Ten things I learnt from life

I completed 26 years of this life last month. In the past 26 years, life has put me through different situations and each of them taught me something new. Then I thought I will make a list of things that I learnt from life which will help me make my future better. However, the list just went on and on. Finally, I thought I will shorten the list. So, here is the list of the top 10 things that I have learnt.

1. Think before you speak. Most of the time I got into trouble, it was because I said something about somebody somewhere. Not that I am the kind who likes to make people’s secrets open, but somehow in my case, every time the guy I spoke to and the guy I spoke about, came together. Next, was always history.
   
2. Plan before you do. I generally plan everything I do. It’s only because of proper planning and execution that I am what I am today. Planning doesn’t really make things easy but it definitely puts things on track and gives you a focus. Moreover, planning makes it easy for you to check the status of your progress. Especially when you are multi-tasking, planning is a must.
   
3. Take relationships seriously. It takes a lot of time to build a relationship, to break, it takes just a moment. Plus, it’s only when a relationship is broken that you realize its importance. Unless you are committed, do not get into any relationship. Once you are committed, try to keep it going. Trust me, its not really a good feeling to see your loved ones going away from you.
   
4. Do not push aside responsibilities. We all love independence. However, independence doesn’t give us the option of running away from responsibilities. Responsibilities of your family needs to be on priority. All of us have dreams that we try to achieve. But, after your achievement, if your family is not with you to celebrate, it’s meaningless.
   
5. There is no time as right time. Do not wait for the right time to start anything. If you need to do something, just do it. All my unfulfilled dreams are because I am still waiting for the right time which, I am sure, is not coming soon. Moreover, starting things early doesn’t really hurt.
   
6. Knowledge never goes waste. Do not shy away from learning new things. You never know, when these small skills may help you. When I started taking interest in computers while studying literature, people said it won't really help career wise. Today I am working in a software product company making as much as computer engineers. If I had not pursued my interest then, I don’t know what would have happened to me.
   
7. Be prepared for surprises. Life is full of surprises. While some surprises are pleasant, some others shatter you. It is pretty obvious that the way you enjoy all the happiness from pleasant surprises, you must also accept the problems that come with the not so pleasant ones.
   
8. Money matters. Money cannot buy everything, but you need money to buy even the bare necessities of life. Do not disrespect money just because you are making a little more than others, spend it intelligently. At the same time, don’t be stingy. If spending a little money on something can make you happy, go ahead.
   
9. Success is temporary. Perseverance pays. If you try hard, you will definitely be successful. However, success should not change you. If you relax after you get what you set out to achieve, it will soon go out of your hand. You must understand that maintaining your success is as important as achieving it. Many a times it has happened to me that I got what I wanted but I was about to lose it because of my carelessness.
   
10. Respect others. None of us is a genius. If you can do something, there must me someone else who can do better. At the same time, everybody has some unique quality which must be respected. We all have hearts with love and affection. We feel hurt if our feelings are made fun of. The same way, we must also realize that the same happens to others as well. Respect others, others’ feelings.