12 Life Lessons My Mother Taught Me.

12 Life Lessons My Mother Taught Me.

My mother was the smartest person I've ever known, not because she had a fancy job or a high level of education, but because of her life experience. When I was a little kid she used to share her thoughts, ideas and life lessons with me. I can honestly say I would not have been the person I am today without her wisdom. In an effort to save her words and pass them on to my children, I have written down her best advises and thoughts on life. A few years after my project was done she passed away in her sleep. Today, I want to share some of her inspiring words with you, I hope they will help you as much as they helped me: Breathe in the future, breathe out the past. No matter where you are or what you’re going through, remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Never expect, assume, or demand anything, just do your best, control what you can, and let go of what you can't. Others should accept you for who you are. Speak your truth even if your voice shakes and you know it won't be well received. You are something beautiful and unique so if you hold that back, the whole world gets a bit less amazing. Walk your path confidently and proudly, don’t expect anyone else to understand your journey. You are not who you used to be, and that’s OK. People go through many ups and downs in life and it changes them, you are no different. Your perspective has changed, your likes and dislikes have changed, your political views may have changed, and that is all normal. When people accuse you of changing just replay by saying:  “Of course I’ve changed. That’s what life is all about. I’m still the same person, just stronger and wiser.” Everything that happens helps you grow. Take everything life throws at you as an opportunity to improve yourself. Whatever happens, hold on to hope. Learn from everything and don’t be afraid to make the same mistake twice, 3 times, or as many times as necessary. Life should be simple. Focus on one thing at a time. You don’t have to do everything, and you don’t need to do something in every second of your life. Breathe, be present, and do your best, it's the most anyone, including yourself, could ever hope for. Educate yourself to be happy, not to be rich. There is a big difference between knowing the price of things, and knowing the value of things. In the end, you will come to realize that the best days are the days when you don’t need anything special to make you smile. Always be positive. Your misery or unhappiness are determined not by your circumstances, but by your attitude. Smile to those who want to hurt you, show them that they can’t take away your happiness from you. Your will power is stronger than you know. Pay close attention to those you care about. When people say “I’m okay,” you need to look them in the eyes, hug them tight, and reply, “I know you’re not”. Don’t be too upset if some people only seem to remember you when they need you, only be upset if they are not there when you need them. Learn how to let go of people. Some people are bad for you, some people need to do things on their own, and some people might need you to teach them a hard lesson. It's not easy to say goodbye when you don’t have to but you know you need to, but it's for the benefit of both sides. Sometimes getting results means stripping yourself of people that slow you down. As much as you might love them, some people can make it a lot harder for you to reach your goals. Almost everyone will encounter such a person during their life. As you find out who you are and what you want, you realize that people you’ve known forever don’t see things the way you do. Keep the wonderful memories you had with them, but move on to achieve your happiness. “I can’t believe I did that”, is much better than, “I wish I did that.” Don’t live your life trying to impress others, live it so you'll impress yourself. If you know you will regret not doing something, just do it. It's that simple. If you can't find your happy ending, maybe it’s time to look for a new beginning. We all fail from time to time, it's just part of life. Don’t be stubborn and just accept it. The strongest people out there are the same people who have fought the toughest battles, lost, and moved on to a new beginning.