If you were to visit yourself in 15 years and your life hadn’t changed, how would you feel? Probably not great. Part of growing older is gaining wisdom from your experience. Life brings many opportunities for growth, and turning to your future self can help you pull through dark times.

Part of life is learning as you go, but no one gives you an instruction manual. It’s not like school, where you have a study manual to read, then hopefully you pass the test. Life is much more layered and sticky than this. Our actual experiences are the study manual, and the more we dive into each moment, the more rewarding the lesson may be.

Even if someone gave you an instruction manual at a young age, it wouldn’t guarantee success. Part of being here, alive and in the flesh, is experiencing all of life’s struggles, triumphs, relationships, and glorious ups and downs.

Life is about learning. When it comes to your own life, do you feel like you are living it fully?

Part of being happy and healthy is following through on your heart’s desires, which means you recognize life lessons as they happen and courageously move forward unscathed.

Situations, setbacks, disease, divorce, breakups, fear and frustration can make you wonder, “What is it all for?” If you feel stuck, you aren’t alone. The majority of us fall into dark holes of feeling like we are going through life alone, and our problems are bigger than us.

But one thing you can count on is growth. If you aren’t changing, you aren’t growing, so change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Every day requires a new opportunity for you to try again, and learn more.

I know from my own experience overcoming depression, drug addiction and eating disorders that life gets better when you keep going. Keep at it and believe in your future. You’re here for a reason, and you make an extraordinary difference just by being you.

If your future self has a message for you, it might look something like this:

1. Everyone is going through something. Compassion is a universal language.

2. As you age, your body will change unexpectedly. Just go with it.

3. Not everyone has to like you for you to be loved.

4. The best potential relationship of your life will be with yourself. The sooner you can become your own best friend, the easier your life will be.

5. You are more beautiful, smarter, and more capable than you give yourself credit for.

6. Your happiness will be in direct proportion to what you are willing to accept and let be.

7. Forgiveness may be one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to do, but once you allow for it, you will feel unconditional freedom like you never imagined.

8. Everything is connected. What you’re going through right now is part of your bigger picture.

9. Love never ends. Your relationships may change form, but love is in your heart forever.

10. Your insecurities and fears are part of your life lessons. Overcoming them is part of the life process and mission.

11. You’re never off track or behind. It’s all in divine order.

12. Do what you love as often as you can. It is the fastest way to find your happy.

13. You don’t need a lot of money to do what you want. The sooner you can focus on results versus reasons it can’t happen, the more fulfilled you will be.

14. Putting yourself first isn’t selfish; it’s essential for your own well-being.

15. No amount of guilt will solve your problems. Anxiety won’t change the future. Be present — it’s all you have.

16. Everyone everywhere wants the same thing: love and acceptance.

17. Deferring your happiness to the future just keeps you unhappy indefinitely.

18. Investing in experiences is more rewarding than things.

19. You will learn the way on the way. Trust the process and be in the journey.

20. Your life is not off track, and you’ve made no mistakes. You are right where you need to be to get to where you want to go.

Source:“20 Truths About Life You Didn’t Learn In School”, by Shannon Kaiser, April 23, 2015 at http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-18429/20-truths-about-life-you-didnt-learn-in-school.html

Original link: 20 Truths About Life You Didn’t Learn In School