22 Valuable Life Lessons For 2022

With 2021 coming to an end, many of us look ahead to 2022 with optimism. A start of a new year allows the chance for growth, change, improvements…the possibilities are limitless. Last year I wrote about 21 lessons for 2021. This year, we’re ramping it up a notch with 22 lessons that you can bring into the new year with you for 2022:

1) Not everyone is meant to be in your life forever

The truth is some people are just temporary figures in your life. While this can sound bad at first, it’s not.

Sure, it can be sad to lose contact with somebody you were once close to. However, instead of dwelling on what isn’t there, be grateful for the time you were able to spend with them. Those interactions shaped you into the person you are today for better or for worse.

Maybe they taught you a valuable lesson or helped you get through a particularly difficult time in your life. They helped aid your own story and personal development, and sometimes…

Well, sometimes that is good enough.

“Some people are going to leave, but that’s not the end of your story. That’s the end of their part in your story.” -Faraaz Kazi

2) Everything in moderation, including moderation

 When we hear the word addiction, it is usually related to drugs and alcohol. The truth of the matter is however you can be addicted to anything.

The obese man who is addicted to eating. The nervous girl that’s addicted to biting her fingernails. Porn, cleaning, working out, television … while some might be more harmful than others, addiction can hit from anywhere.

The best way to not be addicted is to avoid absolute obsession. That is why it is important to do everything in moderation. You don’t need to abstain completely, but you also shouldn’t overindulge. Even a healthy activity like exercise can become dangerous if done too often with too much intensity.

However, that is the beauty of this sentence. Everything in moderation, including moderation. There will be times when you will have to turn it up, use that fire burning inside of you, and go all out.

Just do it in moderation.

“Exactness in moderation is a virtue, but carried to extremes narrows the mind.” -Francois Fenelon

3) Take risks while you’re young

The cruel joke of life is that when we are young, we are dumb and inexperienced. Wisdom comes with age. Even being five years younger with the knowledge that you currently have can make all the difference.

The best way to gain this wisdom is through experiences. That is why it is important to take risks while you are young. Try new things. Do things that make you feel uncomfortable. Take chances.

If they do not work out, you still have time to bounce back! One of the main reasons I was not worried about moving across the country was that I knew if I didn’t like it, I always had the option to simply go back. Therefore, the risk wasn’t really a risk.

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that’s changing so quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg 

4) Life happens unexpectedly

You will find that perfect relationship when you aren’t even looking for one. You will find that dream job when you stop thinking about it. If you try to predict your life 6 months from now, you will most likely be very, very wrong.

And this is because…

5) Life doesn’t give you what you want, it gives you what you need

In other words, everything happens for a reason. While you might have wanted that dream job, or to be in a relationship – that isn’t what you needed at that point in time.

Everything that has ever happened to you has worked out to get you to this point in your life. That’s because life has always given you what you needed when you needed it. Even if it didn’t feel like it at that time.

“Life doesn’t give you the people you want, it gives you the people you need. To love you, to hate you, to make you, to break you, and to make you the person you were meant to be.” -Walt Whitman

6) Happiness comes from helping others

Helping others is such a fulfilling and heartwarming experience, you can’t help but smile.

Volunteering, assisting your network, being there for a family member, cheering up a friend. Even small contributions that you don’t think much about can make a real impact on the lives of others.

And it will make an impact on your life.

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” -John Holmes

7) Know how to be independent

Learn how to cook for yourself, clean, small maintenance things around the house. You won’t always have someone to rely on at every moment in life. Knowing how to be independent and taking care of yourself is important for growth, and for survival.

“I was raised to be an independent woman, not the victim of anything.” -Kamala Harris

8) Family are the people who are there for you

You can have friends that are family and family that aren’t even friends. The people that are there for you when you really need it, both at your lowest points and at your highest, those are the people that really matter.

That is your real family.

“Family is not about blood. It’s about who is willing to hold your hand when you need it the most.” -Anonymous

9) It is OK to disconnect

Turn off your phone from time to time and just be alone with your thoughts. In the world of the internet and social media, it is so easy to always be on, constantly stimulated, and caught up in what other people are doing. We rarely ever take a moment to really be with our thoughts, even when alone.

Disconnecting gives perspective, clarity, and helps us recharge.

“We need time to defuse, to contemplate. When we sleep our brains relax and give us dreams, so at some time in the day we need to disconnect, reconnect, and look around us.” -Laurie Colwin

10) Take a break from self-development

This may sound crazy coming from a self-development blog, but it’s true!

Like I said before, everything in moderation. Becoming obsessed with self-development will lead to burnout, which is unhealthy and can be demoralizing.

Take time to listen to music instead of that self-help podcast. Watch sports, do mindless things from time to time.

Breaks are important to recharge us so that we can continue to operate at peak performance.

“Taking a break can lead to breakthroughs.” -Russell Eric Dobda

11) Don’t be afraid to say “I’m sorry”

The day I decided it is okay to say sorry was one of the best days of my life.

It truly felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. No longer did I think it was weak to apologize. If anything, being able to put your pride aside and admit when you are wrong is one of the strongest things any person can do.

Plus, saying sorry doesn’t always mean you were 100% wrong.

“Apologizing does not always mean you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego.” -Mark Matthews

12) Say “I love you” more

You never know when it might be your last chance!

“The regret of my life is that I have not said ‘I love you’ often enough.” -Yoko Uno

13) Life is too short to not do what you want

Not what your parents want for you. Not what you think will make you rich. Do what you want to do and what will make you feel fulfilled at the end of the day.

You don’t want to look back on your life 60 years from now and think “damn, I should have done that.”

This includes following your own career path, but it could also be asking out that girl you like!

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.” -Steve Jobs

14) It’s okay to say “no”

In any scenario, “no” is an acceptable answer. In fact, the most successful people often say no. They say no to anything that does not align with their goals, enthuse them, or may go against their core values.

“The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It’s very easy to say yes.” -Tony Blair

15) A great team makes all the difference

Working as part of a team that helps you out, uplifts you, and that you truly enjoy spending time with is extremely important. Nothing that makes a significant impact on the world can be done alone. That is why it is important to have amazing people by your side along the way.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” -Michael Jordan

16) Compromise is key

If you never compromise two unfortunate side effects will happen:

A) You close yourself off to new experiences
B) You damage relationships

New experiences are part of growing and improving as a person. And relationships are fundamentally important for our sanity and happiness as people. Don’t let stubbornness affect your quality of life. Compromises don’t make you weak!

“Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than to break.” -Jane Wells

17) Nothing is more important than health

I used to believe money could buy anything, even health. My ignorance about Magic Johnson was just one reason why. COVID helped me realize that money, status, fame, etc. – all come secondary to being healthy.

“He who has health has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” -Thomas Carlyle

18) Everyone wants a friend

In the past two years with COVID, people have been lonelier than ever.

Even before, it was common to hear how difficult it was to make friends in today’s world.

The truth is, everybody wants a good friend. Somebody they can talk to, go out with, rely on, just have a fun time with.

Don’t be afraid to go up and talk to people. If you do, you might just form a new friendship. Even more so, you might be surprised by how receptive they are. Either way, you’ve got nothing to lose.

“A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.” -Maya Angelou

19) Be wary of gaslighters

Gaslighting is the act of somebody making you second guess yourself based on their words about a certain situation. This is often done in romantic relationships but can occur in any type of relationship including friends, family, and co-workers.

This is done to make you feel like you are in the wrong and the other person is right, making the situation your fault. When in reality, that is not the truth.

Be confident enough in yourself to not second guess yourself, hold your ground, and realize that you are right and the other person is gaslighting you.

“Gaslighting qualifies as a form of emotional abuse that involves denying a person’s experience and making statements, such as “that never happened,” “you’re too sensitive,” or “this isn’t that big a deal.” -Ramani Durvasula

20) Stop Complaining

This is a rule I’ve lived by for years, but every year I feel like it becomes even more relevant than the year before.

When you complain, you drain your own energy.

You drain the energy of those around you.

Nobody wins.

Instead of complaining about the situation, work on figuring out a solution!

“Complaining not only ruins everybody else’s day, it ruins the complainer’s day, too. The more we complain, the more unhappy we get.” -Dennis Prager

21) Small changes improve the world

You don’t need to be insanely rich and donate money to causes to be able to make an impact on the world.

Any small act of kindness that can put a smile on the other person’s face is a step in the right direction towards making the world a better place.

If we all did this, the world would change significantly and be filled with more positivity and love.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop

22) Communicate

You will get into fights with the people you care most about in life from time to time. It’s only normal that when you spend that much time around someone, combined with being so deeply invested in what is best for them, a fight will occur on occasion.

The important thing is talking through the fight and being able to communicate. They say never go to bed mad. Adding to this, take time for yourself and for the other person to both calm down, then talk it out. Oftentimes, the fight happens not because either party had malicious intentions, but because there was a miscommunication.

“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.” -Rollo May

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Best,

Eric