100 Life Lessons I Wish I Learned Sooner

Life is an ever evolving journey filled with twists and turns, highs and lows, and countless opportunities for growth and self-discovery. Along the way, I’ve encountered valuable lessons that have shaped my perspective and transformed my understanding of the world. Some of these life lessons rocked my entire being, others were like gentle hugs. Reflecting on my journey, here are 100 life lessons I wish I had learned sooner:

1. You’ll Never Be Fully Ready: So much of life is done without being completely prepared for what’s next. That’s okay. When an opportunity knocks, as cliche as it is, answer the door. Because most often the chance will not come again.
2. Change your mind: Nothing in life remains the same. Including our viewpoints and perspective. It’s okay to change your mind to realign with our new outlooks and core values.
3. Time is limited: It is by far our most valuable resource. Once we spend it, we can’t get it back. Invest your time in people and activities that will equate to a higher quality of life.
4. Respect is More Valuable Than Being Liked: Being respected will open more doors than simply being liked.
5. Trust is Hard to Gain and Easy to Lose: once trust is gone, it is gone for good.
6. Play The Long Game: Instant success or gratification fades just as quickly as it came. Long continuous growth and success is far more fulfilling
7. Procreate with intelligence: Trust me, you want smart kids.
8. Change the Energy: You can’t find the solution in the same energy as the problem. Change the energy by taking a long walk, writing, listening to music, resting, or having a moment of fun. Come back with a fresh perspective, the answer will reveal itself.
9. Be Good To Mother Earth: Everything we have came from mother Earth. The food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear. It’s all her. Be kind to her as much as possible, she needs our love.
10. Act Like You’re Alive: Use the fancy dishes, wear what makes you feel your best. Watch what makes you laugh. Try a new sport. Go on that trip. Some cultures emphasize the value of hard work. Which is great, but also take time to really enjoy life.
11. Prioritize Mental Health: How you mentally feel directly impacts the quality of life you live. Seek help and support when you need it. Be mindful of the words you say to yourself. Evaluate how the people in your life make you feel. And remember to take a break and do something that lights you up.
12. Practice Visualization: Use the power of visualization to imagine and manifest your desired outcomes. Visualize in as much detail as possible. Dream as frequently as you can without judgement. Athletes do this before races and matches; it’s proven to be a highly successful tool for life.
13. It’s Temporary: Nothing in life is permanent.
14. Let Go of Perfectionism: Let go of the need to be perfect to be loved or accepted. And embrace your flaws and imperfections as part of what makes you human.
15. Embrace Solitude: There are moments in life where we have to go down the path alone. It’s not punishment, it’s so our soul can evolve and understand life more deeply. It’s freeing when we are able to embrace solitude, while also knowing we can always invite people in when we are ready.
16. Read a Book: it’s one of life’s simple pleasures, to enter the mindset of another soul and allow their ideas to change our own inner world. Even just for a moment.
17. Be Mindful of the Advice You Take: I have never been criticized by someone doing better than me. And I have never been judged by someone who is happier than me. Take that into account when you hear their words.
18. Let Go of Toxic Relationships: Cut ties with toxic people, including family, who drain your energy and undermine your well-being. Run at the first red flag because it never ever gets better.
19. Let Go of Ego: Fail in front of as many people as possible, be bad at something, make mistakes. The ego tries so hard to protect us, but there are times we need to absolutely flop in order to move forward.
20. Connect with Nature: Spend time outdoors, connecting with mother Earth. Nature has a profound healing effect on the mind, body, and spirit.
21. Befriend the Quiet Ones: While insecure individuals are the loudest in the room, the most successful are often quiet. They have nothing to prove and are self aware. When they do talk, they usually have profound wisdom that will change your entire life.
22. Good Manners Will Take You Far: Manners never go out of style.
23. It’s Not About You: Often people act or speak from a singular perspective that reflect their own experience with life. It’s often not about you.
24. Liars Speak In Lengths: The only ones who feel the need to prove anything are liars and the insecure.
25. Privacy is Luxury: There’s peace in not having everyone in your business.
26. Practice Gratitude: The easiest way to shift your mindset and perspective is getting into the habit of being grateful. It’s so easy to complain, but look where that gets people. Try gratitude for a moment, and see how fast life gets better.
27. Value Good People: Good, selfish people are rare. If you are lucky enough to find these souls, show them continuous respect. Keep the most meaningful parts offline, trust me it’s the best way to protect them.
28. Food is Medicine: What we eat will either heal or destroy us.
29. Meditation Provides Longevity: Cultivate a regular meditation practice to promote inner peace, reduce stress, and enhance overall health and longevity. Studies have shown meditating regularly can add years to your life.
30. Listen More: The most successful people listen more and talk less. You’ll notice who people are, learn quicker, and make better decisions this way.
31. Set SMART Goals: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals to clarify your intentions and create a roadmap for success. List them out and have them nearby at all times. Having realistic and obtainable goals will lead to sustainable growth.
32. Follow Your Passion: We’re given a prescribed way to live “successfully”. But often it’s not aligned with our core values (those things that make us fulfilled). Scrap the societal checklist and create your own.
33. Take Risks: The biggest risk of all is playing it safe. Life is meant for failures and adventures. Step out of your comfort zone and take the risk. It might be the very thing that opens the doors to your dreams.
34. Let Go of Comparison: Stop comparing yourself to others. Your journey is unique, and comparing yourself to others only undermines your own self-worth.
35. Learn Continuously: Never stop seeking knowledge and expanding your horizons. Read a book, take a course, try a new sport or hobby. It’s vital for brain health.
36. Forgive: Forgive for yourself, not the other person. Let yourself drop the heaviness of the pain, knowing that karma is real, and you don’t need to be there or extend your energy for them to receive it.
37. Be Kind: Especially when you feel like breaking, be kind to yourself. Be kind to others as we are all fighting invisible battles. And be kind to the ones you love, some words cannot be taken back.
38. Trust Yourself: You know yourself better than anyone else. Trust your intuition.
39. Set Boundaries: Boundaries are essential for self-care and maintaining healthy relationships. Master saying no without and explanation,
40. Embrace Failure: Failure is not the opposite of success but a stepping stone to it. It’s often how we learn and grow the most.
41. Celebrate Success: Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements. You’ve worked hard for them. Who cares if others feel like you are bragging, don’t shrink yourself to make them comfortable. There will be more who are inspired by your success than those who are jealous.
42. See People Clearly: The old saying goes: if they tell you who they are, trust them. We often want to see the best in people, but it’s best for our sanity to see them for who they are.
43. Practice Self-Care: Take care of your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It is the best remedy and prevents burnout.
44. If You Are The Best In The Room, You’re In The Wrong Room: Surround yourself with people you can learn from.
45. Define Your Own Balance: What does balance look like to you? There will be seasons where you will be working profusely, and then seasons to rest and enjoy the hard work. Balance might come in a day, but over time.
46. Be Authentic: Trying to be like everyone else is the most insane waste of time. Be who you came here to be, unapologetically. Ruffle some feathers.
47. Find What Fulfills Your Soul: Every soul will have a different answer to what makes them truly fulfilled in life. Take a moment to authentically answer what makes you feel fulfilled. Then base your decisions and actions off of those answers.
48. Be Patient: Go slowly, you will see things clearly. Often slow is the fastest way to where you want to go anyway.
49. Let Go of Control: Some things are beyond your control. Learn to let go and surrender to the process.
50. Practice Mindfulness: Savor the beauty of life. This is one thing I wish I learned when I was younger. There is a plethora of beauty that surrounds us daily, we only need to take a moment to recognize it.
51. Express Yourself: Find an outlet to express your soul. Whether that is through art, dance, words, singing, exercise. By allowing our soul to express how we feel in a positive manner, we are less attracted to destructive actions.
52. Keep an Open Mind: Be open to new ideas, experiences, and perspectives. Try to see things from a different cultural perspective, or vantage point. It very well has the capacity to change the trajectory of your life.
53. Not Everything Online Is True: Most often it’s a rumor, exaggerated, or not the full story. Take what you see and read online with a grain of salt.
54. Tell People You Love Them: Often as you can, make it super well known.
55. Don’t Get Surgery Unless You Need It: The body never feels the same after surgery, never looks the same, and post surgery depression is very much real. Only opt for surgery if it is necessary or you feel it will 100% improve the quality of your life.
56. Be Resilient: Have a bounce back game that no one can defeat.
57. Don’t Put Off Your Dreams: Make them your top priority, base your life and daily decisions around them.
58. Invest in Yourself: You are your greatest investment. Invest in your growth and development. Invest in your health and mental wellbeing. Invest in your financial freedom. Invest in your home.
59. Be Generous: When you feel called to give (financially, time, or energy), then do it freely. Without the expectations of receiving anything in return.
60. Stay Flexible: It is okay to change your mind. It’s actually a good thing.
61. Live in Alignment with Your Values: Let your values guide your decisions and actions. It will set you up for true fulfillment.
62. Practice Self-Reflection: Take time to introspect and evaluate your thoughts and behaviors. What is the most common thought you have? What actions do you repeat daily without question? Is there room for improvement? Mircroshifts turn into gigantic waves of change.
63. Find Beauty in the Ordinary: Life’s greatest joys are often found in the simplest moments. When we slow down and are present we find true value in a strangers smile.
64. Face Your Fears: Running from fear is more painful than facing them.
65. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences: Surround yourself with people who uplift and inspire you. Who you associate with will influence the trajectory of your life.
66. Seek Feedback: Embrace feedback as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Criticism isn’t necessarily bad if it is honest and comes from good intent.
67. Live with Integrity: Honesty and integrity are the most attractive qualities. People who respect themselves flows over into their lives. It’s magnetic.
68. Stay Committed: Stay committed to your goals and dreams, even when the going gets tough. There’s an old saying, “don’t quit before the miracle.”
69. Practice Acceptance: Acceptance is the key to inner peace and contentment. There are some things we simply cannot change, accept it. Move away if necessary, but accept it is what it is.
70. Believe in Yourself: You are capable of more than you realize. Allow yourself to go for the big dreams.
71. If You Feel Unsafe, Get Out: One of the biggest tips for CIA agents is to trust their intution. If they feel something is off, they turn around and try again another day. Apply this to your own life, if you feel something is off, get out.
72. Value Diversity: Embrace diversity and celebrate the richness of different perspectives. This world would be so boring without diversity.
73. Embrace Vulnerability: Allow yourself to be seen and heard, even when it’s uncomfortable. Speak even if your voice is shaking. People admire and respect vulnerability.
74. Drinking Isn’t That Wonderful: Hard take, but alcohol leads to poor decisions and a lower quality of life.
75. Embrace Discomfort: Growth often lies outside of your comfort zone. Embrace discomfort as a catalyst for change and transformation.
76. Face Your Demons: Confront your insecurities and past traumas head-on. Only by facing your demons can you overcome them. When we avoid them, they keep manifesting in different ways in our present life.
77. Own Your Choices: Take full responsibility for your choices and actions, acknowledging that you are the architect of your own life.
78. Let Go of the Need for Approval: Stop seeking validation from others. True confidence comes from within, not from external approval.
79. Practice Radical Honesty: Be honest with yourself and others, even when it’s difficult. Radical honesty fosters authenticity and deeper connections.
80. Life is Never the Same: Each person will have a unqiue experience, it’s never the same.
81. You’ll Get the Money Back, But Never Time: Be more mindful of how you spend your time.
82. Words Are Powerful: Be equally careful on what you say, how you say it, and the message you intend to deliver.
83. Only Reveal 70%: Keep the other 30% to yourselves and your inner circle.
84. You Will Die One Day: So act like you are alive while you’re living. So many people behave like they are already dead.
85. Know When To Quit: If something isn’t working, quit. Redirect or change the approach. Remain committed to the end goal, simply find a new way of getting there.
86. Everyone Has a Story: Life is brutal to all of us, just at different times.
87. Love is Healing: Self love, love from strangers, love from a best friend or family. It has the power to heal old wounds.
88. It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better: More often than not, it gets harder, darker, and more painful right before the breakthrough.
89. People Change: We all change, nothing remains stagnant or the same. We only hope to grow together with the ones we love, instead of apart.
90. When In Hell, Run: If you are in the midst of a hard time, don’t setup shop and stay there. Do everything you can to heal, grow, and move out of the pain.
91. Learn To Rest: So many miracles occur when we take a moment to rest our souls.
92. Life Isn’t Fair: it simply isn’t. But there are good people and good moments.
93. Your Soul Knows: It’s the most vital and accurate compass on this journey.
94. You Have Nothing To Prove: It’s pointless trying to prove your worth. You are worthy, if people don’t see it, change the people.
95. Cry and Laugh Often: Both are healing
96. Read Often: There’s more knowledge in books than on TV.
97. Respect Your Elders: The fact they have grown old is a testament to their inner strength and resilience. They have seen more of life than you have.
98. Hormones are powerful: Never underestimate the powerful chemical reactions called hormones, they impact our lives more than we realize. Whether you are a male or female, make sure your hormonal levels are healthy and balanced.
99. Drink Water: Our physical bodies and brains need water to function. And yet, most of us are perpetually dehydrated.
100. This Is Your Life: What do you want to do with your time here on Earth? How do you want to be remembered? What do you want to exprience?

These 100 life lessons have been my guiding principles on my journey of growth and self-discovery. While I wish I had learned them sooner, I’m grateful for the wisdom they’ve imparted and the transformation they’ve brought to my life. May they serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for you on your own journey of personal growth and fulfillment.

Looking for more? Check out other Life Lessons.