9 life lessons I’d pay to learn sooner

There are many things in life that can feel overwhelming. From school to friends to your mental health, life can be pretty tough sometimes. Some days we need reminders that teach us to see the good that life has to offer. Here are 9 life lessons I wish I had known sooner.

1. There is strength in letting go

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A post shared by Morgan Harper Nichols (@morganharpernichols)

Sometimes we think that letting go and moving on makes us weak, when in fact it makes us strong. It’s hard to let go of the things that are holding you back. The longer you drag these things around, the weaker you become.

There is strength in crying, there is strength in moving forward. Being strong is the small choices we make that lead to big changes in life. You may see yourself as weak, but others may see you as strong.

Just because you let go of something or someone doesn’t mean you’re weak or scared. It just means that you are ready to move on to bigger and bigger things.

2. Every day is a gift, but also a choice

Every day we live is a gift, a blessing. We wake up, we stretch, we think about our tasks for the day, about what we are going to do. We can even forget about the day, turn around and check our phones.

Whatever your morning routine, we all tend to overlook the small details. We woke up to a brand new day, a clean slate, bright and refreshed. Sometimes we take this for granted.

The things we choose to do during our day are what affect tomorrow and the day after. I could wake up tomorrow and do nothing. It’s a choice. I could wake up tomorrow and do the things I need to do to have a better future. It is also a choice.

Tomorrow is not a guarantee, so make the most of today.

3. A little growth is always progress

Despite what others may think or say, you are constantly changing. Even as you go through your toughest battle, you learn from it and learn from it. Progress is progress, no matter how small.

Give yourself credit for how far you’ve come, with everything you’ve been through. There is still work to be done and improvements could be made in your life, but for now, grow. A little growth is constant progress. Never discredit the progress you have made.

Every step, no matter how small, is always an improvement.

4. Life doesn’t always revolve around you

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Confidence can be a good thing, but too much confidence can be seen as arrogant or pretentious. In life, you have to remember that there are people other than you who matter.

Sometimes you have to put the needs of others before your own. Putting the needs of others before yourself can make you realize that not everyone plans their time around you to meet your needs. People have their own lives and their own problems. The sooner you realize that it’s not all about you, the sooner you can see what’s going on around you.

Your friends aren’t just your friends, they’re also friends with other people you may not know. Your parents not only take care of you, they also take care of your other siblings. Your partner is not only there for you, you are also there for them.

It is an exchange between people in these relationships. These relationships should not be one-sided. Humble yourself so you can be a better version of yourself. There will be so many people in life who believe they are better than you, and they might believe it’s all about them. It is at times like these that this lesson comes in handy.

5. Take time for your health

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Your health is important in life. You shouldn’t put things above taking care of yourself, like working.

Health is like a domino effect. If you don’t take care of yourself, you are more likely to fail in other areas of your life. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can’t concentrate on your tasks at work. If you detox, you can become tired. If you continue to stress while studying, you may be depressed or anxious. Short-term fixes won’t solve long-term problems either.

Your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health is so important to you in life. So take the time to focus on your well-being. Give yourself a makeover, exercise, detox, take care of yourself, journal, meditate, pray, sleep. Whatever you do to take time for yourself, do it.

6. Never stop learning and growing

In everything you do, never stop growing and learning. Every day we have the opportunity to learn more and grow. We learn something about ourselves, about others and about what we do every day.

Never stop increasing your knowledge; there is always room for growth and improvement. We only become better by what we learn and by what we do. You can always learn something new from others and from yourself.

7. Your only limit is yourself

Only you can limit yourself in life. Whatever you are going through is not a limit, it is just a setback. That’s no excuse to stop moving and keep moving forward.

You may have to take a detour to get back on track, but ultimately you decide what your limits are. We can choose the things that limit us. There are some things that may take a while, but you shouldn’t give up on the process.

8. Thoughts Are Powerful

Thoughts are probably the most powerful thing in life. Only you can control your thoughts. Don’t let your thoughts control what you do. Don’t let fear or anxiety take over your thoughts.

You may think negative thoughts about others and yourself and not feel like something is worth doing, or you may think positively and do so much good. It’s only a bad day if you let what’s happening control you, if you let your thoughts overwhelm you. It can become a better day if you think positively and pull yourself together.

9. Make the most of what is given

Although we don’t always get what we want, we should be grateful for the things and people we have. You may be in a scary situation, but our mindset should be, “I may not have much, but what I have I am grateful and thankful for.”

You can be at the lowest point in your life and make the most of this situation. It’s what we think and do at these low times in our lives that counts.