Subscribe33 of Life’s Most Powerful Lessons
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photo by carf
Have you ever had an epiphany? One of those “a-ha” moments where something just clicks for you? Maybe it’s something you’ve been struggling with for a long time, or maybe it was a piece of advice you learned from a friend. Whatever the source of our insight, it’s these moments that bring us to a deeper understanding of our world. The better understanding we have of life, the more we live in the truth.
Below are 33 of the most powerful lessons in my life. I encourage you to share yours with us by leaving a comment below. =)
- Often those who aren’t the easiest to love are the ones who need it the most.
- Seeing children play can make even the bluest day brighter.
- Money is not the root of all evil, fear is.
- The secret to happiness is the acceptance of yourself.
- Happiness is not based on external status, it is an internal state.
- Money can’t make me happy, but self-sufficiency gives me the freedom to share myself creatively, without worrying about how I’m going to pay the bills.
- Every man has a right to choose his own destiny.
- The path is the way.
- Coming is going, going is coming.
- The hardest is found in the easiest.
- Heaven and hell exist here and now, within your own mind.
- Life is the largest stage.
- Music is one of the most supreme expressions of life. It is art in it’s most transitory form. It is gone within an instant, and therefore, extremely precious.
- Follow your gut, you’ll thank yourself later.
- Remember what your mother taught you, it came from the most sacred place of love that exists.
- Never let an argument last, never hold a grudge, it will make your heart heavy.
- Forgive those that have yet to do you wrong, and you won’t have to worry about it should the time come.
- Be grateful for this moment, it is all there is.
- The source of most of your frustrations and anxiety are the result of living in the future, or the past.
- Spend time alone with yourself every day.
- Always go with yourself, never against yourself.
- You have to be your own best friend.
- If you don’t like what someone else says to you, you can walk away. But if you don’t like what you say to yourself, you can’t walk away. Therefore, if you’re going to be with yourself all the time, you might as well be nice to yourself.
- The truth shall indeed set you free.
- Lies only exist if we believe in them.
- Even the most fundamental beliefs about reality are not true in themselves. Our thinking makes them true in our experience.
- Your thoughts create reality.
- The biggest lie is the lie of your imperfection.
- Being kind is more important than being right.
- Your heart is your best compass.
- Cherish those that you love, you never know if you’ll see them again.
- Your beliefs are a filter for your reality.
- Love is the supreme expression of life, it is the essence and ground of all creation.
Read part two of this series: 33 of Life’s Most Powerful Lessons (pt. 2)
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75 Comments so far
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Great list… good luck with your 30 days!
you hate others for not what they do, but for that part of yourself which you dont like.
Great list… Made me think :)
My saying would be “Live life or die.”
I would add one more:
Love all, hate none!
Very insightful….Thanks
I agree with 32. All the best
Valuable list to live by. I sent the site to my son in Iraq….maybe it was number 15,17 or 30 that made me want to…but if he takes just 1 as his mantra… life will be good him! Thanks!
‘life is a journey, not a destination’
I love the list, there are some really great tips on there. I’m not sure about number 1 though. I spent a long time trying to love someone who was hard to love. It was a huge waste of my time, energy and emotions. Sometimes you just have to walk away from these people.
GREAT work Jonathan. First off, I love the photo. I also agree with most of your points, especially the one re: acceptance. SO true…
I look forward to following your progress along my man,
Todd
Good list. However, it’s not “money is the root of all evil”.. it’s “The love of money is the root of all evil”. Still good thoughts.
Thanks Jon, those are great. Here’s one I’ve been grasping with lately in my life…
“Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of control. It believes it is real and tries hard to maintain its supremacy. Negative states of mind, such as anger, resentment, fear, envy, and jealousy, are products of the ego.” Eckhart Tolle
Great post! I linked you on my site and I’m defiantly going to become one of your most avid readers! great work bro.
@ Dudley: That was essentially Camus’ philosophy.
@ Stash: I hope your son can find some value in this list. I am truly humbled. I wish him the best and safety in his stay.
@ Emma: I completely agree with you. I think the key is showing love to those that are difficult to love is true compassion. But if they are abusive you can’t keep them in your life. It’s a hard lesson to learn.
@ Clay: Thanks for linking me, I truly appreciate it.
Hi Jon, can you share more about this one…
# The biggest lie is the lie of your imperfection.
Thanks,
Robert
Thanks, Jonathan, for sharing. We appear to share so many similar thoughts. It’s great that you put them down all in a list!
With much appreciation,
Evelyn
Jonathon,
That is a powerful list. I’ve been working on getting to there, perhaps the goal is I should just be there.
Thanks
Mind-blowing.
I appreciate that you shared your thoughts. Made me think and frankly helped me with some personal issues.
Hi Jonathon - what a wonderful list. 31 is my favourite.
Nice post Jonathan. You should expand on each one - sounds like 33 new articles!
(I’ll come back to read them all)
Bruce
When it comes to facts and other people’s decisions, how I feel about things makes no difference whatsoever.
Great list, Jonathan.
Desika
Heaven and hell exist here and now, within your own mind.
As a Christian, this is the only one I disagree with,
Some Beautiful Thoughts Jon. Sadly As far as #15, Not all of us where blessed with Loving Mothers.I spent over 40 years (and many hours of therapy) trying to Please a Cold, very sick women. She “bore my fathers 5 children,Out of her duty,”(her own words)the word Love was never mentioned. Be Thankful.
I found this poem on a scrap of paper after writing it down over ten years ago.
“This above all to Your own self be true. Be Your own closest friend and be gentle with You”.
I believe the author is P.K Hallinan but I didn’t google that name?
Thanks for reminding me
@ Robert: I’ll be elaborating on that one in a future post.. so stay tuned!
@ vith: Thank you, I’m glad I could help! =)
@ Bruce: That’s one of the great things about doing lists like this, it helps you come up with ideas for future articles.
@ Debi: It’s unfortunate that not all of us had loving mothers. However, I think we’ve all had at least some kind of mother-figure in our lives. In that case, it’s best to follow her advice rather than your own mother.
@ cribcat: That’s a great poem, thanks for sharing that.
Jonathan….. Over the years I have found one statement to be true: “It worked so well, I stopped doing it” Terry McDaniel…..It’s true… Just like a pilot, we need a check list…Our daily walnuts….. What is important and what is urgent often gets me off track. No one cares how much money you have…unless they want some… but everyone one cares about the person who makes the other person feel important…..The Power to Forgive becomes a binary solution…. “Yes you do or No you don’t”… Eventually, the “no you don’t” consumes you… I have a list of Terryisms I have assembled over the years… If you like, we can share them together….Terry McDaniel…..
If anything, let your lack of ability beat you. Just don’t let your pride beat you.
Great post, I enjoyed reading all your inspiring lessons. If I could have given you 2 Thumbs up on Stumble, I would have. Cheers, keep up the amazing work.
J
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this is cool
About the number 1: You don’t have to accept thair actions, just accept them.
Or, don’t hate someone for thair actions, hate the actions, but love the person..
Dos that make sence?
4, 8 ,11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 21, 31, 32, and 33 really hit home with me.
Might I add that this physical world is a collective manifestation of the self, of all selves, of consciousness?
We are all eternal spirits, experiencing our own separate human existences.
Hi! Very well stated list.
Check out my lessons here:
http://www.slideshare.net/avalok/the-best-teacher-life/
We are tentacles of the Source, (or God or whatever you’re comfortable calling It) neurons on the sensitive tips of It’s fingers.
Some good stuff here but I am confused, it says: Follow your gut….
and later # Your heart is your best compass.
Is the heart telling the gut where to go so that you can follow him?
My fav is 31.
You are a beautiful person for thinking and writing such amazing quotes. i will live by them and it just made my existance that much better i loved every single one i relate to them they are so wonderful thank you <3 !
nice useful list.
34. Sometimes you have to destroy the village to save it.
Great list! I am really enjoying your blog. I recently wrote a post on my blog EnlightenYourDay.com, where I hope to spark a debate regarding the most important questions in life. I thought you might enjoy giving some thoughts and feedback on this subject. Check it out at the following: http://enlightenyourday.com/2008/07/03/a-debate-on-the-most-important-questions-in-life/
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
J
Good Site!
One of my thoughts:
Never stop learning: To Learn Is To Stay Ahead In Life
“you are and will become that which occupies your mind”
How lovely….affirmed many of my own thoughts.
WOW! This is soo true!!@
21. A test in life is something that goes against your nature. If you pass you will grow. Sometimes you must go against yourself.
25. Not true.. Even if I do not believe in a lie it exists. The way to avoid the damage from a lie, which is real, is to be able to differentiate between the lie and truth. Regardless of whether or not I believe it or don’t believe it. Sometimes that isn’t even enough to stop the damage. 99% truth is 100% false - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
26. Again not true.. Your experience is based on your senses which often times will mislead you. Reality is truth and sometimes one is capable of being in tune with it and most of the time not. The effort in life is to connect with the truth all the time. There are ways to work on this.
33. Define love.
30. A perfect balance of emotion and intellect will guide you if you live according to the truth.
see good….to become good….
then you can do good
this is a lesson to be of service to others
JUST SEE ONLY GOOD IN OTHERS
YOU TO BECOME GOOD.
WHEN YOU BECOME GOOD
YOU CAN THEN OFFER SERVICE TO HUMANITY
Most of your list I agree with completely. Some I may have misunderstood, or I disagree with:
8. The path is the way.
What does that mean? Sounds like trite christian dogma. Perhaps I’m missing the point?
9. Coming is going, going is coming.
Sounds like BS to me.
10. The hardest is found in the easiest.
Ditto.
24. The truth shall indeed set you free.
Almost Ditto. The truth can be very freeing, but sometimes the truth can be agonizing…
25. Lies only exist if we believe in them.
BS. Lies exist, and are usually found out, but sadly too often after enormous damage has been wreaked.
28. The biggest lie is the lie of your imperfection.
At a personal level, perhaps. Looking outside to the world, by George, some enormous lies get people killed.
===
A couple offerings - maybe some overlap.
34. Be kind - Others may not remember what you said or did. They *will* remember how you made them feel.
35. Would you rather be right? Or Happy?
A couple of additions:
34. Don’t die with your music still in you. -Dwayne Dyer
35. The worst enemy has outposts inside your mind.
36. That which you judge you will one day become.
37. The purpose of life is to experience it and become the highest ideal of ourself.
Also the four agreements, from the book _The Four Agreements_
1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Never take anything personally
3. Do not make assumptions
4. Always do your best
Thanks for the insight on this list, about more than half of it I’ve experienced and from reading the rest, have prepared myself and made changes, truly inspiring and helps make sense of what things are when it happens.
From above: “My saying would be “Live life or die.”
From The Shawshank Redemption, “Get busy livin’… or get busy dyin’”
My favourite is, ” Go to the end of the block and hang a left. Keep going until you see a big blue house - That’s not it. Go further until you can’t go any further, then stop. There you are.”
nice.. i love this one “Your heart is your best compass” =)
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great stuff, although I believe 14 & 30 are contradictory!
amazing collective.
there are soo many out there its hard to chose 33.
thanky uo for breaking it down into simpler terms.
everyone seems to have their own input being it everyone learns their own lessons based on life experiences.
Good list dude.
I love most all of these,and they foolow my own thoughts.My very favorite is…Be grateful for this moment,that is all there is.
Great Stuff!
“Life is Built” That is my input.
I love many things about Buddhism and do my best to practice many of its lessons.
The only problem with it is that, for me, to try and understand life without trying to understand the creator is like trying to make a recipe without knowing the main ingredient. This is the flaw, in my estimation, of Buddhism. The Eightfold path does have many good qualities - it’s just a bit too shallow.
Nice list…my own 2 cents added below…
34. Life is movement. There is no stillness. Even in breathing the chest heaves, the blood flows, the heart pulses, the brain makes millions of instantaneous connections. Those who seek perfect stillness will find disappointment. When you cease to move, you cease to live.
35. Keep your ego in check. The only thing we have that gives us any sort of superiority is our intellect. Goldfish eyesight is more evolved than ours, dogs have a better sense of smell, rabbits have better hearing, turtles can live much longer, elephants have better recollection, and even cockroaches will most likely outlast us. We’re just one part of the universe. Our reasoning allows us to “think” we’re more important than any other, and therein lies our greatest problem.
36. We’re not poisoning the planet, we’re poisoning ourselves. The planet doesn’t need saving, and it doesn’t need us to survive. The earth was here long before us, and will remain long after we’ve disappeared. It’s our existence as a species that’s threatened…our ability to thrive is what we must save.
37. Don’t be small-minded. To think “this is the only moment there is” is to reject the idea that other moments might be happening somewhere else at exactly the same time. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there.
[...] 33 of Life’s Most Powerful Lessons [...]
Wow, this list is amazing and beautiful in it’s simplicity.
So many resonated with me but this one is the one that was an “aha moment”
“Money is not the root of all evil, fear is.”
I can’t believe this but when I read this, I totally found myself agreeing with this but not following it. I am always talking about making “x” amount per day so I don’t have to work a corporate job. I need to let that goal go and enjoy what I’m doing more. Thanks for the enlightenment!
Sincerely,
Brad Spencer
What an amazing list you’ve compiled. I’d love to list which ones resonate with me most, but I’d have to list most of the numbers. That being said, I have to agree with Brad that #3 about fear is especially impactful.
~Monica Ricci
That’s an inspiring list!
I really like number 29…
Fantastic list on life’s powerful lessons.
life is the largest stage…hmmm….where did that thought originate? perhaps from shakespeare? all the world’s a stage? see, there’s not an original thought in the world.
That’s nice.
Those are wonderful. They contain such a gentle and deep power.
Thanks for sharing!
Jeff
sometimes it is better to be kind than to be right