Life Lesson @ 27

Few months ago, I browse through my journal and I found a short list that I wrote titled, Lessons @ 26 and I've listed there lessons that I felt made a difference in my life (Similar to Top 10 principles that I like and live! and this post). I had a great time reading it not just because what I wrote in the list are really good lesson but also because I felt that it is a good way for me to talk to myself. The list contains ideas that I still practice and ideas that I felt reflects my previous reality. After reading it, I promised myself that I will write another one just before the year ends. I certainly have a lot of lessons learned lately so let me give you an abridge version of my original list.

And why would you be interested in reading this list? Because I could say that this is one of the best years in my life so far and I will try my best to post all lessons that I've learned that made this year the best year in my life so far. Let's get started:

Lesson 1. Seek for true happiness.
I do not want to go to a debate of what is true happiness. All I know that I have found my true happiness in the Love and Grace of God which is Jesus. If you are not a Christian please allow me to explain and read on.

In the past, I could honestly say that I have lived a life of bondage: condemnation, dissatisfaction, guilt, pretension, fear, hypocrisy, arrogance and sin. But in the middle of this year, I prayed that the LORD will bring me to a new level of experience with Him. I want to know Jesus because though I have been attending church I am still bound with many things and I have not truly known Jesus. So the LORD made a way (and I realized it now) so that I will get to know Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church who is teaching strongly about Grace. It was then that I have realized that my thoughts on Him and His love and grace for Him are very limited. I realized that Jesus already freed me from condemnation and sin and He has given me his Righteousness. I am telling you, that Jesus has changed my life and He gave me a new heart: a heart that seeks for more of His Grace and more of experiencing Him. I realized that this is the true happiness and that even if I am stripped of everything as long as I have Jesus, I know I am going to be alright. Because I know He loves me. For more information please download the podcast of Pastor Prince. Again, search for true happiness because you will never live a full life without him.

Lesson 2. Choose to be free.

Resentment, guilt, worry, or anything negative is not worth your time. To be negative, even just for a second, is useless and is a waste of time and energy. To bear grudges against others is too heavy for any person to carry. To be worried about anything is impractical. Choose to be free from all of them.

I used to take all things seriously thinking that it is the right attitude to anything. I now realized that the more tight-fisted I am the more life seems to be heavier and harder. But the more I let go and just relax I begin to enjoying the journey; life is about the journey and not the destination. I now realized that it is better to be happy than to be worried and to be free than to be angry. I realized that your freedom is one of the very important miracle this life has to offer. Enjoy living a life of freedom and let go.

Lesson 3. Have the balls to assert yourself.
I realized that there are just so many people who do not like to stick their neck out or too afraid to step on someone's toes or too afraid to say what they want. So when you have the balls to assert yourself then this will differentiate you from these people. So when you make decisions stand with it and do not be afraid to say why you believe it. Assert yourself. Have the balls to say this is what you believe.

The flip side of this, and this was added by a friend, is to know that you are wrong and admit it. When you make wrong decisions then just say, "I was wrong." Then people will respect you for it. This works almost anywhere, even in your job.

Lesson 4. Be different.
I talked about differentiation awhile ago and I would like to reinforce it here in this lesson because there are so many people today who live their lives in mediocrity and it is easy to conform with the majority. There is indeed strength in numbers and if you are surrounded with people who live lives of mediocrity then you will just be one of the faces. I found out that when you are unique, in a positive way, then people are going to appreciate it. So be different, find a differentiating factor; it could be a hobby, a skill, risk-taking skills, or a style. In your career, if you are the same with everybody else then you will not go very far from the people you go with.

Lesson 5. Be grateful.

I do not want to be simplistic but the truth is, I just found this principle in its pure form. Being grateful puts your feet on the ground and it makes you realized that it is not about you. My tip is for you to look around and be thankful for what you see.

I know that what I shared are very simple but these lessons makes this year one of the best year ever. Why? Because I am happy and it is not because what I have accomplished because whether I accomplish something or not, I will still have that happiness. But I can say that even with these simple lessons I was able to accomplish more this year than previous year. I know the LORD has blessed me in multiple areas in my life. This year is truly one of the best so far.