality and find your own answers.
8. never say mean words out of anger. your anger will pass. but your mean words can scar a person for life. so use kind word or be silent.
9. it's ok to make mistakes.when we were younger, our parents might have told us not to do this or do that or else you will get into so much trouble. they will try their best to discipline you and set you on the right path. as we grow older, you have choices to make and those choices don't always give the best results and on't always turn out the way we want them. nobody told me that it was OK to make mistakes. mistakes help us grow and learn from them so that the next time we are confronted with the same situation, we are better equipped to conquer milestones in life.
10. lastly, no one told me that no one will grant your wishes so you better make them happen. you gotta dream for it. go for it. there is no genie in a magic lamp that will make that happen for you. if you want something in life, you have to work for it. focus your energy and bring your best foot forward in everything you do.
you will be terrified, and it's OK that you don't know what the future holds. you will love and maybe you will even love the wrong person but you made the decision out of love. out of what you knew and felt was right at the time. soon enough though, you will learn how to love in ways that you never knew. you will have a long life ahead of you and the ride won't always be easy but it can be fruitful and with so much purpose. there will be pain. there will be heartaches. there will be doubt. there will be beauty. there will be the unknown. there will be uncertainty. there will be success. there will be times when you will feel an overwhelming sadness but then there will be times when you are so happy you can almost feel like you are floating in the air. but most importantly, there will be you. a whole lot of you.
XOXO,
Karen