Lessons I learned until now in my life.

I am still learning and still growing in the process.

1. You can NOT please everyone. It is exhausting.
2. When you only put others’ feelings and needs above your own, you will one day feel alone and frustrated. Especially when ‘others’ don’t consider your feelings.
3. You don’t have to be perfect. Doing good or very well will also get you to your destination.
4. Perfection is overrated and simply said unrealistic. Chasing it is like chasing air.
5. If you don’t have your priorities in life clear, you might wander this life feeling very insecure and mostly doing what others think is important, instead of doing what you know, and feel is important.
6. Our insecurities usually stem from our desire to be liked by others. (The book: The courage to be disliked, by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga explains this very broadly. This is an incredible and enjoyable book on the subject).
7. You can’t change your partner. Trying is exhausting. You can change yourself, set clear personal boundaries, and choose your battles wisely.
8. You don’t always have to be right. Life also teaches lessons.
9. You don’t have to fit in. Not in every group, and especially not in the crowd. You are allowed to think differently than the majority. It is terrifying, I know. But it is possible.
10. What others think of you doesn’t define you. It simply says that some people love to judge and lack communication skills.
11. It is easier to ask something than to assume everything. Assumptions are very tiresome and dangerous for your mental health and relationships.
12. Knowing to talk and being able to hear, says nothing about your ability to communicate and to listen.
13. Knowing everything about a child’s physical and cognitive growth is one thing. Raising a child is an entirely different topic. Knowledge gives you a certain degree of understanding. But you still must understand your own child’s behaviour.
14. A plan is just a tool to achieve a much greater goal. A plan can change and be adjusted, but your goal should not.
15. Being surrounded by plenty of people doesn’t mean you know a lot of people; it doesn’t mean you have plenty of friends either.
16. A good friend is not simply measured by the number of years you know each other.
17. Your thoughts play a bigger role in your behaviour than your emotions. The way we feel is mostly linked to the meaning we give to a situation.

I hope my life lessons can and will be of any use to you as well.