This weeks prompt is "Tell us about a lesson you wish you would have learned earlier in life..."
Listen and trust! My lesson is to listen and trust! Take the time to stop trying to talk over everyone, stop feeling like you are always right, stop dismissing what is going on around you. Listen to your parents. Listen to your friends. Listen to your gut! Trust what they're all trying to tell you! If you actually take the time to listen and learn, your life will be so much better, so much more enjoyable, and I truly believe you'll end up where you want to be- where you belong.
If I had learned this 10+ years ago, I would be in a completely different position than I am now. I wouldn't be at a dead end job. I wouldn't be in a dead end marriage. I possibly would have children. I certainly wouldn't be as sad and close to falling a part as I am right now.
If I had learned this 10+ years ago, I would have valued what my parents were trying to teach me.
"Watch your money, watch your credit.
Think about the people you surround yourself with.
You deserve a man who treats you a certain way."
Instead of being a stubborn teenager/early 20 something and insisting that I was right and they knew nothing, I would have been able to trust that they were looking out for my best interest, and take in their wisdom and learn from it. Instead of thinking, "I'm 20, I don't want to buy a house til I'm 30, by then I'll have it figured out." I would have been more stern with Jim about using my credit (yep you read that right,) I would have been saving money, thinking about my purchases and how what I do at this early stage in my life will set up so many things to come in the future.
Instead of thinking, "his better than they think, they're too hard on him, he's so young, he'll have it figured out in a few years." I would have stopped and looked at my relationship, realizing then what I'm realizing now because the writing has been on the walls the ENTIRE time.
Instead of thinking, "I'm young, I can go out and party all the time, I'll figure out a job later." I probably still would have partied because let's be honest it was college and that's one of the best parts, but I would have been more mindful of my activities and how they were affecting my school work. I graduated from college and my professors loved me because in class I was charming, engaged, and a fairly good student. But I did half assed assignments, usually handed them in late, and over all was not an outstanding student because I put fun before work. If I had a better GPA I would have gotten into my Masters program, because I had the recommendations based on who I was, but I didn't have the grades to back it up. I'd be either a high school history teacher or a museum/library archivist. Sure I wouldn't be rolling in the dough, but I'd have a career. I love my job because for the most part I love my coworkers but it is by no means a career, and eventually I'll have to leave and find something "better" like I've done at my other jobs but I won't find a career until I set myself on a better path instead of accepting just getting by.
Which brings me back to.... instead of thinking, "my stomach is just upset because my parents are putting too much pressure on me." I would have stopped and thought about why I was feeling the way I was. Have you ever just had that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach and you just knew that it was your conscience telling you that something was wrong? Yea, I have it ALL THE TIME! I dismiss it a lot, because I'm afraid of change, I'm afraid of not being right, but ultimately it's probably the #1 thing you should listen to above everything else. If you're gut is saying NO, then you need to stop, LISTEN, and TRUST your feelings. You always know the right thing to do, you just don't always trust yourself to do it.
Please read this and live it. I don't want to see any of you end up in the frustrating circles that I've landed myself into. Listen to what is being said (or not said, in the case of your gut,) and trust that it is for your own good.
My mom used to always tell me to shut my mouth and open my ears, oh if only I had listened!
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