What's the biggest life lesson you've learned?

Question

I love to learn from the experiences of others.

Answer 1

I am a 13 year old boy who lives in a pretty wealthy Phoenix suburb. I am embarrassed to say that I have been hypocritically righteous all my life. I am a devout Christian and have always earned good grades. Whenever our class collected money for those in need, I always contributed 3-4 dollars. I thought that I was a good person, but in many ways I fell short in the eyes of God. In my PE class, there was a girl who came from a broken family, and she was always extremely angry and hate-filled and brutalized the children in a nearby elementary school. She has also shoplifted several times. Like the typical middle schooler, I was never patient with her and whenever she was rude to me, I never thought to turn the other cheek and allowed my flesh-and-blood nature to take over. I always snapped back at her.

You see, I thought that helping the homeless and going to church and earning good grades christened me a good person. But I only did those things because they were easy and came at no expense. My nature was really tested for inherent vs. fabricated philanthropy when taking the dignified road came at a great cost. Was I in for a big lesson that summer!

Our church went on a mission trip over the summer, and I met a Denver boy who was my age and seemed to be a wonderful friend. Whenever I needed a listening ear or a companion in a game of basketball or football, he was there for me. It was a heavenly friendship. But when I got to know him heart-to-heart, I learned that we were diametrically different. He grew up in a neglected and crime-filled suburb and was not much better than the girl from my PE class that I once hated so heartily. My new friend said to me once, "I really don't want to go back home. This was the first time anyone really cared about me, and maybe the last. Why can love only last for 10 days?"

I wept that night for my shortsightedness and intolerance in the months and weeks before. I realized that if the girl in my PE class ever had anyone to talk to; anyone willing to be decent to her, she would also be different. I found myself understanding the duality of human nature. We all have the potential to turn into a criminal or philanthropist, but circumstances are huge in deciding whether our good or bad side takes over. Now, I'm not saying that people are helpless victims of society, but the truth is, that we are all born with the instinct to pattern our lives after whatever we grow up with.

I like to view all seemingly unlikeable human beings as caterpillars waiting to become butterflies. They may seem repulsive at first; but give them time, give them a better environment, and watch the change.

So that's the biggest lesson of my life. Next time you meet someone whom you absolutely despise, remember that there is a saint and a demon in each one of us.

Answer 2

Trust no one, and never expect someone else to care as much as you do or be as passionate about something as you are. But I've been taught this lesson every year for about the last ohhhh 20 years oh so. I just can't get it through my head.

Answer 3

One of the biggest lesson of life is that you are a winner as long as you have something to give, especially to the loved ones. The people that do not have anything at all to give are loosers, if they do not give by their fault, or very unhappy persons if they are not able to give because life puinished them, one way or another.
And another big lesson of life is that the only real strength is the one you discover inside your soul.I do not separate this inner strength from understanding and beeing greatfull to God.

Answer 4

The best lesson I ever learned was not to take myself seriously. My Mum taught me by laughing at me a lot when I was a sulky teenager (embroiled in angst about the meaninglessness of things, blah blah blah)... Now I get in first and laugh at myself -- and alot of other things.

I think it's important to do things sincerely.... with weight and value invested in whatever it is you're doing, and I work in environmental protection, which often makes me cry and makes me angry, but as long as I'm not taking myself and my life too seriously, then I can stay on top of things.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I have learned that, you need to live a life that you would be proud of telling your kids about. I have also learned that you must live your life for yourself and not for others, becaues it is you and you alone that has to live with what you have done, or didn't do.

Answer 6

my biggest lesson in life i've learned is not to give your full self to the one you love coz once he/she will leave or abandon you that would be too painful enough to accept.

Answer 7

I give with out any expectations and it always comes back blessed many times over.Maybe not right away but it does eventually

Answer 8

That heaven can wait and that life right now is the most important thing.

Answer 9

never fully trust a coach because when your seriously in trouble they don,t truly care about your mental Heath or well being they will put a knife in your back at they weak,s

Answer 10

low expectations+high hopes=relative happiness.