The Most Important Realizations Life Has Taught Me.

Always treat others as though they’ll die before you see them again.

What I mean by this is another way of saying don’t be an ass. This includes those you do and those you don’t know. If you knew someone was going to die, how would you treat them? Would you be nicer? More understanding? Would you forgive them for something they did?

You never know what you have until it’s gone.

Being joyful doesn’t only have to be the result of everything going right. It’s choosing to be happy in the face of everything going wrong.

I’m not going to lie. This is a tough one that I still struggle with. In life, perspective is everything. I once read a quote somewhere that said something like this:

“If you’re thinking about the future, you’re worrying about something. If you’re thinking about the past, you’re upset about something. Learn to enjoy and live in the present.”

This isn’t to say you should never think about the past or future, but don’t dwell on what you can’t change. I like to remind myself when I’m dwelling on something that, right now, in that moment, I don’t have to think about that particular problem. I try to list the things in that moment that I can enjoy and focus on them. The simplest pleasures in life can add up to a lot

Everyone is going to leave you eventually. Life , the world, and people aren’t like what they are in fiction. So don’t raise your expectations that high.

Um. So I learned this one the hard way. I mean, who doesn’t want a friend that would fall into Tartarus with them? Or who would always have your back no matter what and protect you when you’re in trouble? Sure, some people are like that to a certain extent. But no one is going to go completely out of their way for you. People tend not to do things that don’t benefit themselves. The only rare exception that I know of would be people in the military (or sometimes cops), who do often give their lives for their camarades. But regular people? Forget about it.

This means you have to look out for yourself. No one is going to do that for you. If on the off chance they do, it won’t be forever. People come and go in life, and there’s not a lot you can do to stop it. But that’s okay. You’ll meet more and better people. Well, hopefully.