A wise man once said – “Life doesn’t always teach in classrooms. Sometimes, the biggest lessons come quietly – through failures, friendships, heartbreaks and moments when you have no one to rely on.” I felt it. Back when I was still a kid – I’d hear the elders talking about life lessons. I used to think that life would hand out lessons wrapped in golden moments – maybe after success, maybe after applause. I still don’t understand why I thought that, but coming to think of it, it was just probably my childish immature mind limited by the norms of the world. However growing up made me realise that life does not wait for you to grow up. It starts teaching you from the day you were born. This could be best understood with a simple example – when a baby touches something hot, the skin burns and the child cries. But the next time, the same little hand hesitates. The pain leaves an invisible mark, reminding the child that certain things hurt when touched. And just like that, even a mind too young to speak learns its first life lesson. That’s how life works – it teaches through experience. And as I walked through my own share of burns and lessons, I learned ten truths that shaped who I am before 18.
The first lesson life has taught me is never depend on anyone be it your friends, siblings and not even your parents. People would say that they love you, care for you and promise to always be there but life doesnt always go the way we expect. In reality, circumstances might change and priorities may shift making people walk away. Thats when you actually realise that the only person who can ever actually and truly stand by you is just ‘YOU’. Even as a student, I’ve learned how important it is to be independent especially financially. Instead of waiting for others to help me I started looking for scholarship opportunities that would allow me to study without being a burden to anyone. Being independent isn’t easy, it takes effort, patience, and self discipline but it gives you a kind of peace that dependence never ever can. When you rely too much on others you actually and without knowing it yourself give them the power to break you. You will actually become fragile out of your own stupidity. Being independent actually means taking control of your life, dreams and your choices. It means preparing yourself for a future where you don’t have to beg to anyone for help or feel helpless when no one’s around. In the end, people come and go, but the strength you build within yourself would stay forever.
The second lesson life has taught me is to learn how to detach. Attachment in my experience, is the root cause of suffering. The deeper you get attached to someone, the more it hurts when they leave. It’s human nature to hold on, to care, to expect but expectations often turn into pain. That’s why I believe it’s important to love people and care for them, but without depending on them emotionally. I’ve started practicing this lesson in my own way. Some weeks, I talk to my friends and family warmly, enjoy their company and connect with them like everything is perfect. But then eventually in the next week, I would intentionally step back. I would talk less, become quieter, colder and more distant. It’s not because I don’t care; it’s because I’m teaching myself how to stay balanced. The goal isn’t to stop feeling – it’s to stop depending on others for emotional stability. Detachment, I’ve learned, isn’t coldness, it’s freedom.
The third lesson life has taught me is that the person you show to the world isn’t always who you truly are inside. Like everyone, I’ve had my own share of ups and downs – moments of parent child conflict, internal struggles, and stress about the future. But on the outside, I would always seem okay as if I’m not going through any mental health issues. I’ve always been a charismatic person, someone who could laugh easily and talk confidently, so no one actually ever really notices when I’m not okay. I’ve now learned how to hide my sadness behind smiles, not because I want to lie to the people around me, but because sometimes it’s easier than explaining what’s wrong or maybe somewhere deep down I know that they would not really understand how I’m feeling. Human emotions are far deeper than they appear. We tend to judge people based on what we really see. A crying person is most probably sad, a smiling one is happy. But life has shown me it’s actually not that simple. Sometimes the one crying just wants attention, and the one laughing the loudest might be carrying really unbearable pain inside. We humans rarely go beyond what meets the eye. Maybe that’s why so many people feel unseen and misunderstood – because we all wear masks, hoping someone will still see the truth beneath them.
One of the most important lessons life has taught me is to never expect anything. Even if you do a good deed, don’t wait for something in return. I’ve often heard about karma – that good deeds come back – but you can’t spend your life waiting for that to happen. Expectations has so far only lead me to disappointment. People promise to stay forever, but they don’t. They would promise many things but they would not fulfilled all of them. Over time, I’ve learned to stop holding on to promises, even small ones. When my parents promise to buy me something, a part of me already knows it might not happen. Maybe this is a defense mechanism my mind has built to protect itself from getting hurt – and perhaps everyone should learn this too: to prepare for the unexpected and find peace in expecting nothing.
The fifth lesson life has taught me is to listen to everyone but decide for yourself. People will always have opinions about what’s right and wrong, what you should do and who you should become. And yes, sometimes their advice comes from care,
but that doesn’t mean it’s always right for you. Everyone views the world through their own experiences and perspectives and not yours. I’ve realized that if you keep depending on others to decide for you, you’ll never ever truly grow. There’s an old saying I once heard – even fools grow old, but only the wise grow up. It means that age barely defines wisdom but however choices do. So, it’s really important to listen and to understand different perspectives but in the end your decision should actually come from your own mind and heart. Because at the end of the day, you’re the one who will face the consequences of your choices and not the people who advised you.
The sixth lesson life has taught me is to learn when to argue. I won’t say never argue, and I won’t say always argue – the key is to know when it’s worth it. Sometimes, people argue not to understand your point but just to prove you wrong. If someone happens to blame or accuses you falsely, then yes, you should definitely stand up for yourself but should you keep in mind to do it calmly because the louder and more desperate you act, the guiltier you’ll seem and confidence and calmness are your greatest weapons in any argument. However, there are also times when you should stay silent, even when falsely accused, not because you’re weak, but because you know deep inside that you’re right and that’s what truly matters. I’ve myself had plenty of arguments, whether with friends or parents, however, over time I’ve learned that not every battle needs to be fought. Sometimes, silence itself is the strongest answer.
The seventh lesson life has taught me is that money can buy everything – power, peace, luxury, and even love. It’s often said that money can’t buy happiness, but I believe that’s something only people without it say to comfort themselves. In reality, money solves almost every problem – from basic survival to the smallest desires that make life easier. It gives you freedom, choices, and a voice in this world. People may deny it, but deep down, everyone knows the truth – money doesn’t just change your lifestyle, it changes how the world treats you. It may not buy emotions, but it can surely buy the peace and comfort needed to feel them fully.
The eighth lesson life has taught me is to be unique and stand out from the crowd. If you do what everyone else is doing, you’ll just blend in and be forgotten. The biggest example lies in the world’s most famous brands – they’re not known because they followed trends, but because they created their own. Their uniqueness is what made them shine and stand out among thousands, and that is exactly how a person should be. You should dare to be different, even if people don’t understand you at first because in the end, it’s not the ones who blend in that are remembered but it’s the ones who stand out.
The ninth lesson that life has taught me is to learn the art of learning from mistakes. It is something that is said by many but understood by only a few. We all make mistakes in every part of our life, some big, some small but what matters is what we learn from them. Actually when you repeat the same mistake, you repeat the same failure and I have made plenty of mistakes myself, but each one of them has taught me something valuable. The key is not to fear mistakes but to face them, understand them, and make sure you never repeat them. That’s how growth truly happens, not by being perfect, but by learning every time you fall.
The last but definitely not the least and honestly my favorite lesson that life has taught me is that “nobody watches you harder than the people who want you to fail.” It is actually quite strange but true. There will always be people who secretly keep an eye on your every move, waiting for the moment you mess up so they can talk behind your back and make fun of you, or taunt you. Some do it out of jealousy, some out of insecurity, and some simply because they can’t stand seeing someone do better than them. But instead of being affected by such people, I’ve learned to treat it differently.Now, whenever I feel those eyes on me – those silent watchers hoping I fall, I smile. Because it means I’m doing something worth noticing. It means I’m moving, growing, and standing out. And if people are watching, then I might as well give them something worth watching. So I keep doing my best, not for validation, but because I refuse to let them see me break. I think of myself as the main character of my own story, and them as the audience – sitting, watching, waiting for the drama. And if they’re so eager to see me fail, then I’ll make sure the only thing they witness is my success.
By: Anushka Rawat
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