12 Brutally Tough Life Truths I Wish I Knew Earlier.
12 Brutally Tough Life Truths I Wish I Knew Earlier. A few years ago, I was drowning in my life and work. I was barely staying afloat. I was working too hard, feeling overwhelmed and tired most of the time.
I was making too many mistakes and poor decisions. And I was also feeling scared and insecure. I didn’t know how to turn my life around.
But then, I started learning some tough life truths that helped me get better and stronger. These truths have changed my life for the better, and I’m sharing them with you in the hope that they will help you, too.
12 Brutally Tough Life Truths I Wish I Knew Earlier!
Here are the 12 Brutally Tough Life Truths I Wish I Knew Earlier! Let’s dive.
1. You Will Never Be Completely Happy.
Happiness is an emotion, and like all emotions, it’s fleeting. You’ll never be able to hold on to happiness any more than you can hold on to being angry or sad. The pursuit of happiness is a modern invention, and it’s a recipe for misery.
You can find joy in simple things, and you can create a meaningful life, but don’t expect to be happy all the time. It’s okay to be unhappy. It’s okay to be sad.
It’s okay to be angry. You are a human being with a wide range of emotions, and you are not your emotions.
You are not only what you feel in the moment. You are the sum of all your experiences, and that includes the good and the bad.
2. Everyone Is Afraid of Something.
Fear is a natural emotion we’re all born with. It’s a powerful tool that can keep us safe, but it can also be a big obstacle that gets in the way of our happiness.
The truth is, everyone is afraid of something. It could be something big or something small, but fear is fear.
The most successful people are afraid of failing. The most confident people are afraid of feeling rejected. The most outgoing people are afraid of being alone.
The difference between someone who is happy and successful and someone who isn’t is not the absence of fear, but the ability to move through it.
The goal isn’t to avoid fear, but to walk through it. You don’t have to be fearless to be happy. You just need to learn how to fear the right things.
You are not in control of your life, your job, or your relationships. There are too many variables and moving parts that you can’t predict or force.
You are in control of your thoughts, words, and actions. You are in control of your habits and routines. And you are in control of how you respond to what happens to you.
When you focus on what you can control, you’ll have more power and influence in your life than you think. When you focus on what you can’t control, you’ll feel weak and helpless.
4. You Are Not Special.
I know, I know, you are a special snowflake. But the truth is, you are not special just because you exist. You are special because of what you do with your existence.
The world doesn’t owe you anything, and you aren’t entitled to anything. You have to earn your place in this world. You have to work hard to become special. You have to do things that are so extraordinary that people can’t help but think of you as special.
You will never be ready for that next step. You will never be ready for that next promotion, that next business venture, or that next level of your relationship.
You will never be ready to start a family, to move to a new city, to take on a new project, or to run a marathon. You won’t be ready for the circumstances life throws at you, and you won’t be ready for the opportunities that come your way.
You won’t be ready to live and you won’t be ready to die. You won’t be ready to be born and you won’t be ready to say goodbye. You won’t be ready to say hello, and you won’t be ready to say, “I love you.”
You will never be ready for the next step, and it’s okay. You must simply take the next step and get ready along the way. Action breeds readiness.
6. Your Life Is Not Special.
Your life is not special. The sooner you realize that, the quicker you can get to work on making it special.
Not everyone gets a trophy for just showing up. Not everyone gets a happy ending. Not everyone gets to be the hero. That’s just not how life works.
The sooner you stop expecting your life to be special, the sooner you can start doing the things that will make it special. And you know what? That’s a good thing. Because it means you’re in control of your own destiny.
7. You Will Never Be Perfect.
You will never be perfect, and you will never be able to make everyone happy. This is a fact of life you need to accept.
The only thing you can do is be the best version of yourself. You can always improve and get better, but you will never be perfect.
Perfection is impossible and the pursuit of it will only lead to disappointment.
It’s a shock to the system when you realize you are not entitled to anything. Not even life. Not even happiness. Not even the next breath. No one owes you anything. No one is responsible for your happiness. No one is responsible for your success.
You have to earn it all. You have to work for it all. You have to take responsibility for it all.
Life doesn’t owe you anything, but you owe yourself everything. You owe yourself the effort. You owe yourself the work. You owe yourself the time. You owe yourself the dedication. You owe yourself everything.
9. You Are Going to Die.
It’s not a fun thing to think about, but it’s the most certain thing in your life: You are going to die.
It’s not just your loved ones who are going to die. It’s not just your enemies who are going to die. You are going to die.
This is not a morbid thought. It’s a liberating one. The fact that this life is temporary is what gives it meaning. If you had forever, you’d have no urgency to do anything.
You’ve got to take action and do the things you want to do in this life. You’ve got to tell the people you love that you love them. You’ve got to make your impact.
10. You Will Never Be “finished.”
The concept of being “finished” is something that is taught to us in our early years of life. You go to school, and you get a degree. You get a job, and you retire. It’s a simple, neat, and tidy way of thinking. It’s also completely unrealistic.
The truth is, you will never be finished. You will never be perfect. There will always be more to learn, more to see, more to do, more to be. The sooner you embrace this, the sooner you can stop feeling anxious about the future and start focusing on the present.
11. You Are Not Your Thoughts.
We all have that voice inside our head that we can’t seem to turn off. It’s the voice that tells us we’re not good enough. It’s the voice that tells us we’re not smart enough. It’s the voice that tells us we’re not pretty enough.
But the truth is, you are not your thoughts. You are the person who is aware of your thoughts. And when you can separate yourself from your thoughts, you can begin to change them.
12. You Are Not Your Emotions.
You are not your emotions. You are the thinker of your thoughts, but you are not your thoughts. You are the feeler of your feelings, but you are not your feelings. Feelings are not personal, permanent, or absolute.
And you are never “wrong” for feeling what you feel. You’re human and you feel things. That’s how you know you’re alive.
You don’t have to control your feelings, you just have to control how you react to them. In fact, suppressing your feelings is a recipe for stress, illness, and emotional imbalance.
So don’t be afraid to feel your feelings, and don’t be afraid to feel them deeply. They are the most human part of you. Because even if it feels like it’s going to stay this way forever, it won’t. Your feelings will change. And so will you.
Conclusion: 12 Brutally Tough Life Truths I Wish I Knew Earlier.
The more you put yourself out there, the more you will get rejected. Rejection is simply a necessary part of the process that will bring you closer to success. Don’t take it personally, and don’t let it stop you.
Embracing these harsh realities equips you with resilience and clarity. Life is an ongoing journey, not a destination; each lesson learned builds your character and fortitude.
As you confront fears, accept imperfections, and acknowledge that life offers no guarantees, you cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself and your place in the world. This growth fosters adaptability, allowing you to navigate challenges with greater ease.
Remember, every setback is merely a stepping stone toward progress. Ultimately, it’s the accumulation of experiences both joyful and painful that shapes who you are and how you thrive amidst life’s uncertainties.