Life can hit you hard sometimes you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, use the hard lessons learned and move on. Over the years I’ve had my own share of struggles, challenges, disappointments and failures and while I could’ve easily given in or given up I didn’t and it’s because of these lessons that I’ve been able to attain so much success in such a short period of time.

Today I want to share with you 20 lessons I’ve learned as I look back over the last 25 years of my life. I’m sure many of you can relate, and resonate with some or many of these. When times get tough come back to this list and remember temporary pain creates long term pleasure.

1. Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.

2. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

3. One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.

4. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger but they will never be you.

5. You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.

6. Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.

7. Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.

8. Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.

9. The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists; it rewards people who get things done.

10. The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.

11. Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.

12. Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records everyday. Success is a battle between you and yourself ONLY!

13. You can’t change what you refuse to confront.

14. You can’t make it to 2nd base with your foot on 1st.

15. It’s better to be alone then in bad company.

16. Fall in love when you’re ready not when you’re lonely.

17. There is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But, most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.

18. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else

19. You are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.

20. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.

As you finish reading this list remember there will be challenges, stepping stones, stumbling blocks, and failures in life. When you overcome an obstacle, find a solution and don’t give up because you will grow from it. I challenge you to look back on your own life and share with me some of the lessons you’ve learned over the years.

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