15 Very Important Lessons Life has Taught me – A Sunday Special

Happy Sunday Folks! To end this week, we are fortunate enough to have amazing guest blogger Moyo Oyelade share with us the 15 very important Lessons life has taught her throughout her journey. After following Moyo’s blog, ‘Beinspired’ for sometime, we could tell something special had been deposited in her. Be Blessed as you read through her recent post below, ’15 very important lesson life has taught me.’ 

 

---

 

 1. Don’t judge a book by its cover. I’ve heard this loads of times but there are times where I’ve made decisions/judgements based on appearance/the way an idea, product or person is portrayed and I’ve been disappointed/surprised to say the least. So just before I make any decision/judgement, I try my best to know what I’m getting into and try not to be distracted by the outside since it does not necessarily reflect the inside- ‘Many things are not as they seem’- Jim Butcher.

2. Hard work always always pays off. This is not something I’ve had to be told. It is something I have experienced myself. When you consistently work hard, you reap the rewards in due course- ‘The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense’-Thomas Edison. ‘Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better’-Jim Rohn.

3. Don’t get involved in anything big with someone you don’t know much about. If you’re embarking on a project/plan/business with anyone, make sure its with someone you can trust and can count on in order to avoid disappointments. Also make sure you know them to a certain extent- ‘I don’t trust people who don’t love themselves and tell me, ‘I love you.’ …There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt’-Maya Angelou.

4. Always have a plan B. I’ve heard this many times- ‘Man will always fail, only God never fails’ and trust me, its very true. There’s nothing more disappointing than thinking you’ve got everything sorted and then in the last minute, someone who was meant to complete part of whatever project drops out intentionally or unintentionally. Always have other options you can refer to just in case plan A doesn’t work out. This does not relate solely to your reliance on others but also have a plan B in your own decision-making about the future etc. ‘If you don’t have a Plan B, you don’t have a plan’-Adam Bryant.

5. If you want to keep a secret, keep it to yourself. That’s why it’s a secret in the first place. If you must confide in someone, make sure it’s someone you can really trust. Be mindful of people who come to you with someone else’s story saying ‘don’t tell anyone or don’t tell him/her that I told you’. You may just find that your ‘secret’ has become known to many. ‘Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead’-Benjamin Franklin. ‘If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself’-George Orwell.

6. Know your circle. The kind of people/friends you hang around with frequently will definitely have an influence on you/the way you do things- trust me. So make sure your circle is filled with positive, encouraging and selfless people rather than negative, discouraging and selfish ones. ‘Do not be misled-Bad company corrupts good character’- 1 Corinthians 15:33.

7. Give 110% to your work. Or more. I’m a firm believer of ‘whatever your hands find to do, do it well’. There is a kind of +ve feeling that comes with doing a job to the best of your ability-even when no one is watching as well as a doing all you can to reach a specific goal. Not only are the results rewarding, but also …your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you’ Matthew 6:6. ‘You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave – win or lose’- Gordie Howe.

8. Don’t have an impression of someone based on something you’ve heard about them from someone else (especially before you get to know them). This links with lesson 1. You heard she’s a snub doesn’t exactly make her one. She may have had a bad day or refused to join in the discussion because she doesn’t mind other people’s business. Now the latter bit is a good reason to be a snub. ‘It’s dreadful what little things lead people to misunderstand each other’- L.M.       Montgomery.

9. Whoever gossips with you will gossip about you. If someone continually brings someone else’s business to you, you can be sure that they will continually take your business to others. ‘Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people’-Eleanor Roosevelt.

10. Stop complaining. I found that when I complain-nothing happens. The situation doesn’t change until I keep quiet and make a conscious decision to deal with the issue. ‘What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain’- Maya Angelou. Philippians 2:14 reminds us to ‘Do all things without complaining and disputing’.

11. Negative Excuses won’t get you very far. There are 2 kinds of excuses in my opinion-positive and negative. Negative excuses are the ones we give for procrastinating or for not doing the right thing. Positive excuses are the ones we give when we ought not to i.e. having to justify an action that was for your own good. In this instance I’d say you do not owe anyone any explanation for doing the right thing even though they make see it as an excuse.  ‘He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else’-Benjamin Franklin. ‘Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in installments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day’s success’-Israelmore Ayivor.

12. Set realistic goals. The problem with being over ambitious is that sometimes you end up not achieving as much as planned. So endeavor to set yourself achievable targets either on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. ‘Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing’ Sylvia Plath.

13. Perseverance is key for survival. I learnt to persevere in difficult situations, as it does get easier in the end. ‘When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on’-Franklin D. Roosevelt.

14. Prayer and fasting goes a long way in securing many victories. If you haven’t done any of the two in a while, try it this week. ‘Let us never forget to pray. God lives. He is near. He is real. He is not only aware of us but cares for us. He is our Father. He is accessible to all who will seek Him’-Gordon B. Hinckley.

15. Living in accordance with God’s will is the best way to live. 

These are a few life lessons I’ve learnt along my journey and I hope you can learn of a thing or two from them. If you’ve learnt lessons not already listed on here please feel free to drop them in the comment section so I can learn from you too!

beinspired,

Moyo xx