10 Important Life Lessons I Wish Someone Would Have Taught Me In My 20s
- Feb 15, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 18, 2024
Expert Panelists are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within the areas of Business, Mindset, Leadership, Innovation, Technology and Lifestyle. In Brainz Expert Panel, 10 members of The Brainz Magazine community of experts will share their best tips, advice, ideas, hacks within different topics.
1. The most important relationship you will have is with yourself
The way we see the world, the way we interact with others, the experience we have in our business all starts with our relationship with self. Loving ourselves and accepting ourselves for who we are not only positively supports the success of our business, it also allows us to be more resilient. The cells in our bodies are listening to the way we speak to ourselves and when we speak positively our cells respond and increase our ability to live healthier and longer lives. Start today to build a loving and trusting relationship with yourself, as you would a trusted friend. You are the best friend you will ever have.
Arliss Dudley-Cash, Business Coach and Consultant
2. The Concept of Balance & Alignment
There are a lot of life lessons I wish I would have learned earlier in life. One of them I can share is the concept of balance and alignment. When we’re balanced and aligned internally, the balance and alignment spreads to all areas of our life and around us. It’s like a car with all its wheels in alignment. It runs better and efficiently. It’s like the quote from Steve Maraboli, “A lot of the conflict you have in your life exists simply because you’re not living in alignment; you’re not be being true to yourself.”
Angelie Kapoor, Healthcare Career, Leadership & Management Strategist
3. Start your personal development journey
We are so conditioned to work on acquiring skills that make us marketable, get a degree, think of a career, save money, etc., but no one really impresses upon us how important it is that we work on ourselves through personal development. This is one of the most valuable things you can ever work on because as you develop yourself, you gain more confidence, you shed layers that keep you from fully shining the way you are meant to shine, you gain more inner resilience, and the list goes on of all the benefits of developing yourself. Developing yourself, by the way, is not about you being someone you’re not. On the contrary, it’s about undoing everything that kept you from being who you truly are.
4. Just be yourself – always and in all ways
I don't know why it took me so long to learn this. Peer pressure? Society? Media? Comparison? I don't know. What I do know, is that in the times of comparison, and trying to be what we think everyone else wants us to be, it's easy to lose our core selves. Sometimes it can take years or even decades to relocate that most authentic version of self. I find, much to my surprise, that I have circled back to the core self that was omnipresent decades ago only to celebrate those parts of who I am most. In fact, it is those parts that construct the foundation of my business today. I believe the parts of me that I felt weren't accepted or understood at that time in my life, are the ones I am most respected and sought after for now. They are the ones that always allow me to follow my true north and trust myself and my intuition the most.
5. You should know about everything, but not DO everything
During the first years running the business, I had to do everything. The one delivering the service, doing the banking, the accounts, the marketing, the invoices / goodness it was a never-ending list of to-dos every day and every month. The best advice I received was, if there is something you do not like doing, get someone else to do it. Well, that is often easier said than done, but if you think out the box, you may find ways of getting people to take over those tasks. For example, marketing students, or a virtual secretary or even teenagers taking over your social media. Freeing up golden time is essential as an entrepreneur.
6. The importance power of networking and having a mentor
During My 20s I was a bit of a know it all and always thought that because I was smart, worked hard, and good at what I did was enough. Boy, was I sadly mistaken. It was not until the recession hit that I realized it didn’t matter how many degrees, skills, and knowledge that you have, it’s worthless unless you know the right people. You will forever spin your wheels trying to get a break in life if you don’t know the right people that can connect you with the key players who can give you that break.
7. Don't wait for your retirement – Do it NOW!
Most of us think we have time on our side, most of us plan our bucket lists for our retirement, and most of us dream of having a different life at some point in the future... a new career, a new relationship, a new life.
The truth is, we don't have time. Unfortunately, most of us only realise this when it is too late - for example, when we become ill, lose our job, or lose a loved one.
My life changed forever after a serious ski accident at the age of 32, and I was unable to walk for four years. Now fully recovered I have since created 'Paris St. Cloud' Clinical Hypnotherapy to help others as I realised that if my "accident" had not occurred, I would not be living my dream life now.
So, at Paris St. Cloud, I gently, yet effectively guide and assist you to create and live your dream life, before it's too late, or before you are pushed to do so by external forces, or an accident or loss.
Why wait until something bad happens to make the changes you've always dreamed of?
Why wait until you're completely burnt out?
Why wait for your retirement, when actually you may then be too old or too sick to live your dream life, to travel, be free, or to tick everything off your bucket list?!
As a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Consultant my Mission is to take you on an exploration of discovery to find what it is that you truly want. And then I enable you to get it NOW!
Boost your future.
Build it NOW!
Why wait?!
Live Life NOW!
8. Before you begin any new endeavor, you must decide
You must decide what you want the end result to look like, then create a plan to get there. It sounds too easy, but the formula works!
Success at anything comes from having a plan that includes strategic focus and intentional actions, designed to move you toward your end goals. Without FOCUS, the journey will likely take twice as long as it should, and you might not be happy where you end up. Without consistent ACTION your dreams may never materialize, or worse, you might settle for less than your original vision.
While I can't influence my younger self, I can gift you with this knowledge. Take the time to discover what activities and tasks bring you fulfillment, then design your life or business around them. Be strategic and intentional, as you boldly follow your dreams!
9. This too shall pass
Really and truly. What you feel now as crushing, as draining, as unbearable, as unfair, as painful, as impossible to overcome, this too shall pass. And the light will come. So, look up, get up, reach up, high-five yourself in the mirror and say, "This too shall pass. I don't know how. And I don't know when. But it will. Keep going. You got this!"
10. Choose Love over Fear
Many of us, consciously and subconsciously make decisions out of fear. The fear that we are ‘not good enough’ or that we ‘don’t deserve it’ leads us to undesirables paths because we are too afraid to ask for what we really want. The oppositive of fear is love. If you dare to change your approach to life and intentionally make decisions based on love, everyone, including yourself, will greatly benefit. This adjustment will help you become more aligned with who you truly are and allow you to create and experience your true desires.
