What I Have Learnt From Year 2018

Inspired by John Hansen's article, A Creed for the Third Millenium, I have decided to share what I have learnt from 2018 because the year is coming to an end soon. The HubPages community has also inspired me to write this as they are super positive people!

Here is the link to John Hansen's article,

https://remedygrove.com/wellness/A-Creed-For-the-Third-Millennium

Sure, we can say 2019 is just another year and New Year's Day is just an ordinary day but I feel that if I pen down lessons from 2018, I would be able to wrap up the year like a Christmas present in a nice bow so that it is safe and I can take a peek into 2018 in case I lose my memory.

Isn’t it disappointing to find out at the last minute why some things did not go as planned and you feel the need to say that you should have known that earlier? Answers did not come from within but externally like friends and family. You may have accidentally brushed off the issues and found out later regretfully why they arose.

Lesson: It's a good habit to acknowledge issues at the point of occurrence but discovering answers to their existence later is better than never as long as you learn from the mistake.

There may be inconsistencies between the thoughts in your head and the words that are meant to convey those thoughts. I have a poor habit of fumbling with words so I have to rephrase my sentences in my head to match what I intend on expressing verbally. I get frustrated if I don’t get it right and get misunderstood.

Lesson: When misunderstandings happen, there should be patience and kindness over logic. Don’t beat up yourself for creating misunderstandings or get annoyed if you misunderstand others. How can we possibly say the exact match from our head all the time? With practice, it be can be overcome too.

Over thinking creates a burden on your shoulders. Depending on the situation, if you take the words of others as they are, you would not have the need to blame others and yourself. It may not even be an issue.

Lesson: Learn to let go, see the good in others and give the benefit of doubt to them.

There will always be opinions that contradict your original beliefs and what others had to say earlier. It’s not a matter of right or wrong because everyone’s experience is different.

Lesson: I believe that good opinions come from trustworthy people and should reflect your situation because the person giving the opinion may not get the big picture. In the end, you decide what to believe in.

There’s a saying that the truth hurts but lying is worse. We can’t say that the first impressions we give are lies but people are going to judge you and create the idea that you are worse or better than you are.

Lesson: You are your own judge and you should know yourself better than others. A compliment may not reflect who you are plus it’s a passing moment but it's something to consider to improve. It’s not always that we receive compliments and we should be thankful to have positive people in our lives. They mean well and we can learn from them.

People who I look up to are usually busy and tired but somehow they still have energy to make time for me. They may not be there to control my situation but I have learnt they are the ones who give me strength.

Lesson: Spending that extra time to be there for someone even if little, goes a long way. You may not find the right words or be an expert at making wise decisions for the person you advice but your goal should be to assist the person to get back on their feet or recover by being positive. Personally, I think that if you are sincere, that will suffice.

Even if you think that something is alright to you, it may not be alright to another.

Lesson: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We may not be punished for doing a silly mistake but we should have more respect for others and definitely self-respect otherwise we wouldn't have known it's a wrong thing.

Walking among strangers made me wonder what they were thinking. Could it be that they were going through hardship or maybe they suddenly remembered that they forgot to switch off the oven. They inspire me to be strong because there will come a time when I would have to be more independent and survive on my own.

Lesson: Make the effort to be more observant and learn as much as you can every day. Picking up new skills is very important to make sure you can live normally and be at peace.

Note to Hubbers: Feel free to go against my lessons and comment. The more opinions, the merrier.