Adulting is hard. You are forced to navigate life and move forward even though you can’t really grasp the why and what for of it. It leaves you confused, distracted, and depressed most of the times.

I recently found my Mind Map notebook where I just jot down ideas and thoughts that come up in my head every now and then. One page is this:

I didn’t really force myself to establish life principles. I guess, as I went through life, I just tried to learn from past experiences and hope that I live my life meaningfully with these principles I set for myself as guide.

You know how opinions viral in social media so much that because it’s the opinion of almost everyone, you just subconsciously agree to it too? Have you ever had that talk with your friends wherein you’re talking about Juan being so stupid, but you’ve been kind of friends with Juan lately and you got to sort of know he’s not really stupid, and yet because they all agreed he’s stupid, you also add your own story of how Juan is stupid?

I used to be that kind of person. But then, I somehow felt that I didn’t have an identity because I let their ideas become my own ideas. I let people put words in my mouth. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t the frank type of person. I’m not encouraging you to be vocal about your opinion but just that at least, you have to know where you stand your ground. I think it’s one step to really knowing yourself.

Do not just go with the flow. It’s difficult to pass through a crowd going the opposite direction but it’ll make you proud of yourself.

As written in my notebook, there’s more to this. Say no to opportunities that weren’t for you, and say yes to every adventure, no matter how crazy, because surely, it’ll be worth it.

Now, they say you should grab opportunity when it comes because it’s rare. I say it’s like shopping during a sale. You see plenty of marked down priced items, they were rare opportunities, and yet, not all of those you will really need.

I guess I learned this the hard way. I couldn’t turn down a great opportunity towards a better future because everything just sort of fell into place. I later realized it’s not really something that I want, and I was already stuck and it was just hard to get out of. So, if an opportunity presents itself to you, think if this is leading you to your goal or if you’re going to enjoy the ride or not.

Lately, the travel bug hit a lot of people hard, me included. This kind of override my first principle, about joining in on the fad. But for me, it’s an opportunity that I want to say yes to. I just do it my way. Definitely, saying yes to a lot of things along the way not only got me good Instagram photos. Saying yes to these made me new friends and great stories to tell.

For me, it’s like you can’t be a good teacher just because people learned from you. You are a good teacher if you can make others become good teachers like you. You are not a good artist if people admire your artwork. You’re good at art if you can make others good at it too. You are not truly great just by yourself, but by sharing all you have to make others great too.

So…

What are your life principles?

I’d love to know them. Comment below or on my Facebook page. You might want to stand up for your own opinion on something that you disagree with in this post.

Like this post? Subscribe to my blog, like my Facebook page What Lilac Learned Today, or follow me on Instagram to stay updated with my latest posts.

Like the images? Work with me on your Instagram layout to stay true to your brand. We can also work together on your graphic design needs.