16 Lessons in life people learn too late

Life is a journey full of adventures and it doesn’t matter if you are experiencing good times or bad times, it is all part of the cocktail. Regardless of where you are on this journey, all that matters is that you are still exploring and collecting the little treasures. It may not be easy.

One day you're enthusiastic about stuff, and the next day you feel like giving up. No one told us it was all part of growing up, and the sad part is that most of this stuff is as a result of lessons we never caught up with while younger. Luckily, today's video-lists lessons in life, people learn too late.

And who knows, maybe it’s just not “too” late for you. 1. Time passes much more quickly than you realize Everything has an expiry date, even this life that you are living, will one day come to an end.

The lie you tell yourself is that, you have tomorrow to count on, when in reality, what you have is just now, this moment, even the rest of the day is never guaranteed. You should be focused on using your time wisely, bettering yourself or indulging in things that make you happy. Consider spending time more with loved ones and appreciate every connection.

Don’t get sucked into the social media blackhole. Instead try to explore better ways of “Passing time”. 2.

If you don’t take care of your body early then it won’t take care of you later There’s nothing more self-explanatory than this. It simply means that you should learn to care for your body by following a healthy lifestyle. Consider taking up exercises and watching your diet.

Also be keen on the stuff you feed your brain and how you train it. In the long run, if you choose a fit and green lifestyle while you are young, your body will not fail you when you're older. You also get to kick out some old-age diseases that are inevitable such as mobility loss, poor eyesight and continence.

3. People are far more important than any other thing in your life In a world where capitalism is the order of day, it is hard to put personal relationships ahead of a career. In real life, people are more important than any materialistic thing, hobby or work.

What happens when you can no longer drive that car you love so much? Or when you retire from that job? You never took the time to connect with the people that matter, and you remain lonely exposing yourself to depressive states.

Never assume you are above anyone, but instead, savour relationships. 4. Money talks I’m not literally saying you can buy your way out of anything, but in the sense that, money does speak to you if you listen.

Learning financial literacy at a young age will save you from making foolish decisions in the future. Same applies when you choose to waste your finances rather than using it to plan for the future. The money will talk alright, it will say goodbye, and you will wish that you’d have listened to it.

Liabilities will always be liabilities so instead, focus on appreciating access. The money will talk “profits” and improve your living standards. 5.

Don’t settle for less Don’t settle for less simply because your current present doesn't align with what you desire for yourself. It’s not selfish to want more in life, after all, it’s about the quality you deem fit for yourself. Settling for less applies to many fields, from choosing a life partner to choosing a career.

Human beings love security and the comfort it brings, but, sometimes temporary comfort leads to future regrets. Always aim high and see higher results. The urge to settle for less occurs because people, especially in their mid-twenties, are experiencing a crisis of goals, and are balancing passion and social expectations.

Most often, people choose the latter because they want to fit in, only to regret their decisions later in life. 6. Every day you wake up is a victory Each day is a victory, and a new page to start on any new journey you may wish.

Not everyone is able to live through a new day and see the sunrise and sunset. Once you appreciate this blessing, you will see that you have purpose with your life, and there's more to just simply existing and paying bills. Start off your days with gratitude and watch how positively your life gets impacted.

Start being more aware of your surroundings. Appreciate every little thing around you, and embrace the gift, which is life. 7.

If you commit to nothing, you’ll be distracted by everything A jack of all trades is a master of none. You may get dabbled in many skills and even though you may be able to do all, you aren’t an expert at any. Committing to one thing and focusing your energy on it yields better results than allowing yourself to get distracted by things that may not add value.

Do not allow circumstances to let you fall into anything because you do nothing about it. Rather, take the lead and try to create situations that favor you. Commit to something and follow it through!

8. Listen more than you talk It’s nice to be heard but going on a word war with someone won’t make either of you heard. There’s nothing more ridiculous than hearing two people talk “at” each other, with neither one listening, but waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can start up again.

Sounds absurd right? Some argue that the reason why you are given two ears and one mouth, is so that you listen more than you speak. The beauty of listening also saves you from speaking things out of context, or embarrassing yourself due to the lack of knowledge on certain topics.

Through the art of listening, you learn more. 9. “Success” is a relative term What do you think success means?

Despite the notion that success equates to monetary wealth, it is not true at all. That’s why as kids we were taught, “If you work hard, you’ll be successful”. The truth is that, it’s hard to reach success.

It’s not a destination you ride by bus, or land in time. Success to one person could mean the opposite for someone else. Growing from situations that were pulling you back is also success.

The lesson here is, learn to define your own success. 10. You are a reflection of the 5 people you spend the most time with Nobody creates themselves, by themselves.

Sounds tough, yes? There’s truth in this because we are all mirror images sculpted through the reflections we see in other people. So, if you don’t like the people that surround you, or rather dislike their character, work to be surrounded by those you wish to be like, and in time, you too will carry the very things you admire in them.

11. Friends are relative to where you are in your life Lifelong friendships are great because we create a family bond. However, some friendships are just meant for the season.

They aren't meant to withstand decades just because of familiarity. If you are not unanimously growing, then your friendship is just a pastime. You may find interests change with time and so do goals and visions.

Your friendships and relations should align with your current self. This doesn’t mean you drop all your friends, just sit back and see where the priorities of your friends lie. If there’s nothing in common, I think it’s time to pack your bags and move on.

12. In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take Remember that one person you were head over heels for back in your teens? What if you took the chance and asked them out or told them how you really felt?

Wouldn’t it be better than thinking “what if” How about that thought of changing your majors or quitting your job. All these big decisions you fear to take, just because you are scared of failure or judgement, may come to haunt you. And who knows, they may have resulted in great things.

The point here is, you should take chances because, after all, what is life without risk? You will badly regret the things you didn't do far more than the things you did that were “wrong”. If you get the chance, do it.

You may never get the chance again and that’s just how life works. 13. Don’t be limited by age Although society puts pressure on us to have accomplished certain stuff by a certain age, the reality of the matter is that, age is nothing but a number.

Whether you just turned 30 and thinking about going back to school, or turned 50 and thinking of switching careers. Do it as long as it makes you happy because at the end of the day, this is your life, and this is your time. Do not let anything distort you from your goals in the name of you're too old for that or too young.

You can do anything without thinking you are running out of time. The time is entirely up for you to decide. It’s never too late to become what you wanted to be or might have been if you start now.

14. Ask for help when you need It Being independent is great and all, but this doesn’t mean you are able to tackle life all by yourself, without getting a helping hand from someone. Accept all the help you receive, or you may end up experiencing burnout.

You should stop having this mentality of assuming you're a burden to people. In fact, some people are glad to know someone depends on them. Helping each other is proven to be amazingly effective in improving a relationship.

Therefore, do not hesitate to ask for help when it is necessary. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? 15.

Don’t care too much about people's opinions Most of us carry masks of people we hardly recognize because we strive too hard to fit into these built-in expectations from society. Some of these standards are absurd, and impact us negatively because each one of us is unique and diverse. We cannot all be put in the same box, and in the same category, and expected to perform similar tasks.

Not everyone will fit into this box, so, you shouldn't be constricted by these tiny spaces. Stay true to yourself, and to your real identity. It may not work for everybody, but this is for you.

In the real world, the facade isn’t worth your time, most people wear masks, and have fallen into the traps of society. Most don’t even know who they are, and are in-fact, in a constant struggle of figuring themselves out! 16.

Leave toxic relationships One of the hardest pills to swallow is that you need to detach yourself from toxic relationships. This doesn't only stand for romantic relationships, but friendships as well. There are various reasons why one would choose to stay in a toxic relationship.

You may not want to lose a certain part of your life when you decide to let go of a toxic spouse or friend. The sad reality is that, toxic relationships do nothing good, but damage your mental health, and lessen your chance to find happiness. Many times, you may find yourself questioning your worth, but most importantly is understanding what you deserve.

If the person is not right for you, you may as well leave now while you still have a chance! It doesn’t matter if you're watching this and regretting some lessons you may have already learned a little too late. The good news is, you have an opportunity to make amends and start now.

Thank you guys so much for watching, have a great day and I’ll see you all in the next one.