My 15 learnings by age 33

I’ve noticed that people usually chose a number representing the lessons they’ve learned by that age when it comes to birthday blog posts. Usually, the number is the same as the age. I’m not the most people, and number 15 is more special to me. It is the day of my birth. Moreover, I will not call these 15 lessons, but learnings. They cost me a lot, but once learned life seems way more beautiful — it was a worthy investment?

Take your time to read this list. Poor some coffee or tea or wine, then unleash your imagination. Check the list and ask yourself if you have already learnt this. If you haven’t yet, then when will you?

1. It cost me lots of experiences, frustration and time to understand that no matter what my age will be, I will become old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway.

2. When people tell you that there you go, you’re one year older, I think that yes, I am. But I also feel wiser and more grateful.

3. I think we’re living in a triple time dimension — or at least that’s the story that I’m telling to myself when considering how much I used to live in the past. By now, I’ve understood that the past is where you learned the lesson and the future is where you apply the lesson.

4. I have also learnt that more people will learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them.

5. After a couple of decades where one plays and discovers life, one learns how healthy it is to balance what to forget and remember. The key is to forget it enough to get over it and remember it enough, so it doesn’t happen again.

6. I enjoy to talk, and I feel relieved every time I manage to express myself. But at the same time, I’ve learnt that if you made your point, stop talking. With every struggle that I’ve faced, I’ve been several times in an emotional hurricane with every experience that I went through. It costs me a lot of inner peace, to understand that even if I have a thousand things to say to you, I also have a thousand reasons not to.

7. Is not that I only enjoy talking, but I also like meeting people and establish strong relationships. And I’ve met thousands of people in my journey so far, and more are to follow for sure. All of them are lovely and amazing; however, it was a painful learning process to understand that cutting people from my life doesn’t mean I hate them; it means I respect myself.

I don’t care what people think of me, at least mosquitoes find me attractive.

8. My dad once told me: Don’t make time for people who don’t make time for you. And he was so damn right as he was and is with most of the things he shared with me. (You see … my dad has this interesting way of thinking and seeing life, a bit philosophical, but not dramatic. Drama is with my mom.)

A ship is always safe at the shore, but that is not what it’s built for. Albert Einstein

9. Always, it was hard for me to understand where overprotection comes from and what’s the logical reason behind. But I’ve been a rebel soul. However, I remember how my family & friends said to me: don’t do that, you’ll suffer. And more other pieces of advice aiming to help me avoid pain. I find it quite funny because I’ve learned from pain more than I could ever learn from pleasure. Yeah, it hurts as crazy, and you feel that you cannot take it anymore, that it is too much and you will give up, for some reasons you don’t. And crash, boom, bang — that’s when the magic happens. That’s the learning that you’ll remember more.

10. When you work with youngsters, you might unwillingly become a role-model to them — if they like you. (it is reasonable, imitation is one of our primary development processes when we’re babies — there are studies on that — check human development). Furthermore, time flies and there you are noticing that you’ve become an inspiration to your colleagues, to your peers or friends. Later on, feeling so empowered, you might discover the power of your actions. Surprise-surprise your actions’ consequences are coming too. And they can open doors for others, so they can follow your footsteps — like you might initiate a collaboration between two institutions that allow student exchanges after you hit and break some walls. Anyway, here it comes a piece of advice to those who aren’t keen to break barriers: Just don’t follow in my footsteps. I run into walls.

11. “ Struggle is my middle name, la la la…” — as the song goes. As I’ve always struggled with decision-making, I’ve got this life hack for those wandering moments: always saying to myself that if it’s both terrifying and amazing, then I should pursue it.

12. Also, always trust your first gut instincts. If you genuinely feel it in your heart and soul that something is wrong, it usually is.

13. Nothing lasts forever, but moments & memories. This was a lesson that I’ve learned when I was too young, and here I am saving those lovely moments with #collectmoments. Life is too short to worry about stupid things. Keep it simple — have fun, regret nothing and don’t let people bring you down.

14. I’ve learnt that my life will be as good as it is in my mindset. And oh, boy — if that’s an easy thing… but I truly believe that the stories we’re telling to ourselves, the self-talk, and our thoughts define our lives. #thinkaboutit.

15. I’ve also learnt that as much as I want to change the world, isn’t always possible. I’ve read somewhere that if you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. And that’s one of my daily challenges.

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. Be sure you’re on the right path.

Originally published at https://metamonica.com.