LIFE
LESSONS
WHAT IS A LIFE LESSON?
LIFE LESSON RELATED TOPICS
LIFE LESSONS
21 LIFE LESSON YOU DIDN'T LEARN IN SCHOOL
26 LIFE LESSONS LEARNED BY AGE 26
50 TIMELESS LIFE LESSON
LIFE LESSON LINKS
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SECTION 1
WHAT
IS
A
LIFE
LESSON?
A life lesson is just what it sounds like -- a lesson you learn in life. It's really
based on the idea of learning from your mistakes. Life lessons could be described as
defining moments that are remembered. Since life lessons are based on an individual's
life experiences, they are unique to each person.
Life lessons can occur in any area. Although we learn many things each day, we don't
always learn something that we feel will affect our behavior for the rest of our lives.
This separates a life lesson from everything else we learn. A life lesson is usually
something we feel profoundly changed by.
For example, if we respond in a certain way to something and then face unpleasant consequences
from our actions, this can make us rethink how we handled the situation. We would want to make
different choices and decisions in the future to get the outcome we wanted instead of the one
we didn't. This can serve as a life lesson so that when confronted with similar circumstances,
we can consciously change our behavior. To put it simply, a life lesson teaches us not to make
the same mistake twice.
Life lessons can serve to help us understand ourselves better. Since a life lesson is learned
through the consequences of our actions or reactions, in this way we can gain insight into how
we think, act and react in certain situations. Perhaps one of the biggest life lessons we can
ultimately learn is that while we can't control everything, we can control our response to
things.
An example of a life lesson in the area of work and career could be the revelation that making
a modest living at something we are passionate about is better than working at an unpleasant or
dull job for more money. Life lessons in relationships are as varied and unique as each
relationship, yet there are common themes such as spending more time with loved ones. Some of
us learn a major life lesson when a loved one dies and we wish we had spent more time with that
person. This lesson can result in us spending more time with our remaining loved ones.
What is a Life Lesson?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-life-lesson.htm
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SECTION 2
LIFE
LESSON
RELATED
TOPICS
What Is Quality of Life?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-quality-of-life.htm
How Can I Find Success in Life?
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-can-i-find-success-in-life.htm
How Do I Get a Life Experience Degree?
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-get-a-life-experience-degree.htm
What does "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" Mean?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-actions-speak-louder-than-words-mean.htm
How Do I Gain a Sense of Balance in my Life?
http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-gain-a-sense-of-balance-in-my-life.htm
What Is the Difference between Etiquette and Manners?
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-etiquette-and-manners.htm
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SECTION 3
LIFE
LESSONS
I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone
who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
I've learned that no matter how much I care some people just don't care back.
I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but whom you have in your
life that counts.
I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that
doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve
celebrated.
I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something
totally different.
I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once
in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have
to learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And, just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I’ve learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt,
and you will hurt in the process.
I've learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few
things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.
I've learned that heroes are people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you can’t.
Life Lessons
http://westhartfordcounselingcenter.com/lessons.htm
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SECTION 4
21
CRITICAL
LIFE
LESSONS
YOU
DIDN'T
LEARN
IN
SCHOOL
If someone doesn’t take us aside and teach us a few things (assuming we’d listen) before
we graduate high school, we are doomed to learn life’s hardest lessons in the real world
beyond the classroom.
With that in mind, here are 21 non-academic lessons every person should know before he or
she graduates high school; if you graduated long ago (as I did), this list represents all
the things you wish you had been taught, yet had to learn (or are still learning) on your
own.
Love and Relationships
1. Choosing a Mate:
Your ability to select a suitable spouse will greatly influence your financial and emotional
wellbeing, yet parents and teachers seldom mention it. A few common sense guidelines: pick
someone who’s a joy to be around and who makes you happy; know the person well; ensure
compatibility beyond the physical because beauty and youth are fleeting, while the mind and
heart endure.
2. Evaluating Relationships:
Given the tremendous importance of relationships, it’s surprising we receive so little
instruction on how to evaluate, prune, and nurture them. Start by asking yourself
whether each of your relationships drags you down or lifts you up. Surrounding yourself
with positive relationships is half the battle.
3. Conversation:
Successful relationships require solid communication: use body language, appropriate tone
of voice, and eye contact; be friendly and considerate of alternative viewpoints; persuade
gently; listen, listen, listen.
4. Handling Difficult People:
An essential life skill, handling difficult people can be taught, but seldom is. I’ve written
about this before, and there are several good books on the subject, including Robert Bramson’s
Coping with Difficult People.
5. Networking:
Ask for business cards, maintain a Rolodex (electronic or otherwise), and stay in touch with
people who respect you. Association breeds opportunity, personally and professionally.
6. Compassion:
We are born egocentric, but by the time we graduate high school, we should be capable of understanding,
appreciating, and sympathizing with others. Compassion helps us understand our place in the world and
ensures we are emotionally well rounded.
7. Teamwork:
Work environments have gravitated toward small teams. Sports, team projects, and group goals are great
ways to learn teamwork, but are seldom adequate. Evaluate interpersonal skills regularly; correct as
needed.
8. Giving:
As a child, I always thought the expression “it’s better to give than to receive” was trite and silly.
As an adult, I recognize the expression’s value. Having the capacity to give means you possess; having
the will to give means you want to make a difference; having the desire to give means you care.
Money Management
9. The Material Myth:
Pursuing happiness by acquiring material things (granite countertops, plasma televisions, designer
clothing) is like jogging to the grocery store on your treadmill: it’s not going to happen.
10. Saving:
Keep 3 to 6 months salary in an emergency fund, in case you lose your job; use online calculators to
determine the proper amount to save for retirement; keep money on hand for unexpected expenses, such
as car and home repair.
11. Debt:
Financial gurus suggest that total debt, excluding first mortgage, should not exceed 20% of take-home
pay. This includes car payments, home equity loans, second mortgages, credit card debt, and so forth.
Upper income consumers may be able to handle higher debt loads due to greater expendable income, while
lower income consumers may be wise to carry less. And my number one rule of debt: credit cards should
never be used as supplemental income.
12. Frugality:
Live below your means. Look for bargains. Shop at discount stores. Clearly delineate needs (transportation)
from wants (a big SUV). Feel free to indulge occasionally, but mind the consequences.
13. Debtor Responsibility:
I believe every person who borrows money has a social, moral, and ethical responsibility to make payments on
time and in the correct amount for the duration of the contract. Generally speaking, the credit bureaus agree.
Career
14. Passion:
School sharpens skills, but seldom taps into your most powerful reserve of all: Passion. If you want to be
happy at the top of Maslow’s pyramid, find a job you love.
15. Practicality:
While you’re chasing self-actualization, paying bills remains important. Independent research using the
Occupational Outlook Handbook or other resources can help you figure out how to make a living in whatever
industry inspires you.
16. Politics of Advancement:
Advancement in the working world often depends as much upon interpersonal skills as it does upon job skills.
Persuasion, argument, and expectation setting are crucial.
17. Entrepreneurial:
Unless you’re related to business owners or have learned about business ownership on your own, there’s a good
chance that owning a business seems puzzling, daunting, and overwhelming. The fact that young people in a
capitalistic society aren’t given the basic tools of ownership is unfortunate. Find a mentor. Attend a
workshop. Read.
Personal Success
18. Positive Thinking:
Attitude determines altitude. If you believe you can do it, most of the time, you really can.
19. Personal Accountability:
Most success boils down to perseverance, determination, tenacity, and other products of personal accountability.
20. Setting and Achieving Goals:
Goal setting, research, planing, commitment, and hard work are all required to reach any big, life-altering objective.
In other words, all the schooling in the world won’t help you reach your dreams if you don’t take time to determine
what you want and how to obtain it.
21. Health:
Throughout my life, I’ve noticed that no single thing does as much to improve my outlook as getting healthy. Eat
nutritious meals in proper portions. Drink plenty of water. Try to get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily (or at
least every other day). Get plenty of sleep. High school health classes teach these concepts, but seldom make the
connection between health and the rest of life; the connection is real. And it’s huge.
So there you have it: 21 lessons you can’t (or generally don’t) learn in school.
These lessons are not intended to insult teachers or schools, or to suggest curriculum. They are merely
thought starters; something to think about regarding lessons learned through painful experience.
Life is an exploration, and maybe certain lessons must be experienced to be understood. Yet I wonder
how much pain we could prevent if we taught life’s important lessons to our young people instead of
relying on the real world to teach them for us.
21 Critical Life Lessons You Didn’t Learn in School
http://www.johnplaceonline.com/achieve-balance/21-critical-life-lessons-you-didnt-learn-in-school/
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SECTION 5
26
LIFE
LESSONS
LEARNED
BY
AGE
26
Here is a list of 26 life lessons I have learned thus far at the age of 26. I pass this
list on to you with the simple hope that it makes you think. Sometimes thinking about
your life and sorting out what you have learned is just as important as tackling a new
venture.
1.Being an adult can be fun when you are acting like a child.
2.Love has nothing to do with looks, but everything to do with time, trust, and interest.
3.Laughing, crying, joy and anger… All are a vital. All make us human.
4.The greatest truths in life are uncovered with simple, steady awareness.
5.Greed will bury even the lucky eventually.
6.Bad things do happen to good people.
7.Paving your own road is intelligent only if nobody has gone exactly where you are going.
8.Uncertainty is caused by a lack of knowledge. Hesitation is the product of fear.
9.Time heals all wounds… regardless of how you feel right now.
10.Most of the time what you are looking for is right in front of you.
11.Your health is your life.
12.Chance is a gift, so act on chance when given the opportunity.
13.Kindness and hard work will take you further than intelligence.
14.People deserve a second chance, but not a third.
15.Marry your best friend.
16.Take lots of pictures. Someday you’ll be really glad you did.
17.Money makes life easier only when the money is yours free and clear.
18.Carelessness is the root of failure.
19.Your actions now create memories you will reminisce and talk about in your elder years.
20.Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you
can’t grasp now.
21.Motivation comes in short bursts. Act while it’s hot.
22.Purposely ignoring the obvious is like walking backwards toward the enemy.
23.Taking ownership of failure builds the foundation for success.
24.First impressions are completely worthless 50% of the time.
25.Personal glory lasts forever.
26.If you never act, you will never know for sure.
26 Life Lessons Learned by Age 26
http://www.marcandangel.com/2008/02/06/26-life-lessons-learned-by-age-26/
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SECTION 6
50
TIMELESS
LIFE
LESSONS
50 Lessons Life Taught Me
1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s not OK to get angry with God even if He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
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11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is —–about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never —–blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
20. It is never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you.
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21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special
occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare and then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this —–matter?”
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
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31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in —–touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or —–didn’t do.
35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours —–back.
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41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
50 Timeless Life Lessons
http://advancedlifeskills.com/blog/50-timeless-life-lessons/
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SECTION 7
LIFE
LESSONS
LINKS
12 Powerful Life Lessons
http://thinksimplenow.com/motivation/12-powerful-life-lessons/
Everyday Life Lessons
http://everydaylifelessons.com/
Inspirational Quotes about Lesson in Life
http://www.indianchild.com/lesson_in_life.htm
Life Lessons
http://ezinearticles.com/?Life-Lessons&id=3831914
Life Lessons
http://www.lifelesson.org/
Life Lessons
http://lifelessons4u.wordpress.com/
Life Lessons
http://www.motivationalwellbeing.com/life-lessons.html
Life Lesson Quotes
http://www.lifesayingsquotes.com/lessons.php
LIFE Lessons Scholarship Program
http://www.lifehappens.org/life-lessons/
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