33 Reflections from Life

Life, in it’s weird, surprising way has a way of teaching you things which you would have otherwise never learned. I turned 33 today and decided to collate all my learnings over the years into a list and share it with you. Some lessons were easy, some were not but each one of them made me the person I am today.

So, I thought why not celebrate today by reflecting on the life lessons I have learned.

And, also my blog turns 2 today. Yay. That requires a whole other post.

33 reflections from 33 years of life

1. Find yourself before you find a partner.
2. Be your harshest critic and also your biggest supporter.
3. Avoid the 3 O’s. Overshare, overthink and overbear.
4. Seek validation for your work, not your personality.
5. Life is not lived on grudges or jealousies, life is lived when you are free of them.
6. Life is about the ups and downs but it’s also about the boring, mundane, and simple things.
7. Financial independence leads to all other freedoms.
8. Invest in learning, you are never too young or old for it. Keep upskilling.
9. Don’t sleep on unresolved problems, issues, or disagreements, but sleep on it, if you can’t think straight at the moment. Some things are better left unsaid than regretted later.
10. Love does not come with conditions, if it does, then it’s not real love.
11. Meditate, read, write, listen to music, scream into the pillow, do all those things that keep your sanity in check. Depression is real.
12. Run the opposite direction when you detect a nay-sayer, an intrusive relative, an overtly clingy colleague or person in general.
13. Your body is your only true companion. Invest in it’s care.
14. Don’t look for companionship just because you are alone. You can be around a million people sometimes and still feel lonely. Know the difference.
15. Solitude is the best when you seek it, otherwise, it’s a curse.
16. Lonely people are sad and depressed. Untrue. Some enjoy their own company.
17. Loving someone does not equal, having a fleeting crush on someone. Get over it.
18. If you get one wish for life, wish for good friends. Your friendships can make or break you.
19. There is a life outside of social media, that’s the real life.
20. Life is not complicated, we make it that way.
21. Life is not all black and white either, we all have shades of grey.
22. Unlearn the old to make space for the new. It’s for the best.
23. Learn to define yourself or someone else will do that job for you.
24. Don’t give your power to others. Carry your own light.
25. In the long run, quality trumps quantity. Learn to spend on quality always.
26. Road to financial freedom is only in saving and investing.
27. Goals are important, but consistency is more important.
28. Living in retrospect is a waste of time. Life is always lived forward.
29. Never hide emotions, for they can build up overtime, and burst at unprecedented times.
30. Trust and betrayal go hand in hand. Not mutually exclusive.
31. Courtship is romantic, marriage is hardwork.
32. Your happiness lies with you. It’s not your partner, spouse, family or friends duty to keep you happy.
33. Failures are inevitable, you fail, you learn and move on.

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How many do you believe in from the list? Feel free to add more. Let’s discuss in the comments below.