This is Day 7 of the 21-Day Journaling Challenge held in Nov 2011. The challenge is now over but you can do the tasks in your own time. Visit the overview page for all the challenge tasks.
Hi everyone – Welcome to Day 7 of 21DJC! :)Yesterday’s question was: “What Frustrates You?“.Thank *you* for your earnest responses. While it’s good to be positive, and to focus on the positive stuff, the thing is frustration is one in the spectrum of emotions we experience as humans. Everyone feels frustrated in some way or another – it’s just a matter of (a) whether you’re aware of it (b) whether you want to admit it or not.Some people may think: “Oh well, I’m never frustrated”, or “I’ve overcome frustration because I choose not to focus on negative things, only positive stuff”. Fair enough, but my question, and my challenge to you would be: Is it true that you’re never frustrated, or are you just not conscious of it? And for those people who still insist you’re never frustrated, are you perhaps denying your emotions, and deluding yourself?While the *feeling* of frustration is not a positive experience, it’s not a negative phenomenon per se. All emotions, as with all situations in life, are neutral occurrences. To give it any meaning beyond what it is, would be to turn it into something that it’s not.Like all of you, I have my fair share of times when I feel frustrated. Just yesterday, I was quite frustrated with the moderator of a conference I was speaking at, because for some reason, the outline that was agreed upon before the panel was not adhered to. I was frustrated because I had prepared a fair bit for the conference, and I felt half of the work had gone to waste, never to be absorbed by others. I was frustrated because it didn’t allow me to showcase my best value to the audience, who were there to learn about the topic.I would also be frustrated whenever people got in my way of growing, or helping others to grow. Because this is my life purpose, it felt like everything was at stake when I wasn’t allowed to pursue it. I would feel scrunched up on the inside, like my existence has been compromised.Other things that would frustrate me include people who impose their values on others, people who give their opinions and advice when not asked for, irresponsible people, people who make empty promises, when I sabotage my own weight loss efforts, naysayers, people who try to attack my beliefs, among others.I don’t think we should concern ourselves with eliminating frustration as an emotion. Neither should we let the feeling of frustration perpetuate too. Frustration happens as a result of things not going our way, so it’s a useful tool in self-discovery and growth.I think whenever we feel frustrated, we should strive to understand the source of our frustrations, learn from the situation, and apply what we learned, so the same situation will not recur in the future. This is what it means to learn and grow.With that said, let’s now move to today’s question!
Hi everyone – Welcome to Day 7 of 21DJC! :)Yesterday’s question was: “What Frustrates You?“.Thank *you* for your earnest responses. While it’s good to be positive, and to focus on the positive stuff, the thing is frustration is one in the spectrum of emotions we experience as humans. Everyone feels frustrated in some way or another – it’s just a matter of (a) whether you’re aware of it (b) whether you want to admit it or not.Some people may think: “Oh well, I’m never frustrated”, or “I’ve overcome frustration because I choose not to focus on negative things, only positive stuff”. Fair enough, but my question, and my challenge to you would be: Is it true that you’re never frustrated, or are you just not conscious of it? And for those people who still insist you’re never frustrated, are you perhaps denying your emotions, and deluding yourself?While the *feeling* of frustration is not a positive experience, it’s not a negative phenomenon per se. All emotions, as with all situations in life, are neutral occurrences. To give it any meaning beyond what it is, would be to turn it into something that it’s not.Like all of you, I have my fair share of times when I feel frustrated. Just yesterday, I was quite frustrated with the moderator of a conference I was speaking at, because for some reason, the outline that was agreed upon before the panel was not adhered to. I was frustrated because I had prepared a fair bit for the conference, and I felt half of the work had gone to waste, never to be absorbed by others. I was frustrated because it didn’t allow me to showcase my best value to the audience, who were there to learn about the topic.I would also be frustrated whenever people got in my way of growing, or helping others to grow. Because this is my life purpose, it felt like everything was at stake when I wasn’t allowed to pursue it. I would feel scrunched up on the inside, like my existence has been compromised.Other things that would frustrate me include people who impose their values on others, people who give their opinions and advice when not asked for, irresponsible people, people who make empty promises, when I sabotage my own weight loss efforts, naysayers, people who try to attack my beliefs, among others.I don’t think we should concern ourselves with eliminating frustration as an emotion. Neither should we let the feeling of frustration perpetuate too. Frustration happens as a result of things not going our way, so it’s a useful tool in self-discovery and growth.I think whenever we feel frustrated, we should strive to understand the source of our frustrations, learn from the situation, and apply what we learned, so the same situation will not recur in the future. This is what it means to learn and grow.With that said, let’s now move to today’s question!21DJC Day 7
Today is Day 7, which marks the end of the 1st week out of the 3 weeks of our 21-Day Journaling Challenge. Having shared the things that frustrate us yesterday, today, I’d like you to reflect on:What is the Most Important Thing You’ve Learned in Life So Far?
Your Task Today:
- Reflect and answer today’s question. There’s no word limit – whether minimum or maximum. Write as few or as many words as you want. It’s all up to what you want to express!
- Share your answer. After you are done writing, copy and paste your answer in the comments area and post it there.
- Check out other participants’ answers. Other participants will be sharing their answers too, so feel free to read and reply to their answers. This is a group course, so let’s support each other in these 21 days.
Look forward to reading your answers! :D
((Images: Empty book for journaling, Man lying on the field))
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That I’m not better than anyone else.
Most people who know me think I project a quiet, humble persona, but deep down, I’m really arrogant. It used to be worse. Part of it, ironically, came from having such a wonderful childhood. I had loving and encouraging parents, and everything I tried, I was successful at. The only problem was that I didn’t fit in socially where I lived, so I quickly turned that around to me being better than everyone else. They didn’t “get” me because they weren’t as smart/artistic/cultured/generally amazing as I was.
I didn’t suffer many setbacks as a young adult either, because, looking back, I didn’t take too many chances. So, I started feeling pretty smug, and pretty critical of people whose lives hadn’t gone so well.
I pulled this off for quite a while. I worked for a big bank and advanced quickly up the corporate ladder, just as I thought I would. I finally ran into a job I couldn’t do very well, but managed to jump into something that worked better for me without my ego taking too big a hit. My husband started to show signs of serious mental illness, but he had enough good days that I could stay in denial for quite some time.
By my thirties, things were deteriorating quickly. My job was okay, but it wasn’t going anywhere, and it was extremely stressful. My husband became completely non-functional. He was bipolar, but more down than up. When he was up, he spent incredible amounts of money, but wasn’t earning any. He became suicidal on a regular basis. He was on medication, but it wasn’t enough. My days became 9-10 hours of super-stressful work, dealing with really difficult co-workers and customers (my specialty), then coming home, usually to a completely trashed condo, and staying up all night talking my husband down from suicide plans.
I managed that for a few years, but after a while, my mind and body just shut down. I ended up hospitalized five times for colitis, and it took nearly two years to get under control. My doctor told me I needed to choose my husband or my job, preferably getting rid of both. I chose my husband, but that meant I lost my job, my health insurance, all of our savings, and eventually, our house.
We struggled through a few more years, with me running a business my husband had started in better days from home, and getting a lot of help for his family. I felt like a crap charity case. Even after my health improved, I didn’t see how I could leave him at home while I went back to work. I was getting some support from a local mental health organization finally, but all it really did was reinforce how at the end of my rope I was.
10 days after I finally publicly admitted that I’d had it and I needed help, my husband died unexpectedly, in his sleep. It was very far from the end of all of my problems, and in spite of how hard things had been, I missed him terribly.
I finally started to heal, though, and with a completely new mindset. I was able to see how badly my pride and arrogance had hurt me. It’s one thing to get into a bad situation, but to not acknowledge it and ask for help just compounds it. I’d pushed friends and family away, rather than admit to any weakness. Fortunately, they were right there for me when I finally asked for them.
Today, I’m filled with gratitude that I’m getting a second chance. I’m also aware that most of my good fortune in early life was down to luck (being born to fantastic parents), not any special ability that I had. Now, when I see someone having a hard time, I just have to remind myself of how strong I WASN’T when things were tough for me. I’m truly not better than anyone else.
I learned to depend on Jesus & follow His leading, and then everything else falls to its proper place, such as health, good relationships, fulfilled work, life purpose, meaning of life,helping others etc.
I like your answer. When I thought of this question I only thought about other things that I have learned. Learning about God is the most important lesson I have learned. My faith is what has kept me going through any hard times I have faced and it is my strength.
Today’s question is somewhat hard because it feels like my mind is a collection of file-cabinets where the files are my thoughts which are in random order & i must sift through each one to find the most important!
Technically though, if it’s the most important then the answer should be clear.
After thinking about this question for quite some time, I must say that the most important thing I learned in life is about the afterlife.
It’s the most important because it affects my feelings, my thoughts, my actions & ultimately my destiny in a way unlike any other. I would be at a loss in my life without this simple piece of knowledge, it has helped me to always see hope & to never give up on God’s mercy. It also keeps on pushing me to try and see things in a positive light as much as I can :)
I am 34 years old. I’ll be 35 years old on November 22. So, in my 35 years of life, the most important thing I have learned is to try to find some type of peace with people you love or care about even if it means overlooking huge character flaws. Try to express to the people important your life how much you love them because death comes to us all. No age limit and discrimination. The most hardest life lesson that I had to start learning when I was 16 years old. Once someone is gone, your chance is over, and the thing that haunts me are things I wish I had said to people I have lost. So, I try to never forget that the people I still have in my life could be gone later today and I want them to know how special they were.
My grandparents and aunt raised me. My mother moved away when she married my step dad and we never had a close relationship. Up until I was 30 years old, I had never met my biological father.
My grandfather had a stroke my junior year in high school and was in a hospital bed with a feeding tube up until my senior year. He passed away my senior year before I graduated. 4 months later, my aunt passed away unexpectedly in her early 40’s. I was 17 years old and had just graduated high school. It was the hardest two events I had to deal with but my grandmother had just lost her husband and 4 months later lost her oldest daughter. The pain of burying a child almost killed her. She clung to her faith in God and I clung to her. I made my life about making her happy. She passed away in 2000. My world crashed down around me before I was 23 years old. Since then I have lost my best friends mother who was like a mother to me, my mom passed away in 2008. As I mentioned above, I met my father in 2007. He passed away two months after my mother. I have lost friends, cousins, aunts. Just this past year, my 18 year old cousin was in a car wreck with his 22 year old brother and a close friend of ours. My 18 year old cousin and our close friend both died in April. My 22 year old cousin survived the car wreck but was having to go through physical therapy and surgeries, not to mention the lose of his brother. So in July of this year, he was found dead in his bedroom.
So, this is the most important thing I’ve learned in life. Death comes at any time and you can’t prevent it even when you try. I don’t want to have any regrets about what I could have said to my loved ones that have passed and I also don’t want to pass away without my loved ones knowing how much they mean to me.
Netta,
I’m so sorry for your losses and the pain I can feel when I hear your words and your voice. You are brave and strong to be sharing this lesson so that others may learn from it before they have lost someone they love or have regrets because of things unsaid. It is so true we all go through life planning for tomorrow, putting off until tomorrow never considering that we or someone we love may not have tomorrow.
I realize the way it’s coming out sounds depressing but I mean it just in the way you said at the end, that you should never wait to tell someone you love them or show someone you care. Now is always the time to share in love!!
Also Happy almost Birthday! I will be 32 on November 22nd and I hope that your birthday is full of love and joy!!
:heart: Raven
The most important thing I have learned in life to date is simply:
“Everything you do, don’t do, say, or don’t say has an effect on someone somewhere” and that I should be aware of this fact at all times.
The most Important thing I have learned in life is,
Live every moment rather than always planning for something….Enjoy things you do,no matter whether it is big or not..
Life is too short on this planet…as time passes by very quickly like the days slips into months and months slips into years and goes on..We need to focus on things what we do in this very moment.Everone wants to achieve something big, without knowing that life is made up of little things. Remember that these little things when getting added up, it forms a shape called memories that will last forever.. :D
The most important thing in life I have learned so far is that you can only depend on yourself, and no one else.
I know this but I need to write it down. Sometimes I forget that I can’t always depend on someone else.
All the achievement and limitation set on ourselves is through mind only.
The most important thing i have learned so far is that i have not figured it all out so far. Therefore humliity and the desire to open mindedly learn, and adopt new things and embrace new ideas is essential. I have learned (all the same learning) that i have some core beleifs, morals and ethical values which stick. However, i have recognized my lack of complete understanding and am therefore (still learning) to give up control to a wiser authority (God). Probably the hardest thing ever. This has also included learning how not to judge or be critical, how to love one’s self as well as others, and just be open and try to be comfortable in odd and awkward situations.
Having lived with very controlling person for almost 40yrs, although still married to him, the most important thing I have learnt is not to give all of myself over to him. In doing this I have been able to keep my sanity, keep my marriage, keep my family together and thus allow my grand children the privilledge of growing up with a family intact. Finally I have been able to understand the need to detatch myself emotionally and begin to find the happiness that I deserve despite whatever those important others are experiencing. The most important learning curb of all is that despite all the negatives it is never too late to learn and to pass on that learning to others. :dance: :dance:
:!: EVERYONE has free will, not everyone knows/understands this. No one should take that for granted.
The most important thing i have learned in life so far is, don’t do anything that will embarass you, your family, your loved ones. There is no harm in accepting certain things suggested by anyone (may be a friend or enemy) if they are good for you. And be yourself always.
What is the most important thing I’ve learned so far in life?
Most important.
I am still in the midst of learning it.
Understanding. Wisdom. Unified with Acceptance and Humility.
Life goes fast. Everybody has their own story. Selfish is a horrible word to throw around… especially in your own mind. You MUST take care of yourself. After spending years being guilted by the ‘don’t be selfish’ motto (meaning put yourself last…) I reached rock bottom. It took that moment to realize the actual selfishness was not on my part, but on the part of those using the word to manipulate and control me. (Of course, I allowed it. Not any more – I am now learning to embrace my ‘Selfish’ title… and not be the care taker of all.)
Congratulations Nancy, that is a hard lesson to learn and it is amazing how we have to hit rock bottom to learn it. I am still in the process of it.
I know how you feel. I don’t always do it but a lot of the time I put others before myself. Now I am starting to focus more on myself and my goals. I still like doing things for others I do get a happiness in doing so. Sometimes you have to do things for yourself because your worth it. When you put yourself on the side lines you end up becoming a little depressed from it.
The most important thing that I have learned in life is that LIFE is the most important thing in the world. It is a precious state of being that can be so easily destroyed – cancer, mental health, acts of violence etc. However, it is also the most spectacular thing in the world, it truely amazes me that we can bring such a precious life into the world, that flora and fauna can still survive in the most harsh conditions on the planet, and that it could all end at any given second for us.
I love your answer. You summed up what took me a whole page to try to explain. Life is short and someone can be gone in the blink of an eye. The beauty of it is the time we have with them and the loved ones that are still here. :)
Seize the day, or die regretting the time you lost.
Yes, I did copy that line from the song “Seize the Day” by Avenged Sevenfold :dance: .
Anyways, what I mean is, I only have one life, one chance to live, one chance to make a difference. That “chance to live” might last for seventy more years, but that doesn’t mean I should start living after I grow old.
If I don’t literally snatch all the opportunities I can find, I would miss out on them. This means I would miss out on lots of potentially good times, or even life-changing milestones. Going to church has changed my life forever, and it all started because someone invited me to go and I had said yes.
However, there are times when I have to be patient and wait for opportunities. I think that dating is one of those things where you need to know when to seize the day, and when to just WAIT for the day to come. Which could take weeks, months, years.
Now that I think about it, some of life’s biggest events require you to wait a long time. Like going to college. I guess the best thing to do then is to prepare myself and spend a lot of time getting ready. To some extent, that contradicts what I said at the beginning. I guess life is a balance between waiting and going, stopping and starting, resting and continuing. Life itself IS a delicate balance.
My conclusion: Life is confusing and can get tough at times. Get used to it. I still have a lot to learn about life from life itself…
“Just because you don’t see the stars, it doesn’t mean they’re not shining.”
I will say it simple because it is not something you can learn from a reading, it is something you have to live it in order to learn it. Thinks are the way they are, you can’t control them, but you can control the way you see them. You may not be able to change things around you, but you can change the way you see things. Do not see things with negativity see them with a good eye, and believe in the things you want with your hart and you will see how they will come true. :D
I think the thing that I’ve learned is that “it is Not all about me!” The universe does not conspire to make me late, to give me a difficult customer, to give me a cold, etc. Or perhaps it does and there is some lesson to be learned from these experiences. At any rate, how people act toward me or just act in general, is about them, not about me. So I can give up trying to control things because other people’s behavior is not about me. How freeing this realization is:-)
The most important lesson I’ve learned in life so far is that one cannot give what one does not have. I can only give love if I know how to love myself.I cannot give comfort if I do not know how to comfort myself.I cannot give a sincere appreciation if I do not appreciate myself.I think I grew up with the background noise of self-loathing. I’m still undoing its damage and effects upon my psyche and it seems the 2nd half of my life will be a time of undoing all that and i’m hopeful!
Hi Celes & everyone :)
I am one of those who couldn’t come up with anything particular that frustrates me. Whatever I had said, I didn’t mean that I NEVER get frustrated. What I said was that I don’t get frustrated EASILY.
If somebody had asked me the same question a year ago, I would have given them a long list of things that frustrate me. But now, I cannot answer the question “what frustrates me?” because I don’t have anything particular that frustrates me anymore.
For the common things that used to frustrate me in the past, I have either found solutions or learned to accept things as they are. This doesn’t mean that I don’t get frustrated at all. I do get frustrated, but there is no particular situation that triggers frustration. It could be anything depending on the situation/time/mood.
In short, I don’t have a particular answer to the question “what frustrates me?” It is different in different situation/time/mood.
I am not so good with expressing my thoughts in words. But I have tried my best. Hope I have explained my answer properly this time :shy:
What is the Most Important Thing You’ve Learned in Life So Far?
The most important thing I have learned in life so far is that I am more disappointed by the things I didn’t do than the things I did. If I want something, I should just go for it rather than finding excuses against it. Even if I fail, I’ll learn many valuable lessons in the way of experience. But if I don’t even try, then I would keep wondering or regretting with “what ifs”.
Iva,
This is an excellent answer and takes more courage than we would think to try and risk to fail than to live safe and always wonder….I always thought I was an outgoing person but in the last couple years of self-reflection, I have discovered that I let fears and other peoples opinions shape too many of my choices in life. It was helpful to me to read your post and hear someone else say it out loud. Because although I have mistakes that I’ve made occassionally haunt me from time to time it is as you said, the things I past up or missed out on that disappoint me the most.
Thanks for the great lesson!!
Raven :hug:
Hi Eva,
Thank you for sharing your deep heart felt reflection of today’s daily task!
I agree with you on “what frustrates me?” It is different in different situation/time/mood.” Very true.
I believe Iva, that you have the power to change anything in virtal reality and the reality you make up. Don’t hold onto regret or disappointment. If there was something in your past you didn’t want to do or didn’t achieve, what is stopping you going out there today and go getting it? You deserve to live a life free of regret, disappointment and remorse – these things are not natural.
I say, don’t hold back. Be fearless. Make no room for excuses. Just get out there and do it! Never let anyone or anything discourage you because its just adversity and the boundaries we put up to make things ‘safe’ and ‘acceptable’.
I hope I did not come across to sharp or too direct… Sometimes you just have to be stern!
All the best,
Ezzy :heart: :heart: :heart:
p.s – I look forward to seeing your next comment on the daily task. BTW – I am stalking you too. Love your comments :dance:
Above all else of what I’ve learnt in the last 5 years… I believe the most important thing I’ve learnt is to be yourself and be passionate about the things in life that make up you as a being.
Be who you are, not what society expects you to be and live life accordingly to them – the naysayers. You are the best person, in your true form – energy self – be that person, never allow anyone or anything take away the real you. You know, the one that you wake up to every morning, the one you shower with and the one you are at peace with and love. This is the person, I have come to love and appreciate, because no one else can live my life but me.
So, my advice is: live life to the fullest, accept, be brave, love fiercely and be true to yourself – always.
All the Best,
Ezza :love:
Hi Ezza :hug:
I have been following your comments like a stalker since day one :lol:
I can relate to most of the comments you have posted so far and I am learning many valuable lessons from you everyday. Thanks for sharing! Have a great day :D
Hi Eva,
Hahahaha! :mrgreen: My friendly neighbor spy – that is so cute! Awww… You are so sweet. Thank you in abundance.
Iva, I am glad there is someone out there who can relate to me and perhaps know what I went through. Its great to have this kind of feedback. I love to help and inspire others. I believe we should share our knowledge, experience and wisdom. You know, I am happy for you that you take something from my entry here and make it your own.
– thanks for sharing hun! I will have a great day. Up early and living large today!
All the Best,
Ezzy :hug:
I love this, Ezza!
I concur with your thoughts. It’s a little disheartening now to see people who are asleep in life and make choices because it’s “safe” even though it’s not what they are passionate about. Modern society has shaped our minds to accept what’s deemed appropriate and it is destroying people’s souls who are unable to find the fulfilment of their passions and dreams.
Hi Jeffrey,
Thank you for sharing! ;)
Absolutely – I agree with you.
It’s hard to believe at one stage of my life I was sleeping while I was wide awake, though I’d admit I always felt different to most people. And I don’t think like most people either.:) My brain is rewired differently and strangely ;) However, Modern society as you mentioned (above) is built this way to keep us boxed in, reserved, material zombies, keep the economy stable and keep us controlled as a society. On the flip side of this… there will always two sides of one coin.
All the best and thank you for sharing – love your comments!
:dance: Ezza
The most important thing I´ve learned so far is that we only have one life, at most 80 or 90 years to live which doesn´t seem like too much to me. So we shouldn´t waste our time doing things we don´t like or complaining about how bad our situation is, we should get out there and live the best life we can possibly live, trying to make our dreams come true, and if we don´t like something, the power to change it is in us.
I want to be able to, when I´m old, look back and see that I lived the best life I could live, that I did as many things as I could, that I used every opportunity that was given to me, that I spent my live doing something I loved.
Life is hard, real hard, life is sometimes unfair, nothing is free or easy, if you want something you have to work as hard as you possibly can because nobody is going to give it to you. We fall down, we get pushed, but the secret is to get up one more time than we´ve been knocked down.
I know were I want to be and I´m not going to stop until I get there, because I know I can do it. That is the most valuable lesson I´ve learned in this 18 years.
Well, to me is Nothing Last Forever so we must always be prepared to evolve, innovate and embrace changes. Just like Steve Jobs who has revolutionise the way we communicate, play and work with the devices he has invented.
We’re living in a precarious era where the Global Economic Environment is getting bad to worse which might sink into a major recession or depression. I’ve learned to take things in stride and always be prepared with a Positive Attitude and Behaviour to make the best out of a bad situation.
Some years will be splendid, others will be a drag, but what we can do is to try to be prepared and do our best always.
You wake up, you’re in with a chance!
So simple, so true.
I have learned that God loves us so much that he made life so easy, so basic, for us to live to our full potential
and enjoy life all together. So basic that i can literary change any situation in life by simply changing
the way i look at. So basic that i can decide to and have full control of my feelings. We create our own
lives on a daily basis based on the feelings we decide to accommodate inside ourselves. Depending on what feelings i have towards my work, i do wake up and commute several hours every day to get there. So the most
important thing i have learned in life is that God gave us all the tools we will ever need to succeed in life
and more. If it is ever to be, ever to happen for me, it is up to me. God gave me a vehicle which is my body
fully loaded with the most advanced technological features to enable me to perform any task that i ever desired at any given time in my life and the only person who can flip the switch is me. So i design the life i lead, and that is a powerful life lesson.
Success is taking steps towards my worthy ideal.
Happiness isn’t a feeling- It is a choice
Yesterday is gone, today is all I have. Make the most of it.
Whatever happens…keen on keeping on.
Be clear on what I want….Chief AIM!!!!(Desire)
I will have to quote Mahatma Gandhi for the most important lesson.
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
This is a straightforward lesson about how you must act how you want the people around you to act. Be kind, and don’t be a jerk. You must take the steps to initiate what you think is important so that it may become reality.
Hi Jeffery,
Absolutely – I agree with you. Thank you for sharing Mahatma Gandhi’s quote! :dance:
The most important thing I have learnt is that I am the master of my own destiny. Everything I do is based on the decisions I make and the attitude and focus I apply to my decision.
I have made many wrong decisions in the past and I can say that with the wisdom of hindsight but at the time I thought it was the right decision or I wasn’t sure about making a decision involving change – I tended to stay where I was because I felt “comfortable”. I declined pursuing a job with IBM while I was employed at a software startup with great potential. Unfortunately that company went broke in December 2001 and the next job I took was a disaster leading to several years of unsatisfactory employment. It is not easy to assess risk when making decisions but I have learnt to make the best possible decisions at the time, be brave and make the decision then go with it.
Success and growth are a result of my own planning and efforts and I cannot expect other people to do it for me. Even when I am an employee, I need to control my own professional development. In my personal life, I choose to invest time in personal growth and have done so for nearly 30 years learning about goal setting, time management, project planning and various “brain skills”.
The most important thing I’ve learned in life so far.
At first I had no idea what this could be. But thinking about it, there are actually quite a few things. The most important important though would have to be something that without, I would be writing this journal entry. Yes, learning to read, write and speak English, the sole language I’m familiar with.
Without this skill I would not be able to read books, understand what people are saying, communicate to other people, read signs, follow directions, write my name, understand the lyrics of songs, and so many other things.
As short as this answer has made my journal entry, I believe it’s quite significant how important learning his one thing in life has been.
Oops, a couple of typos here.. A stutter and a word missing. There should be a ‘not’ between ‘I would’ and ‘be’. Maybe I should go back to school to brush up on this most important thing I’ve learned? :)
I would not have thought about this. Reading and writing are extremely beneficial but so basic that I just take them for granted. There are people in the world who never have the opportunity to learn these things even in places you might not expect like Detroit, Michigan where half of all adults are illiterate. Being able to read and write may usually not seem so special but could you imagine your life without those skills?
Thanks Matt. I had no idea illiteracy was that bad in Michigan. Why is that, the education system? Parental neglect, or just a lack of proper schooling?
I had thought of a few other things I’ve learned similar to what a lot of people have mentioned here, but without being able to communicate with others, let alone read or write, there’s no way I would have any chance of learning about such things to begin with. So big thanks go out to late parents for teaching me the most basic forms of communication, and to my early school teachers for giving the proper ability to read and write.
I’m not sure if we know the exact cause. I think it would have to be a combination of Detroit’s crumbling economy, the quality of the schools, and overall culture of it’s citizens.
That’s sad. Although at least it never held the city back from becoming the birthplace of techno music back in the 80s which I watched a documentary about. They talked about a few of the social problems of Detroit in that documentary, and how these black kids were able to breakthrough and create something totally unique, regardless of how bad the place was at that time.
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