I read a great article the other day by someone named Darius Foroux about the 25 things about life he wished he had known 10 years ago. I had to share it with you all.
Socrates said: β I know one thing: that I know nothing.β
How can the smartest man on earth know nothing? I heard this paradoxical wisdom for the first time from my school teacher when I was 14 or 15. It made such an impact on me that I used Socratesβs quote as my learning strategy.
βI know nothingβ to me, means that you might be a wise person, but still, you know nothing. You can learn from everything and everyone.
One thing that I like better than learning from my mistakes is to learn from other peopleβs mistakes. Over the years, Iβve been blessed to have great mentors, teachers, family, friends, that taught me about life.
What you will find below is a list of the most important things I learned from other people and books. Some of the lessons took me a long time to learnβbut if I had to learn these things all by myself, it would take me a lot longer.
We might learn things quickly, but we often forget things at the same rateβand sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the things weβve learned.
Here are 25 of those reminders that others taught me.
- Struggle Is Good
Never say βI canβt take it anymore.β Say βBring it on!β - Donβt Complain
Complaining is the biggest waste of time there is. Either do something about it, and if you canβt, shut up about it. - Spend Time With People You Love
Thatβs your family and best friends. If you donβt have a family, create one. Most people in life are only visitors. Family is for life. - Donβt Start A Relationship If Youβre Not In Love
Iβve done this more than once. You kind of like someone and think: βWe might as well give it a shot.β Not a good idea. Youβre either in love, or you are not. Donβt fool yourself. Itβs not fair to you and the other person. - Exercise Daily
I didnβt get this until recently. A healthy body is where you have to start everything in life. If you canβt build a healthy and strong body, what CAN you build in life? - Keep A Journal
No, keeping a journal is not for children. It helps you to become a better thinker and writer. βI donβt want to be a writerβ you might think. Well, how many emails and texts do you send a day? Everybody is a writer. - Be Grateful
Say βthank youβ to everyone and everything. βThank you for this beautiful day.β βThank you for your email.β βThank you for being there for me.β - Donβt Care About What People Think
We all die in the end, do you really think it matters what people think of you? - Take More Risks
Donβt be such a wimp. - Pick An Industry, Not A Job
If you want to become good at something, you need to spend years and years doing that. You canβt do that if you hop from industry to industry. Pick an industry you love and start at the bottom. You will find the perfect role for you eventually. - Lead The Way
When you find yourself in a situation where everyone looks at each other, itβs time for you to lead. Youβre a leader when you decide to become one. Thereβs no initiation or a title. Just a decision. - Money Is Not The Most Important Thing
You have to train yourself not to care about money and focus on providing value instead. Also, donβt become too dependent on the stuff you own β otherwise, the stuff will own you. - Be Nice
I donβt mean you should be a pushover. You can be someone that doesnβt take shit and be nice about it. Just donβt insult people, think youβre better than them, or act like an idiot. - Learn Every Day
Youβve got to train your brain to stay alert. You donβt have to read a book a day to learn every day. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the people around you β be open to what they can teach you. - Rest Before You Are Tired
Even if you love your job, and every day seems like a holiday, you need to take time to rest. Youβre a human and not an android, never forget that. - Donβt Judge
Just because people make different choices than you, they are not stupid. Also, you donβt know everything about people, so donβt judge them β help them. - Think About Others
Just be mindful, thatβs all. We all have families, bills to pay, and our own issues. Donβt always make everything about yourself. - Give Without Expecting Something In Return
Donβt keep score. You will become a bitter person if you do that. Give solely for the joy of giving. If you get something in return, great, if you donβt, great. - Thereβs No End Game
We, as species, justΒ are. Donβt try to figure it all out. Enjoy your journey. - Enjoy Small Things
I like clichΓ©s because they are true. Especially this one. You know why? Everyone says they know it, but no one lives up to it. They just chase big things. - Donβt Take Yourself So Seriously
Yeah, yeah, youβre an individual, and people have to take you seriously, I get it. But at the end of the day, weβre all a bunch of ants trying to chase the same things. Lighten up. - Donβt Blame People
Whatβs the point? Do you want to punish them? You donβt do that to people. Also donβt blame yourself β youβre only human. - Create Something
Not to leave a legacy, you wonβt be here to see it anyway, but to be of use. Make music, write a book, build a table, anything. Youβll feel good about yourself, plus you give something back to people to use or enjoy. - Never Look Back Too Long
Reflecting on the past is only good for one thing: Learning. - Take Action
Donβt just sit there, do something. Without action, there is no outcome.
You might know a lot. But like Socrates, you and I know nothing at all. So we have to keep learning.
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