Socrates may have said: “I know one thing: that I know nothing” but there are a number of things that I do know and wish I had known earlier in life.

I could easily have broken this list into age categories of when I learned these lessons…but I won’t.

I could also provide examples for each one of the lessons below…but I won’t do that either.

I’ll leave them up to you to consider how they can relate to your personal experience.

Here we go, in random order:

• Just because someone appears to have lots of friends does not mean that they are liked or even loved – strangely enough, sometimes it could be the exact opposite;
• Don’t be too envious of the material possessions others may have – wealth doesn’t automatically mean happiness;
• Life doesn’t begin after graduation, getting married, having kids or any other “life” milestone. Life begins every day you wake up, if you make that choice;
• Just because you’ve been told/heard certain things over your lifetime doesn’t mean that they are all true. Is it your truth, their truth or their projection?;
• Boring is not necessarily bad and it’s okay if life is a bit boring at times. No one is swinging from the chandeliers every day;
• Just because you are from a certain cultural background doesn’t mean that you are immune to stress and/mental health issues. Those who say otherwise are often in denial about their own issues or prefer to place the blame on others;
• Just because someone loves you doesn’t mean that they always have your best interest at heart;
• Don’t put everyone’s needs ahead of your own. Being a selfless martyr will result in an outcome that will disappoint you;
• Don’t blame yourself for not knowing things you think you should have known. You can’t know what you don’t know;
• You can’t “fix” others. When you fix yourself, others will have no choice but to fall in line;
• When a struggle is over, take the time to appreciate what you’ve learned and how you can leverage that new knowledge for the future;
• Never give up your passion, even if it means doing things you don’t necessarily care to do.

What is one thing that you wished you had learned earlier in life? Which one of the above resonates with you and why?