50 Life Lessons Worth Learning

Happy New Year all you lovely people! Whilst I’m shuffling through all the incredible entries to the 12 Days of Giveaways, I thought I would start 2017 off with a post of thoughts, hacks and life lessons that I’ve learned and practice or am trying to practice in my life. Many of these are shouldn’t-even-need-to-be-saids but often do, and I’d love to hear your life hacks and lessons you’d like to learn or for others to learn this year in the comments below!

1.When a person tells you that you hurt them, you don’t get to decide that you didn’t – Louis C.K

 

2. Compliment people genuinely without expecting one in return. The ability to lift one’s spirits is a powerful tool and it will inspire others to do so as well.

3. If you need to wait until someone is out of earshot to say something, chances are you shouldn’t say it out loud anyways.

4. Be aware of your surroundings to avoid the dreaded foot-in-mouth syndrome. No one wants to be known as the person that’s always saying/doing the wrong things at the wrong time.

5. A drop of liquid dish soap rubbed over a stain before a garment is washed in the regular laundry will almost always get that stain out. Especially hard to remove grease stains.

6. Pointing out what you see as a flaw in someone’s body or making comments like “wow look how fat/skinny/bald/hairy/etc that person is” just makes you sound like an asshole.

7. Likewise, if you’re the type to comment on others physiques your friends and family will likely feel uncomfortable around you over time, feeling silently judged.

8. Also likewise, making fun of someone’s laugh is a surefire way to make them hesitate to smile or laugh around you, in fact solidifying you as an asshole.

9. Being weird is never a bad thing. Attempting to ‘normalise’ yourself will both dampen your personality and make you significantly more boring.

10. Avoid people who love to point out how many calories is in something that you are currently eating, or mention how they loved to eat said food when they were overweight. These people will never make you feel better about yourself.

11. You’ll never regret cutting a crappy friend out of your life.

12. If you only have 5 minutes to get ready, a tidy ponytail, curled lashes, mascara and bright lipstick will give the illusion of uber chic and not ‘slept through the alarm’.

13. You’ll never regret wearing sunscreen, but that sunburn on your chest will most definitely come back to bite you later in life.

14. ‘You can’t always get what you want. But if you try, sometimes, you find, you get what you need’ – The Rolling Stones

15. It’s ok to say “I don’t know” sometimes.

16. It’s even better to say “I don’t know, but I can find out”.

17. The most life enriching conversations will happen with people who you stop to really listen to, and likewise, can do the same for you. Life is too short for one-sided chit chat.

18. You’ll never regret taking the time to take your makeup off before bed.

19. Clean your house before you go away. Coming home to the thought of unpacking, laundry AND needing to clean your home is a surefire way to kick procrastination into overload.

20. Your hair straightener works amazingly fast at pressing creases into trousers, straightening collars or smoothing out a skirt hem.

21. Keep friends/family that are always in crisis mode over menial things at an arm’s length. You will inevitably get roped into their drama.

22. “Would you like fries with that?” the answer is always “Yes PLEASE” or “No THANK YOU”.

23. Likewise, if someone wishes you to “Have a nice day” the polite and appropriate response is “thank you, you as well” or something of the like.

24. When waiting in line at the store/bank/wherever stand one arm’s length behind the person in front of you. No one likes the feeling of someone right on their ass; It’s invasive and makes others uncomfortable.

25. Take your groceries out of the basket and put them on the counter/belt for the cashier to ring through. Do not be that person, who expects the cashier to reach over and unload your basket for you. Ever.

26. Never leave your phone charger or anything else plugged into the cigarette lighter in your car when the engine is turned off. Over time it can kill your car battery.

27. We wary of friends who frequently ask, “can you do me a favour” before telling you what it is.

28. Make a point to never be the person who says things like “Don’t take offence to this but…”

29. It will never, not be uncomfortable to call someone out on racist talk or behaviour, but it is something every single one of us need to do.

30. Makeup wipes are the devil and can not take the place of properly cleansing your face. Don’t let people fool you into thinking they can do the job.

31. Never, ever suggest to a parent how they should parent their child. I repeat: Never.

32. Likewise, if you are a parent, don’t be the type that speaks condescendingly to your childless friends. Saying things like “Once you’re a parent, you’ll understand” makes you sound like a dick.

33. Teasing people can create wonderful, harmless banter that enriches a friendship, as long as you’ve built the rapport with that person in the first place.

34. Likewise, if you tease someone and they tell you it wasn’t funny or it hurt their feelings: BACK OFF and apologise.

35. Admitting when you’re wrong can be difficult but you’ll be a much better person for doing it.

36. Likewise, rubbing someone’s face in the fact that you were right about something makes you a dick. Don’t do it.

37. Under promise, over perform. Always.

38. Don’t spend your younger years wishing you were older, trying to look older or wishing you had more experience for your age. We are young for such a short span of our lives, and you will regret not enjoying a youth of innocence and few responsibilities when you get older.

39. Always make a point of thanking someone for a gift in a timely manner. A phone call, thank you card or thoughtful email are all acceptable forms of thank, but waiting until the person who sent the gift contacts you to ask if you got it and then thanking them is tacky.

40. Don’t ever be the type to rehash other people’s failures. That’s such a shitty thing to do.

41. Always get regular oil changes and learn how to check the oil levels on your car. It’s not hard but is one of the most needed maintenance on a car.

42. Likewise, learn how to change a flat tire. It will be empowering to know how to get yourself out of a bind, and getting a tow is crazy expensive.

43. Stock your pantry with ‘always-needs’ that make it easy to whip up a quick dinner in a pinch or when unplanned company arrives. You’ll be known as the Martha Stewart/Boy Scout of your friends for always being prepared.

44. A basic tool kit is a one-time investment that will forever come in handy. From pliers to pull a hair clog out of your drain, to a screwdriver to loosen or tighten door hinges – you’ll always be thankful to not have to rely on someone else for simple fixes.

45. Likewise, learn how to turn the water off to your taps/toilets and what to do if your toilet clogs. It will save a life of embarrassment.

46. Sometimes faking it till you make it is 100% necessary, but don’t overdo it. A firm handshake and direct eye contact does wonders, but droning on and over selling screams fraud.

47. Do good deeds without expecting praise. Talking about all the good deeds you do makes you sound self-indulgent and like you’re fishing for compliments.

48. Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes. – William Gibson

49. If you need to drink to have a good time, you’re not surrounding yourself with the right people and spending your time doing the right past times.

50. Putting a smile on someone’s face is the most magical thing you can do. Aim to do it often and smile and laugh with them.

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Let me know how your 2016 was in the comments below – quite frankly I’m still not over 2016 stealing Bowie from us and putting Trump in a position of power. Let’s hope 2017 brings better things for our world!

I’ll leave you all with Bowie, letting us all know we can be heroes even if it’s just for one day…