Life Lessons from a Seventeen-Year-Old.
To be truthful, seventeen is a weird and wonderful age, and before I take the slow ascent to adulthood, I am going to share some life lessons I have learnt so far.
1. Five Minutes Before is on Time and Ten Minutes Before is Early.
I was taught this in boarding school. Being late to class was considered to be disrespectful and being five minutes early meant that you were accountable and could be trusted. I left boarding school three years ago but I still apply this rule in real life, being five minutes early shows that you care, if you care about the job and the person, they will care about you. Teachers at that school used to go out of their way for me because I made sure that I was consistently early.
2. Be Yourself.
Corny but correct, you have to be yourself, going to boarding school was the easy part, adapting to the people and the conditions were the hard parts. Being authentic made it easier, I could relate to people and they could relate to me, they trusted me and I could be honest with them without hurting their feelings. Being yourself does not mean being a wuss, it means being strong enough to tell people, this is me and what you see, is what you get. Being yourself boosts your confidence since you don’t have to remember every lie that you said when you were trying to be someone else.
3. Have a Meeting with Yourself Everyday.
The biggest part of being yourself is knowing yourself. Hosting a meeting with yourself can be a great experience, you get to know yourself from the inside out, you do not have to face the discomfort that comes with describing your problems to a therapist, you can face those problems by yourself, it helps you find the best solution to your problems as well. If you are going to do this, start by asking yourself questions like:
“How am I doing today?”
“Where is my life going?”
“What are my values?”
Additionally, doing this has increased my creativity and made me a more positive human being.
4. Having a Few Meaningful Friends is Better Than Having Loads of Meaningless Friends.
Have you ever felt lonely despite being in a crowded room? I know I have, and it was horrible. I enjoy having a lot of people around me but I do not like toxic environments. That is why I turned to a smaller circle of friends, this way I can form meaningful relationships and I can control who I hang around with.
After a while, you become like the people you hang around with.
5. Have Loads of Role Models.
A role model is like a living blueprint. If you want to learn anything, you can copy that role model and attain success quicker. Having multiple role models benefits you because you can learn multiple skills faster. An autobiography can serve as a good place to study the psychology of your favourite people, you can highlight the important parts and then continue to the next role model and read their autobiography. I am not a big fan of obsessing over a role models personal life, I like to learn about how they think and then I apply whatever I find useful.
6. Value Your Time.
Time flies, there is still a part of me that thinks I am a ten-year-old, use the time you have on this planet wisely, no one will come out of this life alive and every second you lose is a second you cannot get back. Money is replenishable, you can always get a desired amount of money, time is not endless, a commonality of both money and time is that you can always make money and you can always make time. Do not let anyone waste your time, try to invest your time in meaningful pursuits.
7. Seek Discomfort.
The greatest growth comes out of the toughest conditions. Look to put yourself in a situation that you fear. If you fear rejection, ask the most beautiful girl you know out on a date, you will most likely get rejected but that’s good because you realise that rejection is nothing other than a word and a temporary feeling. If you are scared of dogs, visit a dog shelter, you find that they are very loveable creatures who don’t mean any harm. The things that you fear are small once you face them, they are a false idea in your mind.
8. Interdependence over Independence.
Societies emphasis on independence is noble, we need independence and freedom, otherwise, we would not get to live in the democratic countries that we do. Interdependence transcends independence and dependence, it helps form teams, it gives jobs, it helps better the future of mankind. We need friends, we need mentors, without them, the world is a dark and lonely place. If you need help and guidance, reach out to people, if you want to talk to someone reach out to them.
9. Expand on Your Identity.
You cannot define yourself by what you do or what the world says about you, learn new skills, not only will your bank account get bigger, your network will expand too.
10. Consistent Hardwork Beats Everything.
You can be the worst when you start but if you put in the work, you will become the best. When I first started playing sports, I was not very good but over five years, I have turned to be one of the best in my school.
I like to take major decisions according to a three-year rule, the rule is simple, before undertaking any major decision, I ask myself how will the decision made now affect me in three years? If it is affecting me positively I will stick with my decision for a minimum of three years, if not, I will not participate in the activity.
To conclude this article, here is what you can take away:
- Be punctual, arrive five minutes before and show that you care.
- Be yourself, people like authentic people, don’t be fake.
- Know yourself, do this by hosting a meeting with yourself every day.
- Have a small but effective friend group, be friends with people who are honest and who empower you.
- Learn from people who have been there and done that
- Time is the most valuable commodity you have, do not waste it.
- Get out of your comfort zone and in a state of growth.
- We live in an interdependent society, use this to your advantage.
- Expand on your identity, have loads of skills and talents.
- Work hard every day, it will pay off.
What are some life lessons you have learnt so far?