20 Realities to Live Your Best Life

1. People come and go. As I grew older, I realized my circle of friends became smaller. You’ll be so close to one person today, and suddenly you aren’t talking anymore. It’s life. People grow apart rather than grow as a part of you. Accept that and move on. Bringing me to my next point: 2. Every lesson has a price to pay. There is no free lunch, ever. You have to pay for it one way or another. People leave for a reason, so learn from that and move on. Take that as a learning experience. Some broken relationships might be a blessing in disguise even if you don’t see it at the moment. You may be hurt, but you might be the one hurting someone else. When a relationship ends, it will hurt. And it’s okay to cry. Bawl your eyes out. However, after those tears, get up and move on. You can look back, and do it. Because it’s when you learn the lessons you paid with this relationship. So learn it well. Look back, but remember: Never ever let it affect you so much you can’t move forward in life. 3. Keep people who care close to your heart. These people are hard to come by. Generally, if someone acts too gracious towards you, they want something in return. You know who are true only when you screw up. People who stick with you through your crap are real. That’s it. People who leave? Let them. There’s no point dwelling on nonsense like that. It’s not worth your emotions. 4. A relationship takes effort. You need to constantly make an effort to nurture that relationship. Don’t neglect someone because you think they will always be there. No, they won’t. As time passes, you drift apart and that is how everything tumbles downhill. If you treasure that relationship, show it. Give every friendship your 100% and don’t be afraid to get hurt. Because even if it doesn’t work out, you know you’ve done the best you can. You did everything in your power and you have no regrets whatsoever. 5. Grass is greener where you water it. You will often look at your peers, cousins, colleagues and close friends green with envy. They’ve got those achievements you don’t have; their life looks perfect. Or maybe that’s what you think. Everyone has their struggles no matter how great it looks. You never know. Just concentrate on your patch of grass, water it well, and it will grow longer and greener as days pass. Nothing comes easy, you have to work for your stuff. 6. You can’t please everyone. Never. You cannot. Do things you love, go all out. Say what you say, do what you do. You do you, and if there are people who hates whatever you’re doing, let them. People who matters will not care, and people who care, don’t matter. Don’t change yourself to please them, because they will not be contented. There will always be something for people to talk about. However, you need to know who to please to make your life easier. 7. Build meaningful relationships and build it well. Know who to please. (Boss, lecturer etc. you’ll need it) By pleasing I don’t mean full on sucking up. No. I mean talk to them, know what they like, and what they don’t like. Go out for lunch with them. Just be there. Your presence means everything. As time passes, bonds and relationships will be formed. Make sure you form it well. And it will do you good. 8. You need connections. Get out, get to know people. Interact even if you hate it. We all need to start somewhere. Do volunteer work, internships, and part-time jobs even if it means you’re doing the unpleasant tasks. Know names, take business cards, put your name out there and make sure you make an impression. Why? Because when you go out there and do stuff, you’ll need these people. It’s easier to get to where you want if you know people. So, do yourself a favor. 9. No one cares Stop complaining about how much your life sucks. Seriously, literally no one cares. So if it sucks that much, do something about it. The ball is in your court. Make a conscious decision to do something, you will be prepared to bear whatever consequences that comes together with it. Because at the end of the day, you’re responsible for yourself. 10. No one owes you anything. You are responsible for yourself. Your parents don’t owe you anything, your bosses don’t owe you anything, and your lecturers don’t owe you anything. You want something? You work hard and earn it. Don’t expect anyone to do anything for you. If they do, it’s a privilege, not an entitlement. Remember that. 11. Physical appearance isn’t everything. It’s how you carry yourself. I’d rather someone love me for my personality and knowledge than my looks. Carry yourself with respect, confidence and kindness, all will be well. You see people talking crap about a pretty face with an ugly personality, but you never see people talking about someone who has an awesome personality but a below average appearance. As you grow older, you really realize, your physical appearance really DOESN’T MATTER. 12. Your pride is not everything. It’s not. Your stupid pride isn’t worth crap. Put that pride down, and apologize when it’s needed. Friendships and relationships are worth far more than your stupid pride. Even if you hate your boss, you put that pride down and you say good morning when you see him. Because if you don’t say it, what do you think you’ll get out from it? Your useless pride and the risk of getting on that grumpy boss’s bad side. It’s not worth it. 13. You’re only truly happy when you make peace with yourself. Don’t look at others for validation. You’re going to be let down very often. Validate yourself. Same goes for happiness. Don’t rely on anyone for happiness, you’re going to inevitably be let down. Love yourself. And be confident. 14. Don’t be afraid of ridicule. People are bound to judge. They will pass comments. And they will not care about how you feel. Learn to laugh at yourself, you’ll find joy in that. Do not take what they say to heart. Analyze it, and if it’s crap, throw it away. Let them do them, and you do you! Use your actions and achievements to prove them wrong. However, do remember to take in constructive criticism. That’s how you grow. 15. Life is never fair. Never. You work as hard as someone but they get what they want and you don’t? Suck it up. Life isn’t fair, and it will never be. Work hard, and if you work hard enough, you will get to where you want to be. Eventually. 16. Live by what you believe in, regardless. Stick to your values and do not get swayed. You believe in second chances? Give that chance. You want to be vegan? Do just that. You want to be kind to people who least deserve it? Be kind. Don’t change who you are for someone who can’t accept you for you. 17. Count your blessings. Always. Always. Always. You’ll never get everything you want in life, but that’s life. Be contented with what you have, and you will be happy. There will always be someone better, richer, more attractive. You’ll never win, so don’t. Strive for the best version of yourself, not the best of someone else. 18. Choose your battles wisely. We all have battles to fight every single day. But choose it wisely. Is it worth fighting for? It is worth bruising your arm and cutting your knee? Prioritize. Also, very importantly, count your victories. A small step forward is a huge step in achieving whatever you want to achieve. 19. Always take a step back and view things from a different perspective. There’s always two parts of the story. Put yourself in their shoes and understand why they do what they did. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. More than often, we see things how we want them to be even though in most cases, it isn’t what our minds made it out to be. 20. Be kind. Always. Even if people take it for granted. Be kind. Kindness goes a long way. **Well there you have it, whether you agree with them or not. A collection of knowledge that could only be harvested from decades of interactions. While you might not like to hear some of this, we hope this information helps you to re-assess the potential for life improvement. Source: thoughtcatalog.com, Constance Lee, 12/2/19.

How Will You Stay Healthy This Winter?

Sore throats, runny noses, colds, and flu are a sure sign winter has settled in for the season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that on average adults come down with 2-3 colds per year. The good news is that most of us will recover in about 7-10 days. The bad news is it will take about 7-10 days to recover! Who has time to be sick? We all have things to do, places to be, or deadlines to meet. Taking that long to rest and recover doesn’t usually fit conveniently into our schedules. Fortunately, there are steps we can take to prevent winter illnesses. According to the CDC, there are three key ways we can reduce our risk of catching a cold: 1. First and foremost, wash our hands! Germs spread as we go throughout our day from our phones, to keyboards, to handshakes. The best way to stop germs in their tracks is frequent handwashing. If your schedule limits access to a sink regularly, regularly use a hand sanitizer that contains alcohol. 2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Cold causing germs can enter the body this way, increasing the risk of illness. 3. Lastly, avoid contact with people who are sick. WebMD offers more ideas to prevent colds: •Use a tissue to cover a cough or sneeze instead of your hands •Regularly participate in aerobic activity •Eat phytonutrient rich foods including dark green, red, and yellow vegetables and fruits •Don’t smoke •Reduce or eliminate alcohol intake If you do become ill this winter, protect others and stay home or at least minimize close contact with others. Use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose when you need to sneeze and try to move away from others before doing so. Wash your hands often and disinfect surfaces you touch to reduce the spread of germs. The best cold medicine is lots of rest and fluids. While over the counter (OTC) medications may reduce cold symptoms, they don’t cure a cold or make you better any faster. While many colds will resolve with appropriate rest, some circumstances are best treated by a doctor. If your symptoms are particularly severe or unusual, last for more than 10 days, or if the sick individual is younger than three months old and has a fever or is lethargic, the CDC recommends calling a doctor. Not all winter illnesses are colds or the flu. The single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, is pneumonia. Pneumonia causes inflammation in one or both lungs. The air sacs of the lungs may also fill with fluid, making it difficult to breathe and causing phlegm-producing coughs. It can be caused by a variety of germs but most commonly it is caused by bacteria or viruses in the air we breathe. Most often the body stops these germs from infecting our lungs. While children are particularly susceptible to catching pneumonia, the elderly (those over age 65) are also a vulnerable population. Among the elderly, pneumonia is the single most common cause of death from an infectious disease. Thankfully, pneumonia can be reduced with sufficient nutrition, and by correcting environmental risk factors. Like the common cold, a primary way we can prevent pneumonia is through regular, thorough hand washing. Additionally, keeping our immune systems strong and healthy through nutritious eating, regular exercise, and adequate sleep helps prevent pneumonia. Keep the lungs’ natural defenses strong by not smoking and avoiding second-hand smoke. No matter your age, pneumonia should be taken seriously. If you think someone in your family has pneumonia, seek medical attention quickly and do not wait for the infection to progress. ***Use these tips to keep yourself and your family healthy this winter and enjoy happy, healthy holidays. Source: Laura Bollinger, RDN; 11/16/19.