Over the past month, I have come to face a few harsh reality checks. This apparently is the first step towards entering the jungle called Adulthood. They drag you away from the world inside your head and suddenly, life isn’t all that fancy anymore. It’s difficult, sleep deprived and most importantly – ego killing.
These are the 10 life lessons I’ve learnt over the past 28 days of my life :
1. I am not the most important person in my own world. The people that help me pay my bills matter way more than I ever will. So if I don’t agree with something, it doesn’t matter as long as they do.
2. The world is not an oyster. It’s a fricking octopus waiting to grab you with all its limbs just so it could eat you up.
3. You think you’re talented? They’re going to find someone ten times better within the next two minutes.
4. There are a million others with the same dream. With that, the probability of you making it just become 1/1,000,000.
5. You’re sick? You’re upset? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Awww, guess what? The world couldn’t give a rat’s ass. If you’re meant to do something, you better be doing it.
6. Adult relationships are tricky. If you’re both working full time, the amount of quality time you spend becomes so minimal that when you see each other, you want to enjoy it even though you’re dying to pick a fight about the number of days they forgot to text you.
7. You are lucky to be where you are. Blessed even. You’ve worked so hard to get here. Please know you will be replaced within mere seconds.
8. Every person has a story. Every person comes from a tragedy. If everyone wrote down their problems and put it in a pile, you’d grab yours back with lightning speed.
9. Love doesn’t come easy. For some of us, it’s right there in front of us and we end up living with the knowledge that it will never be ours. It’s just the way it is.
10. Nothing will ever come for free. If you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, someone else will.
And with that beginner’s course done, I’m officially terrified of what tomorrow will bring. As a child, all I ever wanted was to grow up. Oh, how I wish I could go back in time and tell her to change her mind about it.
Loud Thoughts Voiced Out 
Wow. I never realized how much US, humans, in general can learn in one month. 😮
Wow. Very inspiring! 😮
wow..this is amazing ❤
Excellent post!
Good stuff! Being an adult can be difficult, but you will embrace it and make it extraordinary. I just know it from what you have already learned! 🙂
So much truth in this blog. I definitely want to go back to being a child because life seemed so much easier then. Although the experience that I have gotten each year has shaped who I am as a person and I wouldn’t want to change that.
You’ve got a lot of lesson and you share to the world. Thanks for writing this. Growth can be painful but it’s necessary.
Good lessons. Hard to learn them, but it’s good that you did. Thanks for sharing!
Aul
Thank you so much. 😀
I haven’t heard from you in so long. How are you? How’s the story coming? 🙂
Hehe yeah I know sometimes I forget about my blog. I’m doing really well, thanks for asking! I’ve been querying to literary agents with my first book and I’m working on writing the third one (already finished the second). It’s a long process. I’ve also started a series of novellas (in case you haven’t already heard), which i plan to self-publish…cuz traditional publishing takes a long time 😛
Glad to hear from you too!
Aul
couldn’t agree more with 6,9, and 10.. i think most of us wanted to grow up (real fast) as a kid. bitter reality,isn’t it? but this is just the start. I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy adulthood and its perks (or the lack of it). 🙂
Right there with you girl. Life sometimes has a way of slowly giving us whip lash and then other times things fall into place. It’s all part of the journey. I enjoyed your thoughts and reflections. Have a great March and spring is coming! 🙂
Maybe I got it wrong. Perhaps you’ve just had a bad day, but all those things sound rather pessimistic.
Yes life is complicated, but it’s far from what you made it sound like.
Where you see problems, I see an opportunity. It is possible it’s just a matter of perception, however.
Love,
Just.
I agree, Justin. For example, that I believe I am talented can’t be changed just by the discovery of another who is more talented than I. (#3). But in fairness, sometimes our best comes from our worst. Which is not to say that you should edit your writing at 3:00 a.m. Trust me. You won’t even know those people the next day. At 3, be sleeping.
Love this, very inspiring. I sure wish I heard learned these lessons so early in life!
yes, yes, and yes! this post completely spoke to me. everything you said is exact. especially the part about a child wishing to grow up… i wish i was 4 again, eating mcdonalds, drawing, and watching cartoons. the best time of my life.
It’s probably just me but I could see a touch of conservative color somewhere. From Community Pool: http://lilypupslife.wordpress.com/ 🙂
I had a moment today where I looked at my friend Daisy as she checked her mail and I realized that we were adults. Then I was reminded that there was a lot that I hadn’t learned as well. Your list is bleak and true, yet when you make peace with it, they’re rules to the game that make it a challenge, and the focus becomes how will you win.
Hi,
I found you in the Community pool. You are a great writer. I would bold or bullet the tips to break up the monotony of the text on the eye.
Would you mind critiquing mine? It didn’t do well, and I’m not sure why not. Thank you.
http://wp.me/p5jxvv-CF
Inspired..
I saw your post on community pool I love this post. I have realized these things along the way and even though they are a bit harsh they are so true and it is good for people to know.
Check out my blog and give me some feedback :http://www.brainyjournal.com/
Thank you!!
Life is hard and challenging. The rules are constantly changing and it’s difficult to keep up. Following your dreams keeps life interesting and focused. Stay on your path and no matter how hard “Life” tries to knock you off of your path, hang on, there is light at the end of your path. Nice post! Look forward to reading more.
Thank you for sharing this. Your lessons do seem bleak but the great thing about life is that growing up is not something you do and are done with it. You will be growing up all your life because you will continue to learn more lessons abut the world, about yourself and the people you keep around you. I wish you happiness on your journey!
We learn the most, I’ve been told, when life proceeds to slap us in the face.
True that.
I like this so much. I disagree that the lessons are harsh – I believe they are lessons that we still have freedom to learn from. Occasionally, I’ve chosen not to learn and got a huge kick up the backside as a consequence and that was the harsh bit! Thanks for sharing your learning
My advice: It’s the youth that ultimately propels the World forward and creates progress. On the whole your ten lessons learnt sounds like a negative old man. What makes young people different is that they are bold, unafraid, they have not become cynical and negative, and they have a false sense of confidence, and are not too afraid to make mistakes. You know what they say: ‘ The man that has never made a mistake has never done anything.’ My advice would be to don’t worry and be happy. Don’t look over your shoulder but look forward and beyond the horizon. Get out there and make mistakes – for it is the mistakes that we learn the most from. Remember that in life you win some and you lose some – learn to cope with the losses and reap the rewards of the victories. Be resolute and not negative, and be positive and not despondent. I would contend that success in anything is about believing in yourself that you can do it – and then putting in the hard work to make it happen.
I feel like your comment has such perfect timing. Somehow, I woke up this morning feeling invincible. It’s a rather odd feeling because I didn’t just feel like I was invincible. I felt like the world is invincible. Like we could all do anything we put our minds to.
I had just begun working when I wrote this and contrary to all the dreams I had, it wasn’t all roses and peaches. It was difficult. But I am turning this into a positive energy. 🙂 Thank you so much 🙂
As someone past 50, I agree we can do anything we dream if we open our own doors and say YES more than NO. Great blog!