27 great lessons I have learned in 27 years

No matter how you feel… Get up, dress up, show up and never give up.

My birthday is right around the corner, and I love to do these kinds of retrospection on life, what I have learned through the year and how I evolved as an individual. I do them quite often on my own to make sure I’m always the best version of myself and to do myself justice. These are a few things I have learned either this year or that I always knew but was never able to put into practice until now.

Let me know in the comments how you would like to improve yourself or what you have learned recently about yourself or life in general!

Here it goes…

1. What other people think of you is none of your business. Their opinions don’t matter, it’s simply a projection of what they are feeling within themselves and has nothing to do with you.
2. The concept of wasted time doesn’t exist. Everything that happens is either a lesson or a blessing, either way, you learned something.
3. Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.
4. Making decisions while being desperate leads to self-destruction. You need a clear mind to make sound decisions.
5. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. If you don’t do, you have already failed before even trying.
6. If you need help, you should ask for it. Trying to do everything on your own is not a sign of strength.
7. It’s extremely important to have clear boundaries whether it’s with friends, colleagues, a partner, or a potential partner. If they are not willing to respect them, they are not worth your time and energy.
8. Seeking fulfillment in anything other than God will always leave you unsatisfied. Your work, your passions, your partner, or your family can never take the space in your heart destined for God.
9. Have a life outside of work. No one on their deathbed ever said that they should’ve worked more.
10. The only person you should compete against is yourself. The only person you should prove yourself to is yourself.
11. No is an acceptable answer. You don’t have to give an explanation for your decisions.
12. You are your biggest cheerleader. Don’t expect other people to encourage you as you encourage yourself.
13. You are not a failure for not finishing everything you start. It’s okay to change your mind and change your path.
14. The quality of your friends is more important than the quantity.
15. Everyone’s path is different and it doesn’t make them better or worse than yours. It’s okay to not want the big corporate life. It’s okay to not want to settle down. Choose your own path and make it amazing for yourself.
16. If someone is unable to see your value, it doesn’t mean you are not valuable.
17. You can only control yourself, not the people around you, nor the events surrounding you.
18. Taking a small step toward your dreams daily is better than taking one big step from time to time. It’s crucial to be consistent in your life.
19. You are an amazing person, but you are not for everyone.
20. Don’t follow your heart or your head while making a decision. Your heart is emotional and your brain overthinks. Follow your gut feeling and your intuition. It will never lie to you.
21. Starting over is okay.
22. Don’t fall for the capitalistic ideology. You don’t need to spend more when you make more just to uphold the lifestyle society is pushing on you!
23. Don’t waste too much time planning your life, God is the best of planners and He will give you exactly what you need when you need it!
24. Forgiveness doesn’t always come with an apology. You owe it to yourself to forgive and to move on.
25. Self-advocacy is key. As a people pleaser, it’s hard to put yourself first and have your back but being constantly taken advantage of is harder.
26. Genuinely good people are hard to come by so when you find people with whom you strive, stick with them!
27. Success isn’t a goal to reach or a finish line to cross. It is a system to improve, an endless process to refine.

I wrote the same article at 24 years old that you can read if you want! The things I have learned since are a lot more meaningful. Reading my old post, I realized how young and carefree I was. This is why I like doing these; we don’t give ourselves enough credits for everything we go through. These last 3 years have been eye-opening to me, I put myself out there, I tried new things, lived new experiences, got burned a few times, started over many things, and here I am. Happy, content, and grateful for everything.

Until next time,

Sofyah,