10 Harsh Truths About Life That Will Help You Become Stronger And Wiser

Undoubtedly, the journey we call life isn’t easy at all. We all have our own worries and struggles to deal with. We worry whether we will fulfill all our daily responsibilities on time, we wish we had a better job and more money, we have self – esteem issues, the list is endless.

“The root of suffering is attachment,” the Buddha taught. Yet, don’t take this wrong. What he had in mind was not the attachment people develop in their relationships, romantic or otherwise, but the one we feel to transient things. Things like our mistakes, difficulties, and failures that interfere with our happiness. Or our tendency to search for happiness in others when it’s actually in ourselves. 

We find it very hard to accept our failures or that someone close to us has broken our heart. But, what we fail to realize is that these experiences make us stronger and more determined. Once we realize that we grow, learn and change, it’ll be easier for us to accept the negative things that happen to us and we won’t allow them to stand in the way to our happiness and success.

Don’t let yourself miss out on the beautiful moments and great opportunities life has to offer you by focusing all your attention and energy on your worries.

Here are the 10 harsh truths about life that will help you to become stronger and wiser:

1. The world doesn’t owe you anything.

It’s very naïve, but there are many who believe in this. If you think that your main obligations are to graduate and behave well and then just wait for all the good things in the world to magically come to you, you better wake up now. You’ll never achieve personal and professional  growth and happiness if you don’t work towards them yourself.

2. Nothing lasts forever.

Before you can blink, you’ve turned 30. Time waits for no one. The things you desire or have now, you’ll no longer have or desire in future. The time you need to prepare for something will soon become time for action. The people you love will be gone. It does sound harsh, but that’s the natural course of life and you can’t change it.

3. Not all people will be good to and happy for you.

Not everyone will be willing to offer you the love, respect, and support you give them. Not everyone will be proud of and praise you for your achievements. Not everyone will be there when you need their encouragement and help.  Some people will always envy you, downplay the importance of your successes, and want to make you feel unworthy.

4. Ugh, this one is brutal, but not everyone gets to experience true love.

I’m sure you know someone who is in a relationship but instead of feeling emotionally fulfilled and deeply connected to their partner, they feel lonely. Well, being in a relationship in which there’s attachment, affection, and passion is a completely different thing from feeling genuine love. This kind of love which is raw and pure is rare and only a few are lucky to find it.

But, don’t roll your eyes. I know that the way one feels when they find true love is what makes it worth waiting for, but you shouldn’t let that become your main preoccupation. Instead of focusing all your time and energy on it, try to enjoy the opportunities and pleasures life offers you. And who knows, maybe true love will hit you when you expect it the least.

5. You’re the only person you can absolutely trust.

You can never be 100 percent sure you can have a full confidence in someone, including those you hold dear and who are supposed to be honest with you. On the other hand, you owe it to yourself to be honest with yourself and to never pretend to be someone you’re not. When you stand in front of the mirror, you’ll know that’s the real YOU.

6. Everyone has their own interests.

You can’t expect that people will always have respect for your interests or that they’ll always be there to help you achieve your goals. This doesn’t mean they’re selfish, but those who are wise and confident know that if they don’t stick up and fight for themselves, no one else will. Find out what your greatest priorities and interests are and work towards them.

7. No one is ever too busy to respond.

Don’t believe those who tell you they were too busy to answer your calls or text you back the other day with the excuse that they were ‘very busy.’  If someone is really busy, they can call you after they finish doing what they’re doing. So, if they didn’t respond, it was because they didn’t want to. Period.

8. If someone hurt you real bad, chances are that was their intention.

You can’t always look for the good in those who hurt you. You can’t justify the actions of someone who disrespected you or hurt your feelings. If you find yourself thinking: ”Oh, he/she is not bad. They didn’t mean to hurt me. Everybody deserves a second chance,” then, my dear, know that the more chances you give them, the more they’ll hurt you. Don’t let them get comfortable disrespecting you.

9. Disappointments lurk around every corner.

Yeah, life isn’t fair, but who said it was? You’re surrounded by people who cherish you and want the best for you and by those who will stop at nothing to reach their goals, even if that means disappointing you. Yet, remember that their behavior should never define your worth and happiness.

10. Not everyone will be willing to protect you.

Knights in shining armors exist in fairy tales only. Just because you’re not afraid to walk through fire to defend or help your loved ones or someone you know, it doesn’t mean they’re willing to do the same thing for you as well. The only true protector you’ll ever have is yourself.

Image: Cornelius Woodrow