14 Harsh Truths to Accept as An Adult

Being an adult isn’t as easy as most people would have assumed back when they were 10 years old. Even when we’re teenagers, most of us daydream about the day we get to move out of our parents home and live a life on our own. We think about how great it’ll be to stay up as long as we want while eating all the ice cream we can consume.

However, it doesn’t take long when you’re an adult before you realize it isn’t as magical as you thought. Sure, you do have the option to drink alcohol and stay up past 10 PM, but you also lose the privilege of not being entirely responsible for your well being.

Back when you lived with your parents, you didn’t have to worry about sticking with a job you hate because you had to pay the bills. You didn’t have to worry about trying to find time to fit romance into your busy schedule. You didn’t have to worry about trying to find friends.

But there comes a point when everyone needs to take their head out of the gutters and grow up. So sit back and let’s go over the 14 harsh truths to accept as an adult.

1. Choose Your Friendships First

As an adult, it’s easy to lose sight of friendship when it means a promotion, a woman, or the last piece of cake in the refrigerator. But before giving in to your temptations, remember the importance of friendship and trust. Unlike romantic relationships, friendships are bonds that don’t form overnight. It takes weeks, if not months, to usually form a tight bond with someone. So before you flush all that work down the toilet, ask yourself if it’s really worth giving up.

2. You’re not Chained to a Relationship

There’s nothing restraining you from breaking out of a broken relationship. If you feel like your partner is abusing you, isn’t providing you with the right affection, or worst, don’t assume you can’t break free and find a new partner.

It might be difficult returning back to the single’s market, but you’ll eventually have a self-realization of how happy you can be without someone shoving a raid of stress into your head. Romantic relationships are amazing to have, but if they’re damaging your health, cut them loose. Learn to be independent on your emotional needs so you won’t be dependent on someone else.

3. The world doesn’t revolve around you

By the time most people reach adulthood, they still have a small part of them that believes the world will react to their feelings. They believe if someone is mad at work, it has something to do with them and nothing else. They believe if someone gives them a smirkish stare, they must be mocking them. They believe that if it’s raining, their negative attitude had something to do with it.

From a supernatural point of view, perhaps your emotions can affect the weather or how the sun behaves. However, from a logical perspective, the world is filled with complex people dealing with complicated problems. The faster you escape the mentality of being a victim, the less you’ll feel pressured about the small problems in life.

4. Everyone isn’t going to like you

People enjoy being liked. No one really wants a hater because that means there’s a possible flaw with them. But you’ll find people who’ll always disagree with you for no good reason, and there’ll always be people who’ll agree with you for all the right reasons.

There’ll be people who’ll dislike and not trust you, as there will be those who’ll let you put their lives into your hand. Thus, always focus on the people who like you while also displaying a moderate level of respect towards those who don’t. Displaying a negative attitude towards them will only cloud your mind and waste your own energy.

5. You Will Change Someone’s Life in Ways You’ll Never Know

Whether you’re aware of it or not, you have the ability to completely change someone’s life by telling them a simple sentence, displaying a certain behavior, or accomplishing a certain act.

You may not see the results immediately or at all, but be aware of your actions. Most of the time you’ll never know who you’re influencing. It can be a child, your partner, or a stranger. Either way, you have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.

6. Pick Your Battles

Most conflicts you come across won’t be worth the struggle or time it’ll give you. If you find yourself getting into an argument that can ruin a relationship, shut up and restrain yourself from speaking to them for a period of time.

You rarely win anything by giving in to your rage and attack someone with threats or insults. Unless someone is actively trying to harm you, let it go and save your energy for bigger battles.

7. Understand the Harsh Truth About Humans

You will come across people who act random and strange in their own ways. You will encounter humans who will watch your pain with pleasure and your failure with delight. You will come across humans who think you deserve whatever bad happens to you because of your salary, state of happiness, or health. You will come across people who will be entertained by your suffering and thrilled by your tears.

Such as how a celebrity’s fans can quickly turn against them, so can the people in your life. Thus, don’t worry about trying to please the world or react to their emotions. Do something because you’re interested and want to invest your time into it.

8. Treat Those Below You Fairly

Although treating your friends and family could be a happy act to perform, it’s your ability to treat those who can’t pay you back that determines your character. It demonstrates your ability to show mercy and compassion for those with less than you. It can be difficult conjuring empathy for someone if you’re dealing with your own stress, but put in the effort to remember it.

Or else you might accidentally forget the type of pain other people outside your life experience. Whether you help the homeless or anyone who’s starving, occasionally help someone who’s doing worse than you.

9. Trust isn’t given, but earned

You can’t gain the trust of others simply because you believe you’re a good person. It takes actively showing positive emotions, displaying good values, and good characteristics that brings others to you.

If you’re feeling negative or toxic, put in an effort to get it out of you by speaking to someone you trust or seeking therapy. If you often find yourself saying negative things, put in the habit to think happy thoughts so it erase those bad habits naturally.

10. Know the Importance of Conversations

A crucial skill that’s unappreciated is the ability to maintain a conversation. People who can hold a meaningful conversation with anyone can create great relationships and get ahead in life. And part of maintaining a good conversation is mastering the ability to listen and emphasize with someone. Learn to hear someone’s emotions rather than just the words they say. If they tell you they’re fine with a negative tone, dig deeper to see what they’re dealing with.

11. Invest in Learning the Important Principles in Life

You won’t learn everything you need to be successful in life in high school or college. Despite the wide range of information you learn throughout your life in school, you won’t encounter that many situations where you’ll need to know biology or Shakespeare.

Instead, invest some time to learn adult skills such as budgeting your money smartly, how to build your credit, basic laws to know your rights, and other lessons to ensure you can live an independent lifestyle.

12. Accept the Fulfilling Moments in Your Life

Most people make the mistake of spending a chunk of their lives just to finish college and take up a job that will earn them a decent income. They then buy meaningless toys that will only distract their mind throughout the rest of their life.

However, as you get older, you begin realizing that it’s not the things you bought yourself that mattered most. It was the time you spent with friends and families. It was the time you overcame your fear and did something you thought you couldn’t.

One of the things you’ll treasure most will be the memories you accumulated throughout the years. Thus, don’t focus on how much money you can earn. Focus on ways you can develop yourself as a person.

13. Accept Your Responsibilities

Don’t expect other people to take care of your every need and desire. Unless they can get something out of you, most people you encounter won’t care about doing anything to help you grow. You’re the only one who have complete control over your actions and decisions.

Some of your mistakes will happen because of poor judgments. Most of your flaws will be because of you. But that doesn’t mean shrugging your shoulders as you continue to blame the world. Take charge and do what’s necessary to make a change.

14. Copy Those You Admire

One does not simply become wise or great until they use the opportunity to study and copy those who did something great. Learn what your competition does and apply the same techniques they did.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just learn the formula that other successful people used and apply it towards your ideas and ambitions. Look inside the mind of successful people by reading their books, studying their biographies, and listening to their podcasts.

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