Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay 

Life is the simplest word to spell yet the most difficult one to understand. I've seen many people taking it for granted or not appreciating it enough or cursing it now and then. On the other hand, some people feel lucky to have a life they are bestowed with. It doesn't mean that they have all the smooth paths to their destiny, it just means that they have known life better than anyone else, or so, better than the people who lose the opportunity for learning by being in autopilot mode of cursing.

To say, you'll find that life is the greatest of all the teachers we had our lifetime. Unlike classrooms, life doesn't take tests by giving notice or warning beforehand. It tests us multiple times so hard that it crushes all our aspirations, desire, and will to continue our life and often try to break us as hard as possible. But it needs to be needed that it tests only those who have the endurance and courage to go through the tough times. And by testing so, life is only trying to make you strong and resilient for the crueler world you're going to live in for the rest of your life.

For me, my life has been the greatest and most trusted teacher I've ever had and I'm grateful to take its lessons with my open heart!

Here, I'm sharing 7 lessons I've learned either from my closest friends, and family members or through life experiences on my way. It was not taught by any exam, syllabus, or teachers. In life, everything was out of the syllabus yet the result always added something great to me, it allowed me to grow as a person and a good human being.

Here we go.

  1. The person who hurts you, is hurting himself/ herself.
    We often encounter a situation where a person hurts us by saying bitter and cruel words or by their hateful actions. So as any normal human being, we get angry and tag them as bitter, toxic, or awful individuals.
    But before tagging anyone with such adjectives, we have to understand and accept the fact that when a person tries to hurt others, it's just because he's hurt himself and there's no one to understand and empathize with him or his situation This helplessness in that individual turns into frustration and it is then spilled on someone else who was not even at any fault.
    So, if any person is bitter toward you, just know that it speaks more about them, and less or not at all about you. In such cases, removing yourself from the whole situation and trying to see the other person's point of view, and asking him about his well-being are the only things we can do from our side.
    Although by knowing and accepting this fact, we're not accepting the genuinely toxic behavior of some people, we're just accepting the fact that not everybody is venomous in their heart and we should try to understand and see things from the other side of the grass.
  2. you can't see your faults or mistakes, because you don't do them intentionally.
    Has anyone told you that you'd done something wrong and you're just clueless whether you've done something wrong? How many times you've encountered a situation where you're not ready to accept your faults told by others to you? Where do you just keep on explaining to the other person why certain things turned out the way they are now? It might have happened multiple times, right? Why does this happen?
    When someone tells us our mistakes, we tend to disagree with them and tell ourselves, "no, we're not wrong, the other person is thinking otherwise." The main reason for your reaction is simple: Because you didn't commit that mistake intentionally or the thing that's considered a mistake by others, is not at all a mistake for you; it's perfectly normal from your side.
    In such situations, we've to understand that no one can see their flaws unless someone shows them a mirror. The best way to deal with this is through self-evaluation and try putting oneself in the other person's shoes. And in many cases, where the values differ between you and the person you agree with, try to have a fruitful conversation by being equally accepting of the other person's point of view.
  3. Nothing is permanent. Good turns into evil and evil become good with time.
    Humans tend to put individuals into the boxes of good and bad. We assume that 'it is what it is; there's no further classification. But while accepting this bias, we also tend to forget the basic law of nature, that nothing remains permanent and change is the only constant.
    We have the power to change things to our advantage and be the person we've always dreamt of, no matter how bad or worst we are in our current situation. The power of change and transformation lies within us; within ourselves.
    I've seen many people who've transformed themselves into completely new individuals who are now respected and happy in the eyes of many even after being a person hated or disowned by everyone at some point in time. And I've also seen many, who were ideal in the eyes of many, but now, they've turned into someone who can't be good to anyone. Who has lost all the power, prestige, happiness, and peace through their deeds? Our experience with life and our surrounding has a lot to contribute to this change and also, our will to move out of a circumstance that's killing us every day and create a life full of joy can do wonders.
  4. You can't be good in the eyes of all, even if you do good to all.
    We all think that if we do some social work, or fight for some cause, we'll be respected and revered in the eyes of all. But sadly, that's not true!
    When you become well-known for doing good to the needy, there will be many people who'll love you for that but there will also be many people who envy your good work, who'll try to come into your way to distract you from your path even if you haven't done anything wrong to them. It is inevitable even if you don't expect this to appear because success or popularity comes with a curse, a curse of hatred.
    In this scenario, we've to remind ourselves that we can't be good in the eyes of all, and it's ok. We can't do anything about it. Being good in the eyes of few, but for a true cause gives you joy that can't be quantified.
  5. Life goes on.
    Human beings, and their obsession with forever! From poems to songs, to promises, forever is the favorite word for humankind. And it is always difficult to accept that even if you're forever doesn't turn out to be forever, life still goes on. Because in the end, the only guaranteed forever you have is you, yourself!
    Life doesn't stop, never!
    On the last day of school, we thought that we won't be able to enjoy life as we did in school, and our so-called happy days ended. But as time passes by, we start enjoying our college life, our office life, our married life, and parental life, and in this way, life goes on. It doesn't stop just because something has been left behind. It doesn't stop because forever ended even before the intended period.
    When our loved ones pass away, the whole world shatters in front of us and we crumble from the core. For some time, we become numb and start to think that it is our end too, we've also died at the moment our loved one did. But someone has rightly said that "time is the ultimate healer." With time, we learn to live without them, with their happy memories. With time, scars start to heal and we learn to live without something we hadn't even imagined to be lost forever from our lives. Life is like this, it never stops for anyone, at any moment. Be it a good one, or bad ones too.
  6. The First impression is the wrong impression.
    'It's not always what it seems.' We're all obsessed with impressing others on our first meeting by presenting ourselves with the best versions of ourselves. We try to behave as nicely and politely as possible we can. But deep down we all know that we're not what we're faking to others just to impress them and these realities will come out in front of the other person sooner or later.
    Because in our first meetings, we don't open up, we don't just show who we really are and there always remains an ulterior motive behind the nice behavior we have in these meetings.
    We know that the polite and generous behavior that we show during our interviews is not real. It's for the sake of acceptance or some financial or personal gain. So the first impression is not the last impression, our consecutive behaviors play a big part in shaping our image in the eyes of others and we can't be good all the time by trying to be someone else we are not. Because in the end, we're humans and we tend to do mistakes. We feel comfortable in our skin and not in the skin of someone we never were.
  7. Your greatest strength is what you consider your greatest weakness
    Do you think that your poverty or stammering or your health issue is your biggest weakness because of which you face many difficulties in life? If your answer is "yes", then this is for you.
    The fact is that we've many people surrounding us who've turned their weaknesses into strengths. Because these weaknesses or lacks push us further towards something great. Because when you lack the resources, you work on improving your capabilities.
    In such cases, you don't look outward for help, but you look inwards. You ask yourself the question of how can you win a race that has not been fair enough to you and always demanded from yourself more than others. Sometimes you need to thank God that he has not given you everything you asked for. Because when you get everything easily, you overlook its significance and take it for granted. The absence of something makes you realize its true value. Only a childless mother can tell you the joy of having a child. Only a hungry one, can tell you the value of dry bread or the food you take for granted. Only a homeless person will tell you the value of having a shelter that is safe and protects you from all adversities by giving you protection and security.
    Life has taught each of us many lessons. Each day is a new class in our course of life and it always presents us with opportunities to learn. Just be open to those opportunities.
    In the end, I would like to leave you with a small poem I had written on life. I hope you like it.

“Life”, is the simplest word, yet the most difficult to understand
what is it about it that’s so grand?
Why do we curse life now and then?
Oh no! It happened to me again
Why life always chooses me for the tough times?
What have I done, that’s bigger than the crime?
These are the questions we ask ourselves while cursing our life
For us, life is jargon, life is hectic.
That’s why while talking about it, people become poetic!
Some say they hate their life, while others are living it because they don’t have other options
Why It’s not even allowed to put our life on auctions
Why do we compare our lives with money and fame?
Why can’t we understand that life is not a game?
We search for our happiness in large bars and city lights.
They surely don’t make us happy, instead, make us blind
Don’t you find life in the falling rain?
Singing your favorite song and the joy you gain?
Isn’t their life in smiling eyes?
Looking towards the stars with beautiful skies?
Life is beautiful, life is a chance to give
Don’t make it complicated,
take a deep breath, and live!

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