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What is the most important "life lesson" you have learned?

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At one time in my life, I thought I was the god's gift to sales people. I was working my way up the corporate ladder through hard work and dedication. My (now ex) wife was purchasing designer handbags and suggested we purchase a luxury vehicle to "spoil ourselves". My company had paid for a move for me to take a rather high ranking position across the country. Life was grand!

Then one Friday morning my world came crashing down. I was greeted at the front door and ushered into the managing directors office, where I was asked for my company cell phone and lap top computer. Here it was - the not so golden handshake. My tenure had come to an end just like that.

I was unemployed for a total of 7 months and went through some pretty tough days. All the while my now GF stood beside me the entire time now wavering one bit, and was my biggest cheerleader. I was very fortunate to be hired by an amazing company and now have a mentor that I report to instead of just a "boss".

Yep you got it, my life lesson that I learned was humility. Where I would have previously fought for praise and the proverbial pat on the back. I am much more reserved and humble, these days.

What say you Lush? What is the most important life lesson you have learned?
The night that changed my life, a four part series of a married man lusting after his co-worker

[URL=http://www.lushstories.com/stories/reluctance/the-night-that-changed-my-life-1.aspx][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/WPPsy.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Active Ink Slinger
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After growing up in a house with three sisters, I'd say to put the toilet seat back down. Hahaha

Tough question that may require more thought. Yes, that's quite a challenge for me. Off the top of my head. Lesson learned, that one mistake in life can erase and undo a lifetime of goodness, trust, and respect.



When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. Socrates
Lurker
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Don't spit in the wind.
Lurker
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That no one else can make me happy. There are certainly people who bring joy and love to my life, especially a certain someone, but it's up to me to make myself happy. ;)
Lurker
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to laugh at yourself...otherwise everyone is just laughing at you instead of with you...
Lurker
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That you can't truly depend upon anyone but yourself.

Despite having learned this lesson many times, I still choose to see the best in people.

I don't know if that makes me optimistic or dumb...

(probably a little of both)
Rookie Scribe
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Never do anything you'll regret. From my 75 years of experience I can tell you that regrets will never leave you, they are yours forever. And the weight gets heavier as you accumulate those things you wish you hadn't done or the things you should have. The hurtful things you said and wish you had kept your mouth shut.
Lurker
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1) Be good to everyone, even the snarky waitress who smarted off to you. You don't know what may have happened at home to make her that way.

2)When arguing with your significant other, never say things in the heat of the moment that you can't take back later and really didn't mean to begin with.

Sorry! I couldn't pick just one!
Lurker
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Do what makes you happy and live life the way you want to live life it is your life and nobody elses we only live once
Lurker
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Don't stay mad for too long, life is too short.
Active Ink Slinger
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Like NaughtyDelight, I can't restrict myself to just one. SO here they are, in no particular order:
1. Do not make decisions until you have to. I once was invited by Arthur Feidler to audition for the utility flute/piccolo chair with Boston Symphony. Not wanting to relocate to Boston, I didn't take the audition. I have always wonjdered if I was really that good.
2. Saving "for a rainy day" is not a bad idea, but it is better to save for something concrete. When I was gainfully employed, I put the maximum alowable into my 401-k retirement plan. There were many luxuries, such as cars and the like that I could have purchased, but I chose to forego them, thnking my income would continue to rise, and I could afford them in a year or two. WHen the housing "bubble" let go, I was laid off. I was unemployed from 2007 until this past January. Now I have no 401-K, and never did get those luxuries, nor, being in my late sixties, do I ever expect to have the earning power to afford them.
3. Don't turn down business opportunities, just becausee you think they might not pan out. In 1967, I was best man at the wedding of Mr. Sanders grandaughter, Sarah, to Bruce Wood. (Yes, THAT Mr. Sanders - the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken). Following the wedding dinner, he invited all male mambers of the wedding party to the parlor for cigars and brandy. He offered to set each of us up with a franchise, and guaranteed us each a twenty-five mile radius. I thanked him for his generous offer, and opined that fried chicken probably wouldn't do well in the Baltimore region, because hamburger joints were all the rage at that time.
"There's only three tempos: slow, medium and fast. When you get between in the cracks, ain't nuthin' happenin'." Ben Webster
Clever Gem
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Be kinder to people, everybody is going through something!
And of course,
always be yourself, if they don't like it- they're loss.
Lurker
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Quote by DLizze
Like NaughtyDelight, I can't restrict myself to just one. SO here they are, in no particular order:
1. Do not make decisions until you have to. I once was invited by Arthur Feidler to audition for the utility flute/piccolo chair with Boston Symphony. Not wanting to relocate to Boston, I didn't take the audition. I have always wonjdered if I was really that good.
2. Saving "for a rainy day" is not a bad idea, but it is better to save for something concrete. When I was gainfully employed, I put the maximum alowable into my 401-k retirement plan. There were many luxuries, such as cars and the like that I could have purchased, but I chose to forego them, thnking my income would continue to rise, and I could afford them in a year or two. WHen the housing "bubble" let go, I was laid off. I was unemployed from 2007 until this past January. Now I have no 401-K, and never did get those luxuries, nor, being in my late sixties, do I ever expect to have the earning power to afford them.
3. Don't turn down business opportunities, just becausee you think they might not pan out. In 1967, I was best man at the wedding of Mr. Sanders grandaughter, Sarah, to Bruce Wood. (Yes, THAT Mr. Sanders - the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken). Following the wedding dinner, he invited all male mambers of the wedding party to the parlor for cigars and brandy. He offered to set each of us up with a franchise, and guaranteed us each a twenty-five mile radius. I thanked him for his generous offer, and opined that fried chicken probably wouldn't do well in the Baltimore region, because hamburger joints were all the rage at that time.


Man, that's tough about #1. Imagine if you were that good. Imagine the stories you could tell. Imagine how good that would look on your resume!

#2 Happened to us. Thankfully, my husband is young enough to recover it in the long run. But it will take awhile to do so.

#3 was similar to a coworker of my FIL. The man got in on the ground floor of IBM in stocks. I think he said he paid 10 cents a piece for them? He sold them later at a profit but nowhere near what it would have been at it's peak.
Active Ink Slinger
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That you have to look after no.1, keep your friends close, be happy and be useful.
Active Ink Slinger
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To always forgive but to never forget. Always stay humble but yet be confident. And always smile to those that can't smile for them self.
Lurker
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Ones not enough, so here's two:

1) Not sure where the quote came from, but a wise person once said "If you love what you do for a living, you'll never have to work a day in your life". If you can teach yourself to live a simple life and not get caught up in obtaining "things" this is so very true.

2) Love your kids unconditionally... even if they're a pain in the ass. They will grow up one day and return the love unconditionally.
Her Royal Spriteness
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Not sure i can say this without sounding trite, or like a motivational poster, but the most important lesson i have learned is always be positive, always look at life like a beautiful adventure full of possibilites and hope. not always easy to do, but i try. not to go into detail, but i've lived through some rough times, and in a way, it's given me a gift of seeing how bad things can be - now, i don't sweat the small things as much, you know? smile

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

Lurker
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Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get
Active Ink Slinger
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live laugh love learn.

being a student (not your typical party goer crazed hormonally charged nutjob) for me its easy to forget how to really live life. i became quite the ice maiden and a weebit dark and i am a weebit ashamed to admit that i did forget how to find my way back to the light of day. all i had was lectures and study in the most competitive environment where everything that came from anyone was purely venomous and i didnt want to be like that so i became introverted and consequently extremely pesimistic(sp?) and my mind and wit turned amazingly vicious, kind of like a smiling assassin, but thank the lord for my little saviour from home. he took me out, had drinks spent a day and night just having pure un adulterated fun like going to the playground and messing around on the equipment, eating junkfood and just truely enjoying ourselves and each others company. he essentially pulled me away from that darkness and im so thankful. he also re invigorated my love for the world, which started becoming a pretty nasty place since that was all i was exposed to.

so really in short dont focus on the bad, there is always good to be found. if you forget always remember home is where the heart is so go out and forget things for a day and re invigorate your soul with the things you love. try a little tenderness baby
The Linebacker
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So far I have learned to set goals, and work hard toward them and stay focused on those goals until they are achieved.
Active Ink Slinger
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I've learned a few things over the years... and I try very hard to live this way.

Always say whats on your mind - People aren't mind readers; if you love them, tell them. If they hurt you, tell them.
Never say anything you'll regret - Think before you speak; you can't take back hurtful words.
Treat everyone you meet with respect - Everyone deserves it; treat others how you would like to be treated.
And remember to laugh - Find the humor in any situation; the world is gloomy and depressing enough, try not to take it too seriously.
Active Ink Slinger
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I would say to know yourself, accept yourself and, above all, just be yourself. It is just way too difficult to try to be something you are not.
Lurker
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when I look at back, I find myself in the prison of my past. when I look at my future, it scares me because of my past experiences. I try to live moment, but it makes me feel unsecure. what did I learn? Live timeless smile
Lurker
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Keep your friends close, they can be used as human shields.
Clumeleon
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Quote by Curlygirly
That no one else can make me happy. There are certainly people who bring joy and love to my life, especially a certain someone, but it's up to me to make myself happy. ;)


Pretty much this, and its converse: not to blame other people for my unhappiness.
Advanced Wordsmith
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That it's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.



As another poster said...just never give up fighting...even the lost causes are worth it.

Actually, sometimes they're more worth it than the other kind.
“No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.”
― P.J. O'Rourke
Lurker
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Always take the time to tell people how much you care for them, never put it off until tomorrow as that day might not come. Lost some close family and friends really quickly in the last couple of years and it's taught me to always make sure others know how I feel.

Ohh and always wash your hands, as gastro is really really messy and bad.
Advanced Wordsmith
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Hmmm I've learnt a lot and cannot pinpoint it to just one.

Surround yourself by people who have qualities you admire - it will make you a better person.

You will never know just how strong you are until you go through difficult times.

People will walk continuously in and out of your life. Cherish the good times and the good people. Learn from the bad.

Every bad relationship, whether it be friendship or more will teach you something. Make sure you learn from it.

It is easy to wallow and feel sorry for yourself, it is harder to pick yourself up and try again.

If everything in this life was easy, you would never appreciate it.

People will always judge you, use the negative comments as fuel to prove those people wrong.

Not everyone can handle straight talking people, but if they then they shouldn't be apart of your life. Sometimes the truth hurts but its better to find out sooner than later.

Life is far too short to make all the mistakes yourself. Learn from the mistakes others around you make.

There is only really one person you can rely on and that is yourself. As much as your friends and family care for you sometimes life just gets too busy. Make sure you can pick yourself up if nobody else is around.


I'm sure there is more but I've bored you all enough!... Sorry
Wild at Heart
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The most important thing I've learned is that you have to make your own luck. In the end it doesn't matter if you're born rich, poor, ugly, attractive, smart or stupid. You have to take the hand that was delt to you and play it the best you can. I've seen rich people end up homeless and poor people end up millionaires. Get out of the mentality that other people and your bad luck affect you because that's not the case. You alone hold your life in your hands. Only you can hold yourself back.