Photo by Himalayan Trails

Recent challenges in my personal life have humbled me considerably.

Today, I want to share a few lessons from my reflections.

1) Don't take things for granted.

The only constant is change. Thoughts change, feelings change, ideas change, people change. It's too easy to settle into a routine and take things and/or people for granted. I realized that was what I had been doing… and when circumstances changed, I found it hard to adjust.

Remember… don't take things for granted and always be prepared for changes.

2) A friend in need is a friend indeed.

As cliche as that sounds, I just realized how true and meaningful this statement is. It's when you meet with obstacles that you find out who your true friends really are.

Treasure them… those true friends of yours… they're hard to come by.

3) The brick walls are there to remind us how badly we want it

Randy Pausch taught me this… the brick walls are there to remind us how badly we want it.

It's time for me to face my brick walls with courage, creativity and conviction.
4) You can only help people who want to be helped

Many a times, we try to help people who might not be ready yet to receive our assistance. If we persist, it'll only be a futile and unwelcome effort.

Know when it's time to let go.

5) Distraction might not be such a bad thing after all

I haven't been watching TV since… well let's just say it's been a long while.

Because I was stuck on a problem which I did not have much control over, I did the next most logical thing… I turned on the TV.

Hey what do you know? It didn't turn out too bad… especially now that the olympics is on.

Sure, some may see it as escapism but as counter-intuitive as it may seem, taking your mind off a problem can help you generate better solutions than continuously focusing on the problem itself. Go figure…

6) Learn when to quit…

I remember Seth Godin mentioning in his book “The Dip” that quitting can sometimes be the best thing you can do.

After my own experiences with quitting, I agree.

When people say “Don't give up…” they don't mean it all the time.

It's necessary and even vital to give up sometimes… for example… to quit a dead-end job… to cut your losses on a losing investment. Learn when to quit… your success depends on it.

7) Give your loved ones and yourself a treat… No special occasion needed!

Appreciate the people around you. Give them a treat… a hug… tell them how much they mean to you…

Do it today… there's no better time…

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