I came across this article yesterday and fell in love with the idea. Plus some of her lessons are spot on, at least from my perspective. I’m a firm believer that google can answer anything (that’s where I learn half of my computer skills) and that you should never stop learning or trying to be a better person.
Since I read her list of life lessons I’ve been pondering what I’ve learned in my 26+ years and hold to be true in my own life. (I was almost hoping I could generate a list of 26 or even 10, but it’s already been long enough since my last post and you know I’d over-analyze and need to perfect my list. Ergo, there is no list. At least not yet.)
Like the woman who wrote the list I linked, though, my list would by no means be original thoughts or revelations. Maybe that’s why I like quotes so much. I can’t always pinpoint what I’ve learned from good and bad experiences, much less condense them in a profound sentence or two. But other people can. And it’s probably the quotes that resonate with me that point to what I value or learned the hard way.
One thing I have discovered and believe with every fiber of my being is the cliché (which I generally hate) that everything happens for a reason (and I can’t place he movie or show, but there’s also a line about clichés being clichés because they’re true). More eloquently, though, I’d say this would be at the top of my (non-existent) list:
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” Steve Jobs
I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s been so fascinating, too, because the older I get, the more I see other dots connecting. What I thought were unimportant decisions in high school and college ultimately led me to where I am today. And you absolutely have to trust in something. While I’m an avid list-maker, when it comes to life decisions I just know. I’ve never needed to make a pro-con list or even gather up all the facts. It’s actually when I try to rationalize something that I know it’s not the right choice for me. Who knew?
So that’s what I’ve learned to be true about my own life. Anyone else have good life lessons or wisdom?
