As an almost 22-year-old and a soon-to-be college graduate, there are quite a few life lessons I have picked up over the years. These life lessons may come from my peers, movies and books, my professors, and even from my own experiences. So embrace these lessons, or don’t it’s your life, but I have found that learning and embracing these mindsets have helped me have a more swift life with less anxiety and fear.Â
- Perfect Joy
Now I am not the most religious person in the world but I do enjoy and respect the teachings of St. Francis (this is my guy for real). It wasn’t until I studied abroad that I really became attracted to the values of St. Francis. One of his values is joy and to find joy within the daily sufferings. Joy doesn’t need to be upbeat and happy, the definition we are mostly used to, but instead and can be through patience and clarity. St. Francis also teaches to embrace joy as a way of life. And honestly I can’t think of a better example of this than my friend Ellie. We could be doing the most mundane things such as going to a grocery store, but Ellie finds a way to make it the most enjoyable experience of the day. It’s admirable to see Ellie everyday, and no matter what day she has she finds a way to be joyful and have a smile on her face. Everyone should be a little more like Ellie.Â
- I get to do this
Sometimes it’s easy to forget how lucky we are. I get to wake up every day, go for a walk, get an education, see my family, etc., and sometimes I forget that not everyone gets to do those things. I often find myself saying, “I have to go to class”, “ugh I have to go workout”, or “gosh I hate that I have to wake up early,” but I get to do those things! I get to receive an education, and I get to move my body for fitness and for fun. I am so lucky! Changing my mindset from “I have” to do things as if I am being forced reminds me how lucky I am, and it makes life more exciting.Â
- Kindness costs nothingÂ
My parents always taught me to be kind, but in a harsh world, sometimes it can be hard. But kindness does not need to be these huge and expensive acts. Kindness can be telling someone you like their outfit today. It can be smiling at a stranger or paying for the person behind you at a drive thru. You never know the type of day someone is having, and those little acts of kindness could be the highlight of someone’s day. Â
- Rich doesn’t equate to money
When I was younger, I used to dream of living in a huge house with lots of land and having a lot of money. That was my definition of rich. I have a new definition of rich now that I am older. I want to be rich with knowledge, friendships, happiness, passion, love, and more. As a college student, I definitely learned that money is not everything, mostly because I do not have money. But friendships are free. It does not cost anything to sit in a living room and have good, enriching conversations.Â
- You can’t please everyone… and that’s okay
Now, this is a tough pill to swallow, but trust me, once you do your life will change. I spent the majority of my life trying to make everyone happy until it became too exhausting to do so, and that’s because it’s impossible to please everyone. What matters most is trying to make yourself happy and the people you hold close to your heart happy.