Life is difficult. Life is not a bed of roses as I’m sure you must’ve experienced so far. It is safe to say that everyone dreams of living a life void of hurdles. Everyone desires a life of utmost satisfaction. However, things always take an unexpected turn. The least expected things tend to show up and there’s nothing we can do about them. Bad things do happen to good people. Why? Because that’s just how life is. It can really be unfair sometimes, but you have to be ready to deal with it. Reason why you need to know these 10 bitter truths about life. Knowing is better than being in the dark; it will be less painful when you experience them.
That being said, here are 10 bitter truths about life you need to know;
1. Hard work is not a guarantee for Success
If hard work was all that was needed for success, then the wealthiest people in the world would’ve been coal miners. Though only hardworking people get to achieve their dreams, there are people who work really hard, yet they’re barely surviving. Some people work much more than others yet earn much less. You might think they missed something, but they didn’t. Hard work is not enough, you also need to work smart to really make it. The world doesn’t care about how hard you’ve worked, or how many times you’ve tried. The world only rewards results. Without results, forget it, there are no participation trophies in life. While it’s important to focus on the prize, sometimes relax and enjoy the journey as it’s not certain that you will reach your destination.
2. Your loved ones will one day pass on
How many times have you heard that someone was bereaved? Do you at that point ever imagine that it could be you in their shoes? If you haven’t lost a loved one yet, sadly it will happen someday. It’s painful yes, but you just can’t escape it. I have been there more than once. Knowing this will not lessen the pain when the time comes but it’s worth knowing. That’s why you need to love and cherish your family and friends while you still have the chance. Don’t wait till tomorrow, for it may be too late. You only have today. It’s not for nothing that today is called the present; it’s a gift. Cherish it while you can.
3. Perfection is impossible
Don’t set unrealistic standards for yourself. Are you a perfectionist? Maybe you have unrealistic expectations from those around you. Instead of trying to be perfect and expecting everyone around you to behave in a manner that soothes you, why not learn to love them with their imperfections? No one is perfect, not even you. How can you expect others to be something that you aren’t? Does that even make sense? Does it mean that you shouldn’t seek perfection? You should, in fact as Jesus said: Be perfect just like your Father in heaven is perfect. We’re all works in progress. You goal should be to improve every single day to approach perfection. Let perfection be a source of motivation for you and not an instrument for judgment for yourself and others.
4. There’s no Mr./Mrs. Right
If you are an adult, you must’ve heard of the Mr./Mrs. Right talk for the most part of your life. You’ve probably heard of finding “the one” or “your better half”, falling in love and living happily ever after. Sounds good to the ears, in fact, we all want that. However, if you believe in this philosophy, you might end up growing old without finding your perfect match. When it comes to finding love, there’s no perfect fit. You only have to compromise where necessary to love and be loved. What you should do is to find a suitable partner with whom you can accomplish purpose.
5. Nobody really cares about you:
Even your parents are simply fulfilling their obligations. Be grateful if they do because some parents think that giving birth to children was as far as they could go, the rest is up them. Everyone is selfish; the only difference is in how intense each person focuses on themselves. Don’t count on anyone because they are also trying to survive. If you expect so much from people, you’ll be utterly disappointed. Whatever your actions/inactions, be ready to take full responsibility for the consequences. Life is a solo trip, everyone else is a visitor/passer-by, you can’t afford to let take the wheel of your life because they might end up taking you to their own destination.
6. You can’t make everyone happy
Even Jesus Christ the Son of God was hated and despised by many for no reason at all. What more of you? There’s no way you can please everyone. As a matter of fact, the more you try to please people, the less pleased they are and that’s a recipe for depression. Bother more about being at peace with people around you than making them happy because you can’t.
7. Being different doesn’t necessarily mean you are useful
Hiddleton once said: “Every villain is a hero in his mind, but that doesn’t make him a hero”. You must have heard of the phrase “be different”. What does being different mean to you? If you can’t define being different in relation to your personal growth and that of your society, then you are neither useful to yourself nor to your society. You merely exist. What value do you bring to the marketplace?
8. Some people will walk out of your life without any explanation even if you think you deserve one.
Have you ever been “ghosted” before? This is when someone, usually a romantic partner or potential partner suddenly cuts off communication with you without any explanation whatsoever. If you’ve been ghosted before then you know how badly it hurts. It leaves you wondering what you did wrong. This might sound a little overwhelming but believe me, it is part of life. It could be someone you are romantically involved with or a family member. Brace
yourself and be strong to deal with it when the time comes. Someone ghosting you says more about who that person is than you. Don’t blame yourself or regret anything. It’s time to move on with your life. If I tell you that it’s not going to hurt much then I’ll be lying to you. It will hurt so much that you may cry yourself to sleep for several nights. Eventually, you will get used to it and move on with your life. There’s more to life than just being stuck on someone in your past.
9. There are people who are better than you in every aspect of life
Believing that you are the best makes you more enthusiastic; it pushes you to want to be better and it also makes you to feel good about yourself which is nice. However, there are over 8 billion people in the world; there is obviously at least someone better than you in some aspect. Do you think you’re smart? There are smarter people than you. Do you think you’re rich? There are richer people than you. Do you think you’re beautiful? There are more beautiful people than you. You get the point. It’ll be delusional to believe that there is something you’re the best at in the world. Comparing yourself with others is a recipe for failure because there will always be people better than you. Even those who hold the Guinness world record in any category are not necessarily the best. There are people who are better than them that just didn’t get the spotlight. The only competition you have is with yourself. Focus on surpassing yourself every single day. Quit comparing yourself to others and just enjoy being you because you are simply unique. No one can beat you at being you.
10. You will die some day.
No one knows the hour or the day, but the truth is that one day it will be your turn. You see those people you have been mourning all your life? Someday, others will mourn you. Death is inevitable. As much as we try not to think about it, we can’t change the reality. So, live your life like it can end in the next minute. Show as much love as you can. Give your best to the world; you can’t afford to die with unexploited talents; that will be a waste.
What is your legacy? No one is wishing this but if you were to pass on today, what will you be remembered for? Will you be among the average who get forgotten or will you be one of the courageous ones who dared to create an impact? Live every day like it’s your last by giving it your BEST shot.