“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though everybody is watching. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.” 
~ Mandy Hale

The journey through life takes us all through a succession of lessons.

Some, are learnt quickly, others will come back time and time again to haunt us—until the true meaning of it finally sinks in.

No matter how much we think we know all the things we should and shouldn’t do, what is good and what is bad for us and what will harbour us or free us, we will still get caught in the moment and trip up time and again.

Below are some of the (often messy) lessons that I’ve learned the hard way. As difficult as I found each one to swallow, all of them were good for me, and all of them were life changing.

1. Never allow other people’s negativity to penetrate you, it comes from a place of hurt, so, don’t let it hurt you.
2. Trying to  “teach” someone a lesson never works, they will learn when they are ready.
3. Miracles happen.
4. Not getting what we want can be exactly what we need.
5. There is a positive in every negative.
6. You can learn from everyone and everything.
7. The law of attraction works; what you believe you deserve, you will get.
8. Our instinct guides us, trust in it.
9. The most important relationship we will ever have is the one we have with ourselves; date, take care and love yourself.
10. Remember that relationships are mirrors to the soul, they will show us who we are.
11. No one else can complete us, we must find the whole within.
12. We are each responsible for our own emotions.
13. “Good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” ~ Marilyn Monroe
14. Acceptance will heal what time can’t.
15. Worrying only magnifies problems.
16. Chocolate fixes quite a lot.
17. Sleep well, our bodies and minds are always better after a good rest.
18. Never carelessly or deliberately break a heart, it will soon become a regret.
19. We can never own anyone else; control and manipulation do not work.
20. Heartbreak cuts as deep as we allow it.
21. Love can happen instantly, but knowing the other person can take a lifetime.
22. The good should always outweigh the bad.
23. Over thinking can do more harm than good; calm the mind regularly.
24. One lie can be enough to break trust.
25. Anger will hurt you more than it will hurt them.
26. Even the biggest achievements arise from a series of the smallest footsteps.
27. Question everyone and everything; let your curiosity be curious.
28. Never settle.
29. Even a spider’s life is sacred, you will always feel better for saving it.
30. It is the journey that matters most.
31. Treat all living things as we would like to be treated.
32. Never cheat, it will hurt you more in the long run.
33. Money and material possessions will not bring happiness, it can only be found within.
34. You will never regret time spent with nature.
35. Know which battles need to be fought and which don’t.
36. Forgiveness will do you more good than it will do them.
37. Never discuss things when angry, it will always escalate things.
38. “Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” ~ George Carlin
39. Who we are on the inside will reflect on the outside.
40. Keep around you those who love and cherish you, not those who wish to do you harm.
41. Vulnerability can be a strength, do not be afraid to show it.
42. You are not weird, strange, crazy or odd—you are unique on this planet, learn to love your differences.
43. “Love is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder. ” ~ Henry David Thoreou
44. It’s not just men and women who think differently, we all think differently.
45. Trust that everything happens for a reason—even if we can’t always see it at the time, we will one day.

We all have our own set of rules that we live by, even if we make and break them daily.

The old saying “we learn something new every day” is so true, the opportunity is there to constantly learn from everything we stumble upon.

Life will constantly teach us. It is up to us to decide if and when we listen.

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Relephant: 

13 Simple Rules for Living 

Be in the Moment & Live your Best Life

9 Ways to Live Differently 

Love elephant and want to go steady?

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Author: Alex Sandra Myles

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: Cutenessareej/Flickr