Life Lesson 4: Know When To Stay Silent

This is something I really battle with. It’s not that I don’t know when to keep quiet but more I just don’t want to which you could argue is a good thing because I’m passionate & expressive, but at the same time I believe it’s important to know when to back-off. Many of us have this need to be right, and so we become confrontational and insistent that anyone who opposes our views be made to understand (and agree with) our views. It’s human nature. No one likes to be called out or told that they’re wrong. I really battle with this because everything I do is thought-out and there is motivation and logic behind every decision or viewpoint I have. When I argue with someone, there’s always this urgency to get my point across and of course sometimes this can do more harm than good.

What I’ve realised is there is also a benefit to dropping a topic for a while. Doing this gives the other person (and you) time to not only cool off, but also time to reflect on what has been said which could actually change their or your own view. Often in these instances you end up fighting just to be right and forget that the initial intention of the conversation was not to be confrontational. So I think being cognisant of when to step up for something or when to rather take a step back is crucial if we want to be fair to not only the people we interact with, but also to ourselves and I think the results can be much more productive than always adopting an aggressive approach.

Life Lesson 3: Fake It Until You BECOME It

Something I know I could have more of is confidence (I'm working on it). I think a lot of us aren't always as confident as we could be for a number of reasons. I came across this TED Talk about confidence where social psychologist Amy Cuddy discusses how standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident can actually make you feel more confident. She closes her talk with an interesting thought about the popular saying, "Fake it until you make it" adapting it to 'Fake it until you become it'. The 21 minute video is very thought provoking and inspiring so I definitely think it's worth a watch.

Life Lesson 2: Don't Stop Believin'

Yes, yes. As cliché as it is, I still think it’s really important to remember. Life is not always easy but you have to learn to persevere. This is much easier said than done when at certain moments in your life all you want to do is scream or give up, but I came across a quote this week that really put it into perspective for me: "Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional." - Roger Crawford

We’re entitled to feeling beat-up every now and then, but what we must also remember is that it’s momentary and that it will change and if time isn't what will bring about change, it is our responsibility to take action and make a change for the better.

Life Lesson 1: Be More Proactive

I’m guilty of sitting back and letting things happen or letting someone else take the lead. This can be a good thing at times but as I rediscovered this weekend, it can also be a bad thing. I let opportunities pass me by because I don’t make a move. I don’t want to look back and regret not stepping up and taking action. It’s scary, I know that, but sometimes you just have to put that aside because you could be robbing yourself of something great. This year I hope to be more proactive.

Life Lessons For the Coming Year

The first week of the year hasn’t exactly been my idea of ideal. There’s this perception that when a new year starts, all of a sudden things just get better or easier somehow. Of course this isn’t true at all but I think for most, we fall in the trap of expecting a better, easier life in the next year simply because it’s a new year. That’s not to say that things aren’t going to change, but change doesn’t just magically happen. You are responsible for any change in your life - own it.

Life is about lessons. “You live and learn” they say. Yes, this is easier said than done, but it’s important to remember. That’s something I’m going to try focus on this year. Take every situation, learn from it and use it in a positive way to grow.

This year I’m going to post the lesson I’ve taken away from an experience with the hope that I can bring about a positive change in my life and maybe reach a few people who could benefit as well.

Wish me luck!