Category Archives: Life Lessons

Little lessons that make life easier on everyone

Little Life Lessons to Lead You Through 2012

With a new year now in full swing many of us are aimed at improving our lives in one way or another. I thought I would take a moment to share with you a few simple thoughts to ponder throughout 2012, little life lessons that may help you to achieve the happier and more fulfilled life you desire.

Little Life Lessons to Lead You Through 2012

If you can find a way to make what you love to do, what you do, life will be a lot more fun and a lot less stressful. Even if you can’t do it full-time, find a way to do it some of the time.
More often than not we live to regret the things we didn’t do, so take risks and do those things that make you happiest, or that feel right, right now.
Stop trying to impress other people, especially by being someone you are not. In the end either the true you will come out, or you will lose yourself. You can not please everyone, so aim to please yourself instead.
A smile is one of the easiest ways to have an impact on the world. It takes little to no effort on your part and it can have a huge impact on other people. Smiles are contagious, spread them to everyone.
You always have a choice, you may not always like the choices you have, but they are there and you have the ability to choose them.
No one can make you feel anything you don’t want to feel. You are the keeper of your emotions, you choose the way you feel. There are billions of people in the world, are you going to let one person ruin your day?
The less concerned you are with what other people think of you, the more you actually enjoy life.
Family does not have to be blood. Family is a feeling, an emotion, a connection. It is who you choose and what you make it.
Anger and Hate are useless, they do not affect the person at which they are directed. In fact, 9 time out of 10 the only person they actually harm is you. Learn to forgive those who have hurt you and open your heart to less pain and more love.
The more you learn about yourself, the better able you will be to understand others. The happier you are with yourself, the happier you will make others. The more you enjoy yourself, the more enjoyable life will become. You are the key to the life you long for.
You don’t have to believe in God, but have faith in something, even if it is faith in yourself, have faith and let it guide you.
Learn to accept change, it is the one thing in life that is constant.
Learn to see life through other people’s eyes, chances are you will treat them differently when you consider how they feel.
Education is important. The length of time you have to spend studying in school are short compared to a long life at a minimum wage job.
Never stop learning, knowledge is more powerful than money and it will make you happier in the long run.
Even in failure there is success. Take risks and learn lessons from each mistake, when you fail get up and try again.
Every person you meet has some thing they can teach you, you only need to open your mind and accept the lesson.
Love, is a powerful thing, but loving something or someone does not always mean keeping them around. Sometimes the strongest love occurs in letting go. It is also through love that we learn the most about ourselves. Don’t be afraid to love because you might get hurt, be afraid you might get hurt because you don’t love.
Don’t measure your wealth by your bank account, but rather by all the blessings you have that money can’t buy.
When you expect more, either from yourself or from others, you will receive more in the end.
Spend less time worrying about the things you can’t control and more time enjoying those things which you can.
Avoid letting what others think of you, or what happened in the past, define who you are today or who you become tomorrow.
If you have never been sad, bored, angry or lonely, you will never be happy, have fun, feel love, or truly be with someone else.
The minute high-school ends it will not matter who was popular, who was homecoming queen, and who was a geek. The real world is far more realistic than the standards set inside the confines of the classroom. Aspire to be the best ‘you’ and you will succeed in the end, no matter your place in the social school ladder.
Life is a reflection of your thoughts, so make sure they are the best thoughts possible.

40 Little Lessons to Simplify Life (inspiredeverymoment.wordpress.com)
The Risk of Living Fully (joyofspa.com)
Real world lessons to teach your kids (cbsnews.com)
Words of encouragement…to myself (juiapte.wordpress.com)
What Happy People Know (grownupforeal.com)
We Get Happier with Age, But Why? (psychcentral.com)
Healthy habits to make you happy (dymlos.wordpress.com)
The Happiness of Subtraction (psychopoeia.com)
The Top 5 Regrets People Make on Their Deathbed (librachronicles.wordpress.com)
How to Live (thinksimplenow.com)
Choices (icare2be.wordpress.com)
Oh look, more tips (: (existenceadvice.wordpress.com)
How to Have Happier 2012 (foxnews.com)

Posted in Life Lessons

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Tags: happiness, Inspiration, life, New Year, Positive Thinking, self-improvement, The Real World, Thought

40 Little Lessons to Simplify Life

Oct 15

Posted by Katherine

Simplified living means different things for different people. For some it means ridding themselves of all but the essential items they need in life, for others it means having more time for themselves, whatever simplified living means to you there is one basic involved; Simplified living means creating peace and harmony in your life and making each day as easy as possible. Below are a few tips and tricks to living life more simply the easy way, every day.

40 Lessons that will help simplify your life:

Accept that you can not please everyone and stop trying to. – No matter how hard you try, you are never going to please all the people, all the time, so stop trying to and focus only on pleasing yourself. “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss
Be honest and open, it saves time. - Don’t try to read other people’s minds, and most importantly, don’t expect them to be able to read yours. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Honesty and openness saves a great amount of time and energy.
Stick to a budget and live below your means. – Living your life with money to spare is far more pleasurable than living paycheck to paycheck. Create a budget for yourself that allows you those ‘extra pleasures’ in life from time-to-time, but remember that they are pleasures and not for everyday. Fancy cars, huge houses and expensive items wont create happiness, enjoy these things in moderation in order to truly appreciate their worth.
Start your day ahead of schedule. – One of the greatest lessons I ever learned was to set my clock 15 minutes ahead and to rise 30 minutes earlier each day. This simple act changed my life. Getting up earlier in the morning and having time to spare by setting your clocks ahead, are two simple ways of relieving large amounts of stress. How often do you rush around because you are going to be late? How often are you actually late? Being behind schedule in any setting is stressful, doing this on a regular basis can be hazardous to your health in the long-run. By implementing these small acts, you can solve those issues in an instant and you wont even notice the difference.
When it comes to cleaning, find corners you can cut. – A much as we would all love to have a pristine home the truth is cleaning can eat up a large amount of our time, time that could be spent doing something you actually enjoy. Unless you are a natural-born Molly Maid and you actually enjoy scrubbing the floors on your hands and knees, find ways that you can save time cleaning house and cut corners where you can. For example: By doing a thorough mop every week and simply spot mopping when you need to, you will save yourself a small chunk of time each day. Find easier ways of doing things and work them into your cleaning schedule to save yourself some time, and energy.
Stop obsessing about other people, be true to yourself. - Jealousy, anger and envy are a waste of time. When you spend your time wishing you were someone else, that you had the possessions of someone else, or being angry with someone else, you are only competing with yourself. Let go of these negative emotions and be content with who you are. Accept that you are not perfect, but rather that you are unique and enjoy what makes you, you.
Get your home, and work place, organized once and for all. - One of the best things you can do if you want to simplify your life is to get your personal space organized. People waste a huge amount of time simply looking for things. By having a place for everything, and having everything in its place, you can save yourself large blocks of time each day, and even bigger blocks of time each week or month. Spend some time getting your home and work place in order and save time in the years to come. Once you have it accomplished keeping up with it is easy, it will also save a great deal of time when it comes to cleaning. (See #5 above)
Purge regularly, both people and possessions, that have no use in your life. – Clutter creates chaos. Every once in a while it is important that we clear our lives of the clutter that is weighing us down, this applies to both physical items and people. Look around you right now, how many things do you see that have not been used in one month? three months? six months? a year? Now consider the people in your life. How many of them bring nothing for you? How many drag you down? Get rid of anything that has either no purpose, no positivity or no presence. Repeat regularly.
Stay on top of debt. - One late payment leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to a mountain of debt that is difficult to manage. Stay on top of debt by paying attention to your expenses. Pay cash for everything and avoid credit cards as much as you can. When a bill arrives, pay it, don’t let yourself fall behind. Debt causes extensive stress, and can even ruin relationships, cause depression and destroy lives, live life comfortably with the ability to keep ahead. (See #3 above)
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. - Swallow your pride and seek out a helping hand when you are in need. Why waste your time struggling to figure something out when you can simply ask someone who knows the answer? Often times we are so ashamed to admit we can’t do something that we drive ourselves mad trying to do it anyway. Get off your high-horse and allow someone else to do it for you. A full life is about filling the holes, allow others to do what they do best so you can do what you do best as well.
Plan ahead.- Save yourself time by being prepared. One way of saving time is to live life during off hours, go grocery shopping on a weekday afternoon, hit the gym mid-day or fill up on gas on your way home from work and not during the morning rush. Planning ahead and utilizing off-time can save you a great deal of time that can be better spent on yourself and your life.
Keep track of tasks, utilize technology. – Utilize technology to keep track of your tasks. Most email providers offer schedulers that will remind you of important events, cell phones are equipped with day planners, and there are also a plethora of sites that offer electronic to-do lists. Use these advances in technology to help you keep track of what you need to get done and keep you organized and efficient.
Focus on one thing at a time. - Get over being the multi-task champion of the world. Focus on one task at a time instead of trying to do ten things at once. By doing one thing at a time you are more likely to actually complete the task, when we take on several different things we often end up overwhelmed and few of them end up being completed. Some times the ones that do are not done to the best of our ability either, so instead of wearing yourself thin and pushing to the limits, focus on each task separately. Even if you can only devote 5 minutes of undivided attention to a task, focus for that 5 minutes, each little bit helps and it will be less stressful on you in the long-run.
Cherish your family and friends. – Friends and family have a great impact on our happiness. Take time to cherish and appreciate those closest to you and enjoy what they bring to your life.
Always finish what you start. – Unfinished projects are the equivalent of clutter. (See #8 above) If you are not going to be able to finish a project, don’t start it at all, or in the very least don’t start it until you can. Being surrounded by unfinished work will drag you down mentally, and can cause you to feel defeated, it can also lead to even more procrastination and a snowball of negativity that is difficult to stop once it has begun.
Don’t put off until later, that which can be easily done right now. – When you finish dinner, wash your plate. When you are done with something, put it away. Don’t put off until later, that which can be easily done right now. Procrastination is a hard habit to break, make efficiency part of your routine in all aspects of your life to avoid slipping into negative behaviors. If it is going to take you less than a few minutes to complete a task, simply get it done and move on.
Break big tasks into smaller more manageable ones. – Big tasks can be daunting and are more likely to get pushed aside or avoided altogether. Take these large tasks and break them down into smaller, more manageable ones that are less likely to be avoided or put off. Big jobs like sorting through the garage or attic can be broken down into smaller jobs, try making goals such as, clear one corner, straighten and sort the stuff on the shelves, or unpack 4 boxes, etc.. Tackle one small task at a time and move on to the next only when you are ready. You will feel like you have accomplished something without feeling overwhelmed by the need to complete it all.
Learn to cook, and make doubles. – Learning to cook is an important part of life, and one that can save you both time and money. When you cook for yourself at home make at least double what you will eat and freeze it to be consumed later. This is a great way to save cash, and it useful for those busy days when you just don’t feel like cooking.
Don’t gossip, it will get you nowhere. – The rule to live by is ‘never say anything about someone that you wouldn’t say to their face comfortably.’ Gossip will get you nowhere, fast. Most importantly, usually the person you are engaging in the gossip with will be gossiping about you later! If you really want to know something about someone ask them, and if you have something to say about a person say it to their face. It is fine to have an opinion, but be careful who you share it with.
Create a meal plan and stick to it. – Hand-in-hand with cooking for yourself, (See #18 above) creating a meal plan that you will stick to and utilize is a great way to save yourself time and money. Plan out everything that you are going to eat for a week and pick up all that you will need to prepare these meals in advance. This practice will help you avoid unnecessary trips to the grocery store, which often result in wasted time and wasted money with impulsive purchases. If you are really good you can create a monthly, or bi-weekly, plan and save yourself big time!
Treat everyone with respect, and learn to have patience. – This lesson is an oldie but a goodie. Treat others the way you want to be treated yourself. Have respect for everyone you meet and learn the art of patience. Both these traits are valuable in all aspect of your life, and by utilizing them with others you will receive them in return.
Don’t do it if you don’t enjoy it. – Life is too short to waste doing things you don’t enjoy. Honestly, if spinning class is not your favorite thing, quit and find a different form of exercise you enjoy. If you hate your job, find a new one. Dislike someone in your life, let them go. Don’t waste your time on things that don’t make you feel good or add your well-being in a positive way.
Make Lists. – Lists are a great way of keeping track of things that you need to get done, buy, see, find, or accomplish. I am not suggesting you become an obsessive list writer, but creating simple lists of priority items and placing them where you can see them is an easy way to remind yourself of the things you want to achieve.
Surround yourself with positive people. – I have said it before and I will say it again; Negativity breeds negativity. If you want to live a more positive life than surround yourself with positive people who lift you up and make you feel good. If there is someone in your life that is bringing you down, bid them farewell and move on. You need not be nasty, sad or disheartened by the loss, simply look at the time you had together as a lesson learned and consider it making space in your life for bigger better things. The positive side of dealing with negative people is that you are able to learn what you ‘do’ want in friends and relations from what you don’t like about them.
Embrace education. – Education is a life long journey, embrace it with an open mind and a willing heart. Never stop trying new things, learn every chance you get and always be open to new ideas. Knowledge is a major key to a happy and full life, you don’t need to be a highly educated genius, but face every moment as and opportunity to learn something new about yourself, others and life.
Create a solid network, and expand upon it. – Never stop expanding your network. Meet new people and make new friends. Every single person we meet has the ability to teach us amazing things, all we have to do is be willing to accept the lessons they hold within. A strong network both personally and professionally can open doors that would have otherwise remained shut, so get out there and meet new people, you never know where you may end up.
Explore your options. – A happy life consists of different things for different people, and for many of us a happy life is a never-ending journey. Always be willing to explore your options and experiment with your choices, just because everyone else does things a certain way doesn’t meant that is the way you have to do them. Look around, and within yourself, and do what is best for ‘you.’
Pay attention to your health. – Good health is not just important for your expected lifespan, it is also a vital part of living a positive and happy life. Be sure that you get an annual check-up and take care of your body as best you can. Eating healthy, and being active will increase your personal well-being on both a physical and mental level, so take care of yourself and make sure that you are being the best ‘you’ that you can be.
Smile. – Oh the joy of a smile. Such a small thing that can cause such a big difference. A smile takes little to no effort on your part, but it can easily effect everyone around you. Consider this: You pass by a man on the street that looks weathered and sad, you flash him a smile and immediately he brightens and a smile is returned to you. What you didn’t know was that this man has lost everything lately and was wandering the streets contemplating suicide, your smile showed him that there is still kindness in some people and it made him change his mind…. You just never know!
Be thankful. – I wrote a great deal about gratitude in my previous post and I cannot stress enough the importance of living a life of gratitude. By being thankful for all that you are blessed with in life you will attract more things to be thankful for. You will make yourself and others feel appreciated, which in turn will make them feel good and will cause them to be thankful. It is a chain reaction that can stretch for miles, through millions of people, all over the world.
Dare to dream. – Too often we are told to ‘grow up’ which is all a part of life, but for some reason for many of us growing up means losing sight of our dreams. Well, forget that… If that’s what growing up is I want to stay a kid forever. Let your imagination run free, dream of being rich and famous, pretend you’re a princess and aim to marry a prince. Never ever limit yourself, the sky truly is the limit… and sometimes beyond.
Prioritize. – We all lead busy lives, have may things to do and sometimes feel overwhelmed. To beat the heat of stress and over working yourself be sure you prioritize your tasks accordingly. Consider what it is that is most important to you, what truly needs to be done, and face those things first. Work your way down to the least important things, those that really have no great effect on you or your well-being.
Acknowledge your accomplishments. – Don’t go through life always focused on what you need to achieve, but instead on all that you have accomplished already. If you are constantly thinking of how you can do better, do more, without seeing all the great things you have done you will never be truly happy. A balanced life consists of both goals and achievements, so acknowledge yours today no matter how big or small they are reminders of your hard work and effort.
Accept that change is inevitable and often good. – Big changes can be hard to deal with, but they are an inevitable part of life. The sooner you accept that you can not avoid change and instead choose to embrace it, the happier and more fulfilled you will be in life.
Look at life as a series of lessons to be learned, and move on. – Each obstacle we face, challenge we battle and choice we make in life provides another lesson to be learned. The easiest way to a simpler life is to learn these lessons and move on to the next. Some of these lessons will be difficult, and they need to be, that is what creates strength and character.
Realize that you can not know the truth, without first understanding both sides of the story. – Sometimes it is not about being right. Right is simply a matter of opinion. To truly know the truth at all, you must first be open to understanding both sides of a situation. So, instead of fighting to be right, (as right and truth are constantly changing on many subjects) be open instead to learning something new and forming an opinion.
Regulate your routine. – Creating a good routine and sticking to it is an important part of simplifying your life. Ensure that you are getting enough sleep, that you are making time for family, friends and yourself, and that you schedule leaves you plenty of time to do those things that make you happiest.
Set goals for yourself, both large and small, and work towards them. – Having goals is a great way to challenge yourself. When considering goals it is best to create both short and long-term goals to achieve. Small goals will bring you quick satisfaction, usually while helping you along the path towards you larger, more long-term ones.
Never stop discovering who you truly are. – It is amazing how quickly we grow and change as humans. Never stop discovering who you truly are. You can do this by taking time to yourself and doing things you enjoy, trying new things, and exploring your mental well-being. Self-discovery is a life long journey, and one that can be very rewarding. By discovering who you are inside, without the worry of what others will think, you will be walking down the road directly towards true happiness and fulfillment.
Realize that simplicity, happiness and success take time and effort. – There is no “get rich quick” scheme for simplifying your life, being happy or attaining success. All of these things take hard work and personal effort, but the end result is well worth the sweat you will put in. Do what feels right for you and always see life as something to be enjoyed. Have fun and never stop trying to be the best person you can be.