We’re all learning in our attempt to navigate this messy tale we call life. The goal for most people is to live the best life that they possibly can. It goes without saying, though, that this is much easier said than done.
How do you go about elevating yourself to the point where you feel truly happy? How do you achieve that coveted place in life that you can confidently proclaim is the best?
Here Are 5 Lessons To Learn Before Living Your Best Life
1. Trust And Authenticity Are Crucial
It’s easy to want to lie, conceal, or claim to be better than you are. After all, little white lies and subtle embellishment of your traits can earn you a lot of favor among the people you meet. But there’s a valuable lesson to be learned in focusing on being as genuine and authentic as possible.
Authenticity is what lends itself to influence, confidence, and some degree of social status. When people know they can trust you, and when they feel you are sincere, they give you the benefit of the doubt most of the time. They are happy to be around you, they feel safe around you, and they appreciate you.
But trust isn’t just about other people. You need to learn to trust yourself. Without that confidence in your being, you won’t be able to step forward and believe in your abilities. This lack of self-esteem can stop you from having the positive thinking necessary to unlock your best life and live up to your potential. (1)
It is also crucial that you maintain trust and confidence in others, especially those who are important to you. This does not mean putting blind faith in everyone you meet, but trusting in their intentions and showing them that you believe in them, too.
2. You Need To Aim To Improve, Often
Self-improvement is crucial in your journey to truly live your best life. If you never work on who you are, you’ll never get where you’re trying to go. Many people believed that there’s a point where you’ve reached your peak and don’t need to get any higher – but there’s no such thing. You can get as high as you so desire!
Whenever you’ve been at a certain point for a long time, try working on getting better. Embrace the act of learning and broadening your horizons. Figure out ways to improve and devise action plans to get there. When you think you’ve done your best and succeeded well, pat yourself on the back, and then it’s onto the next goal!
Don’t burn yourself out, of course. There’s a balance to be struck. But know that your journey is an ongoing one and that there are always ways to get even better. That’s how you get to your best self!
Not sure where to start? Begin by challenging yourself regularly. Step outside of your comfort zone now and then, pushing yourself to widen the world, you know. Not sure how to do that, either? Here are some great ideas:
- Take a new class
- Further your studies in a specific area
- Eat more healthily
- Work out
- Get creative at work
- Try something new
- Go someplace you’ve never been
- Do something you’ve always been afraid of
- Try seeing a therapist
3. Love And Kindness Are Endlessly Important
Many times, the world will try to convince you that kindness is a weakness. However, this is far from the case. Compassion, love, and empathy are some of the most important traits you’ll ever learn in your journey towards your best life. Here are some ways that this applies:
Help Others When You Can
Kindness is something that is typically extended to others, and that’s something you can do in your everyday life. Compassion makes you happier, helps you feel fulfilled, and can open your mind to much of the world. Essentially, it makes you a better person!
Doing small things to help others can work wonders for those people. Be there for a person going through a rough patch. Drop off old clothes at a donation drive. Volunteer for a local shelter. Compliment someone. The possibilities are endless!
Prioritize Your Health
Apart from being kind to those around you, you also need to be kind to yourself. This self-care includes taking steps to make sure you’re healthy. See doctors for issues you’re concerned about. Put some effort into physical activity. Eat relatively well. Being healthy gives you the strength you need to live your best life!
Live With Zest
When you live a passionless life, you often wind up without any motivation or purpose. Essentially, you stop living – all you do is barely exist. Without anything that excites you, you may wind up feeling bored with life, causing your progress to grow stagnant.
Do note that this decrease in positive thinking can be a symptom of depression, so if you cannot pull yourself out of the funk in question, speak to your doctor or a therapist!
Be Kind To Those Around You
It’s easy to judge the people you see, but you don’t know their life story. You don’t know their journey, and every person is unique and different from you.
That’s why you need to put aside your judgemental eyes and focus on kindness. You’ll be happier and freer to pursue your own life when you’re not judging everyone around you!
Make Sure You Have Time for Self-Love and Self-Care
Self-love and self-care are two words that we often use today. They’re not overrated at all, though! It’s simple – if you’re not feeling well in body and mind, then you likely won’t be able to live your best life in any way.
Take care of yourself and set time aside to have a little me-time. Watch a show you love or read a book you’ve meant to start. Treat yourself to a special meal or an item you’ve been wanting. Soak in the bath. Dedicate some time to your hobbies. Do what makes you happy!
Heal Through Love
We’ve all heard the saying that time is responsible for healing pain. But experience, love, and life are what give you the chance to heal. When you love, you can forgive yourself, you can forgive others, and you’re in a better place to open yourself to the positive sides of your struggles.
4. You Are Responsible For Your Life
It’s very easy to blame everything around you for where you are in your life. External factors can indeed affect where you are in life. And it is also true that for many people, it’s not as simple as just getting up and changing their circumstances. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try!
Many people fall into the trap of blaming their lack of fulfillment in the world around them. They say there’s nothing they can do, they lie on their backs, and they spend their days complaining. But, to some extent, you are responsible for what you make of your situation! Here are a few things to keep in mind:
You Are (Mostly) In Control Of Your Life
For the most part, your life is in your hands. You have the power to make the changes you want to work towards your desired “best life.” Dislike your job? Come up with an action plan to get another one. Worried about your health? Hit the gym or eat well – both these things significantly reduce all disease risk.
Yes, these are simplifications. But you’d be amazed how simple some things can be if you think of them that way. Take ownership of your life. Analyze the things you can’t change, and see what you can change.
You Are (Fully) In Control Of Your Reactions
All sorts of misfortunes can happen to you. You can’t control that. But you can manage your reactions. This self-control is not easy at first, but you can learn to slowly but surely regulate the way you think and respond to situations of all kinds.
This doesn’t mean you can never be sad about adverse circumstances. Wallow in sadness for a while, then get up and get back to your life. Don’t dwell for too long. Acknowledge the problem and figure out how to move past it.
You Have To Be Responsible
If you want to enjoy freedom, happiness, and independence, then you have to be a responsible person. When you do something wrong, it’s 100% on you. To be mature and live your best life, you must learn to hold yourself accountable for what you do, no matter how hard that is to do.
Other People Won’t Save You
There’s no shame in asking for help when you need it. The trouble comes around when you begin to expect help. If you start turning to others to fix problems for you, you’re going down the wrong path in life. You must save yourself first before anyone else can save you.
5. Perfection Doesn’t Exist
Many of us crave a sense of perfection – but not in the way you might think. You’re likely thinking, “But I know nothing is perfect, that’s life!”, but the concept of not-perfection many of us subscribe to is still as unattainable in the way we desire. To explain, here are some pointers:
Waiting For The Right Time
You’re waiting for the perfect time to start on a new goal, or begin a resolution, or shoot for your dreams. Guess what? There’s no such thing as the right time. The right time is right now. Don’t wait for some magical sign that it’s the right time. You dictate the signs!
Growth and Progress Are Not Linear
Your progress is not going to be one straight, diagonal line upwards. It’s going to leap up and plummet back down. There are going to be straight lines where you hit a standstill and feel stuck.
Naturally, it is going to be sometimes discouraging. But no one’s growth is ever linear, and the sooner you learn that the sooner you get to live your best life.
It’s Never Going To Be How It’s Meant To Be
It’s one thing to visualize where you want to be and why, but it’s another to hold onto a definite and likely unrealistic idea of how you want your life to be. You can get caught up in that fantasy and become unhappy that you’re not getting there.
There are things you cannot change. Optimism is great but blind, false hope will only wind up in disappointment. Do your best to keep yourself realistic, but positive, and set challenging goals that you genuinely know are achievable.
Final Thoughts On Some Lessons To Learn Before Living Your Best Life
Life is an uphill climb, full of trials, tribulations, and unexpected setbacks. But if you keep these five lessons to learn before living your best life in mind, you’re already on your way to all your goals and dreams. It won’t be easy, but we guarantee one thing – it will be worth it!
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