7 Worthwhile Life Truths to Live by
As we go through life, here are a few timeless truths to never forget.
To say the least, it has been everything but a smooth ride trying to attain a somewhat grounded life with virtuous principles and values that help dictate daily micro decisions in my 20s.
I couldn’t make sense of my triggers that kept knocking me down.
Although it hasn’t been much easier in my 30s, I learned ways to ease myself from spiraling into crippling anxiety.
Through a life coaching seminar that ignited my self-improvement journey and obsessive amounts of searching for self-help, I finally found 7 (and not limited to) values and truths that help guide me through any stage of my life.
- Don’t give up trying.
Just because you are uncertain of who you are and where you should be, don’t give up trying.
Just because you are unsure of what makes you happy, what you are striving for, and don’t know what kind of person you should and are meant to be, don’t give up trying.
Life was never meant to be easy. Good things don’t come easily. But remind yourself that this is all training for you to become a stronger person.
Keep trying. Keep fighting. Keep going.
Life is a grind but has so much more to offer and you will figure it out.
2. Be true to yourself.
As a people pleaser, I felt like I was living my life for others.
I constantly fell into patterns of compromising my own needs and wants in order to please other people including my family.
I had to learn the hard way that that was actually my choice. I had chosen to live my life this way.
Only you can be the one that can choose yourself and be happy.
Grow the strength to learn to listen to your intuition and your gut.
Be true to yourself.
3. Shift your Perspective. Be selfless.
Though not a fervent Christian, I do believe in the teachings of Christianity and the Bible.
It is extremely difficult not to be selfish, especially, when you are struggling. It becomes impossible to see beyond yourself and your wounds.
Even when you are not going through rough times, it is hard to be selfless and want to help those around you in need. It’s even hard to help your own family.
One of the greater lessons I have learned and am continuing to learn today is shifting your perspective. I needed to shift my attention and energy away from self to “how can I help others?”
Now don’t get me wrong, I am maybe able to do this half of the time.
But I did realize that being selfless and helping others helps you feel more fulfilled.
4. Stay humble and Don’t Compare Yourself to Others.
Everyone is internally fighting their own battles.
You really never know a person or know what they’re going through until you really get to know them.
I learned pretty early how flawed I was. I swam in my self-doubt and insecurities for years.
That helped me realize that I am not in a position to judge others. And when I found myself doing so at times, I caught myself and reminded myself that I am not perfect.
This helped me to be more grounded. It still humbles me every day.
Learn to accept people for who they are. We all have our plates full of life to deal with.
5. Strive for Progress, Not Perfection
This is a mantra I live by.
As I often fall into traps of perfectionism, I find myself either wasting hours, days and minutes trying to make everything perfect or becoming overwhelmed by my own perception of my tasks.
I then remind myself that however incremental the steps, I should strive for growth and progress, not perfection.
But no matter what, I want to make sure that I am trying to become a better version of myself everyday.
6. Be Present and Live in the Moment.
I don’t mean YOLO, although it is true that you only live once.
But what I mean by live in the moment is to be present.
As I grow older, I realize more and more that moments are fleeting. Once the event or action is over, it simply turns into a memory.
Either you are present and mentally capture those moments, or the time passes by.
It is hard to stay present in today’s grind of life and distractions from social media dependency or screen addiction. But at the least, when you are with the people you love, try to be present.
7. Learn to Say No.
One of the first constructive criticisms I received was from my first grade teacher who had written on my report card, “Zhane is often found helping her classmates around her and doesn’t complete her assignments sometimes.”
I always found myself helping others before I could help myself. Selfless? Maybe, but foolish. Before being able to help others, you need to make sure you take care of yourself first.
I found this habit dictating my life for a while as this constantly lead me to putting off working on myself. And, I found myself stuck in a cycle and miserable for a while.
Before learning to help others, make sure to properly allot self-care time.
Once again, thank you for taking your time out of your day to read this.
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