40 lessons for 40 years of my life

Every day is unique; however, for me today is extra special. I celebrate my birthday in a place which feels like is out of this world. As I turned 40, I am sitting here reflecting on what I have learned and experienced all these years.

I thought it would be great to share with you the lessons I learned along the way. I am sure many of you may find yourself in these, and for the younger souls, I hope it will make them pause and ponder on them.

As I do not have kids, and because I did not have that experience,my perspective may be a little bit different. Nevertheless, I still share that responsibility, and I feel like I am still a mother but in a different way.  

I want to share a lesson I have learned for each year of my life, not necessarily in a particular order. Because the list is long, I will just summarize them here and detail each in my future posts. Until then, enjoy!

1. Dare to dream – if you believe, dreams will materialize
2. Jump at every opportunity
3. Be the best version of yourself without comparing against others  
4. Be a seeker of truth
5. Work on discovering your potential
6. Be involved with everything but not invested
7. Learn to say no, otherwise, you will hurt yourself
8. Live life fully, don’t think of life
9. Share your gifts with the world
10. Give from the heart without expecting anything in return
11. Admit when you do not know something
12. Always live in “the now”
13. Do not worry, especially for circumstances you have no control over
14. Take responsibility for your decisions and assume the consequences
15. Heaven and hell are both within us, and you just have to choose  
16. Be humble – you are just a speck in this universe
17. Happiness is only coming from within – do not expect to find it in material things
18. Accept everything the way it comes and accept people the way they are
19. Do not allow other people or circumstances to dictate the way you feel
20. Always do what you want not what is expected of you
21. Realize we are all mortal – enjoy every moment of your life, make the best of it
22. Challenge the status quo – embrace change
23. Do not try to change anyone – only change yourself
24. Get rid of your compulsiveness – get off autopilot
25. Become conscious of everything you do – your life will change forever
26. Meditation is the cure to our madness – stress is your own making  
27. Sometimes you get what you need, not what you want – it is all right
28. We are the outcome of our decisions – do not blame others
29. Always do what is right for you and others
30. Our natural way of being is Love – express it
31. Do not give advice, only share what you have experienced 
32. Be grateful for everything surrounding you
33. Be kind to one another – so simple, yet so powerful
34. Remember the child within you – life is not that serious
35. Inspire people – be the change you want to see
36. Taking care of yourself first is not being selfish
37. Expectations will only create frustrations and disappointments
38. Joy or misery is just an expression of who you are – choose wisely
39. Ensure spirituality is part of your life
40. Make a difference – leave your mark in this world, impact one person at a time

I am blessed and grateful for everything I went through in my life. For the people I interacted with and what I have experienced so far. Hitting the breaks, finally putting myself first, and being able to choose what I want, gave me a new meaning to life. I hope you can also take some time to introspect and re-prioritize what is more important in your life.

Life is too short, be happy!