By 
Life is full of lessons. But many of us learn important things later than we’d like. What if you could know those big lessons now?
In this article, we share 12 big things a lot of people wish they knew earlier.
Let’s get started.
Lesson 1: Self-Love is Key
A lot of people spend years trying to make others happy. It’s not a bad thing to care for our friends or family, but sometimes, we forget about ourselves. We miss the fact that loving ourselves is just as important.
Self-love isn’t about being selfish or self-centered. It’s about treating ourselves with the same kindness, patience, and understanding that we offer to others.
Many learn too late that when we’re kind to ourselves, everything else falls into place. It affects our mental health, our relationships, and even our work.
So, start today. Appreciate yourself, with all your strengths and flaws. Remember, you’re a work in progress, and every step you take towards self-love makes you stronger and happier.
Lesson 2: It’s Okay to Say No
I remember a time when “yes” was my go-to response. A friend needed a favor, a colleague asked for help – I was always there, eager to please.
It took me a while to realize that in my quest to be helpful and liked, I often neglected my own needs and well-being.
Here’s the thing – it’s totally okay to say no. It might sound simple, but many of us learn this too late.
We stretch ourselves thin, trying to juggle a million things, forgetting that every “yes” to someone else can sometimes mean saying “no” to ourselves, our priorities, and our mental peace.
It’s not about turning your back on others, but rather understanding that you can’t pour from an empty cup. You have your limits, and that’s okay.
It’s essential to set boundaries to protect your time, energy, and emotional well-being.
Once I learned this lesson, life became less stressful and more balanced. Saying no gave me the freedom to say yes to the things that truly mattered.
Lesson 3: Failure is Inevitable – And That’s Okay
I’ve failed. More times than I’d like to admit. I’ve faced rejection, hit rock bottom, and had days where nothing seemed to go right. For the longest time, every failure felt like a stab, a clear indication that I just wasn’t good enough.
But here’s the raw truth – failure is a part of the package deal of life. It isn’t just an occurrence; it’s a teacher. A brutal one, but a teacher nonetheless.
Every mistake, every misstep, has been a step towards something greater, even when it hasn’t felt like it in the moment.
I learned late in the game that failing doesn’t make you a failure. It makes you human. It gives you grit, resilience, and a kind of wisdom that no success ever could.
The scars? They’re not evidence of your inadequacy, but badges of honor proving that you’ve battled and are still standing.
Failure is not the end of the world. It’s not a mark of your worth. It’s a rite of passage that we all walk through.
On the other side? Growth, wisdom, and a strength you didn’t know existed within you.
Lesson 4: Chasing Happiness Makes It More Elusive
Now, here’s something that might throw you for a loop – one of the biggest mistakes I, and many others, have made is turning happiness into a goal.
We’re always on this wild goose chase, believing happiness is something we ‘achieve’ – land that dream job, find the perfect partner, or fill the bank with a sea of zeros.
But, here’s the twist: the more you chase happiness, the more elusive it becomes. It’s like trying to catch a butterfly; the more desperately you chase it, the further it flies away.
I learned, quite paradoxically, that happiness isn’t in the ‘more’ but often in the ‘less’. It’s not in tomorrow but today. It isn’t in the extraordinary but buried in the ordinary, everyday moments that we overlook while we’re busy chasing grandeur.
Want to be happy? Stop making it a destination. Instead, look around. It’s hidden in the now, sprinkled in the most mundane routines, the quiet moments, the simplicity that we often disregard.
Lesson 5: Perfection Is A Myth
I used to be a perfectionist. Every task, every project, every interaction had to be just right. If it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t good enough.
I believed that my worth was tied to how flawlessly I could perform. It was exhausting – an endless cycle of setting unrealistic standards, failing to meet them, and beating myself up for it.
It was only after years of this relentless pursuit that the epiphany hit – perfection is a myth. There’s no end to this pursuit because ‘perfect’ doesn’t exist. It’s an illusion, a mirage in the desert of real, messy, imperfect life.
The breakthrough came when I embraced my flaws and imperfections. I learned that they didn’t make me any less valuable. In fact, it was in those messy, unpolished corners of life that I found my authenticity. Every misstep, every flaw, every ‘imperfection’ was a stroke of paint on the canvas of my life, turning it into a unique masterpiece.
If you, like the old me, are caught in the trap of striving for perfection, take a step back. Breathe. Embrace the imperfections.
Not only will you find that it makes you human, but it also connects you to others in ways that ‘perfection’ never could.
We’re all works in progress, and that process – with all its ups, downs, twists, and turns – that’s where the real beauty lies.
Lesson 6: Loneliness is a Silent Storm
I’ve been there – in a room full of people, laughter echoing, smiles all around, yet feeling utterly alone.
It’s a silence, a solitude that can’t be drowned out by the noisiest crowds or the busiest schedules. It’s a realization that struck like lightning – you can be surrounded by people and still feel an aching, hollow loneliness.
Loneliness doesn’t discriminate. It seeps in, uninvited and unnoticed, and you find yourself battling a storm of isolation that’s silent yet violently loud in your head.
But in the midst of this storm, I learned something profound – loneliness is not a life sentence. It’s a call to action. It’s life pushing you to forge deeper connections, not just with others, but with yourself.
Every bout of loneliness, every echoing silence, is an opportunity to confront and embrace the solitary self, with all its fears, dreams, and complexities.
In the raw solitude, I found an ally – myself. It’s a journey of embracing the silent storms, learning the rhythms of solitude, and using them as a bridge to deeper, more meaningful connections with the self and others.
If you’re feeling that aching solitude, know this – you’re not alone in it. It’s a human experience as common as it is unspoken.
And in its depth, there’s an invitation – to face it, to embrace it, and to step out of it with a deeper understanding of self, richer connections, and a life of enhanced depth.
Lesson 7: We Need To Embrace Change
I remember the comfort of routine, the safety in the known. My life was like a well-rehearsed dance, every step predictable, every move planned.
Until one day, life threw a curveball, and suddenly, the dance wasn’t familiar anymore. Change, an element I had meticulously avoided, knocked on my door, demanding entry.
And here’s a personal revelation – change is not the enemy. I spent so much energy resisting it, fearing the unknown terrains it ushered me into. But every resistance was futile, for change, as I learned, is as inevitable as the sunrise.
It was a rocky journey from resistance to acceptance. Every shift, every transformation was uncomfortable. Yet, every change was a new chapter, bringing along a mix of the unexpected – new challenges, new joys, new learnings.
I learned to not just endure change but to embrace it. Each transformation, as unsettling as it might be, brought growth, evolution, and opportunities that the cocoon of comfort could never offer.
If you’re staring at the face of change, uncertain and apprehensive, take a step into the unknown. There’s a certain magic in the unpredictable, an allure in the unwalked paths.
You might just find pieces of yourself you never knew existed and opportunities you never imagined possible.
Lesson 8: The Present Moment Is All We Have
In a world that’s always pushing us to plan for the future or dwell on the past, it’s easy to overlook the here and now.
We often live in tomorrow’s worries or yesterday’s regrets, missing out on the magic unfolding right before our eyes.
The eighth lesson is about the sheer power of the present moment. It’s not wrapped up in grandeur, but it’s profound in its simplicity.
Every breath, every sunset, every smile – they’re fleeting, transient, yet rich with experiences that shape our lives.
The present moment is where life happens.
Not in the yesterdays filled with shadows of regret, nor in the tomorrows clouded with uncertainties, but here, in the now, vibrant and alive.
It’s in this moment that we have the power to shape, influence, and experience life in its raw, unfiltered beauty.
Learning to anchor ourselves in the present, to truly see, feel, and embrace every moment, is akin to unlocking a treasure trove of experiences.
It’s where joy resides, where peace dwells, where life, in all its chaotic beauty, unfolds.
Lesson 9: Not Everyone Will Like You – And It’s Okay
It stings, doesn’t it? The realization that no matter how kind, accommodating, or agreeable you are, there will always be someone who doesn’t vibe with you.
I’ve been there – molding myself into a thousand versions, trying to be everyone’s cup of tea. But here’s the gritty truth – it’s an exercise in futility, and it’s exhausting.
We aren’t made to be universally liked. Our uniqueness, our authenticity, comes with the price of sometimes not fitting into everyone’s narrative.
And it took a brutal wake-up call for me to realize that living for others’ approval is a cage. It’s a suppression of the self, a betrayal of our authenticity.
I’ve learned – through harsh rejections and cold shoulders – that the world won’t end if someone doesn’t like me. It’s not a reflection of my worth but a natural outcome of diversity in thoughts, personalities, and preferences.
Lesson 10: Gratitude is a Game-Changer
There were times when my eyes were stubbornly fixed on what was missing. The incomplete projects, the unmet goals, the imperfections that seemed to scream for attention.
The glass was always half empty, and the grass, well, it always seemed greener on the other side.
And then, almost serendipitously, the world of gratitude opened its doors to me. It wasn’t a grand epiphany but a subtle, gentle awakening.
I started counting my blessings, not out of obligation, but as an experiment, a journey of shifting focus.
And what a journey it has been! The more I acknowledged the good, the small joys, and the overlooked blessings, the richer my life became.
It wasn’t that the challenges and imperfections disappeared. They were there, but they no longer owned the narrative of my life.
Gratitude wasn’t just a feel-good word; it became a lens that magnified the beauty in the ordinary, the miracles in the mundane.
Every thank you I uttered, for the big and small, was a step away from a life of scarcity into one of abundance.
Lesson 11: Vulnerability Is Key To Connecting
It’s almost ingrained in us – the need to put up walls, wear a mask, and project an image of strength and invincibility.
Society often tells us that vulnerability is a weakness, something to be shunned or, at the very least, hidden away.
But here’s the counterintuitive nugget – vulnerability is not a weakness; it’s a superpower. It sounds backward because we’re conditioned to associate strength with stoicism and an unyielding exterior.
But in my journey, and perhaps yours too, you’ll find that there’s immense power in letting those walls come down.
Being open about our fears, our doubts, our failures, and our insecurities doesn’t make us weak. Instead, it makes us accessible, human, and relatable.
It bridges gaps and fosters connections grounded in authenticity. Vulnerability is the soil where empathy, understanding, and deep relationships take root and flourish.
It’s the gateway to a world where masks are unnecessary, where connections are real, and where the authenticity becomes the norm, not the exception.
In the realm of vulnerability, you’ll discover not just the true self but also foster relationships that are immune to the superficial and transient.
Lesson 12: Death is a Part of Life
It’s the topic we sidestep, the conversation we avoid, the reality we often attempt to distance ourselves from. Death. It’s inevitable, inescapable, yet profoundly feared and misunderstood.
We’re all on borrowed time. Tomorrow is a promise to no one, and the finality of life is a truth as raw as it gets.
I’ve witnessed the sunset of lives around me, and each goodbye echoes the profound realization that life, in all its vibrancy and chaos, is fleeting.
Accepting the impermanent nature of life isn’t about morbidity or resignation; it’s about liberation.
When we confront and embrace the temporal nature of our existence, every moment gains significance, every interaction becomes precious, and every day emerges as an opportunity to live fully, deeply, authentically.
We start to strip away the superficial, the petty, the insignificant. We begin to focus on what truly matters – love, connections, experiences, growth.
The shadow of death illuminates life, accentuating its beauty, its potential, its ephemeral majesty.
So, while the conversation about death is uncomfortable, facing it is transformative. It propels us to live with intention, love with depth, and embrace every moment with the profound awareness that it is transient, precious, and profoundly significant.