February 6th, 2008 @ 11:13 pm by: Marc
26 Life Lessons Learned by Age 26
Here is a list of 26 life lessons I have learned thus far at the age of 26. I pass this list on to you with the simple hope that it makes you think. Sometimes thinking about your life and sorting out what you have learned is just as important as tackling a new venture.
- Being an adult can be fun when you are acting like a child.
- Love has nothing to do with looks, but everything to do with time, trust, and interest.
- Laughing, crying, joy and anger… All are a vital. All make us human.
- The greatest truths in life are uncovered with simple, steady awareness.
- Greed will bury even the lucky eventually.
- Bad things do happen to good people.
- Paving your own road is intelligent only if nobody has gone exactly where you are going.
- Uncertainty is caused by a lack of knowledge. Hesitation is the product of fear.
- Time heals all wounds… regardless of how you feel right now.
- Most of the time what you are looking for is right in front of you.
- Your health is your life.
- Chance is a gift, so act on chance when given the opportunity.
- Kindness and hard work will take you further than intelligence.
- People deserve a second chance, but not a third.
- Marry your best friend.
- Take lots of pictures. Someday you’ll be really glad you did.
- Money makes life easier only when the money is yours free and clear.
- Carelessness is the root of failure
- Your actions now create memories you will reminisce and talk about in your elder years.
- Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now.
- Motivation comes in short bursts. Act while it’s hot.
- Purposely ignoring the obvious is like walking backwards toward the enemy.
- Taking ownership of failure builds the foundation for success.
- First impressions are completely worthless 50% of the time.
- Personal glory lasts forever.
- If you never act, you will never know for sure.
Please check out my other articles for more life lessons
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to our RSS feed.
Or subscribe via email.
40 Comments
March 15th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I am 27, but that list is really!!!!!! true and inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
March 15th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I agree with all of those life lessons and I am only 21. So listen up young ones and old, pay attention to what this article has to say. read it every morning for a month… then you will see
March 16th, 2008 at 3:08 am
I agree with all of these, and I knew them without thinking about it. I would love to marry my best friend, but she says we’re too much alike to even date…
March 16th, 2008 at 8:40 am
@Aggie, BigDaddy:
Thanks for the kind words.
@Anon:
Opposites attract in the short term, but like minds will usually mesh better in the long run. I hope she figures it out sooner or later…
March 16th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
i’m 24 and this helps!
my best friend is a male. =(
March 18th, 2008 at 4:03 am
Really inspiring list! I’m 18 and really hope to live like this…
As for the marrying your best friend thing, as far as I can see it doesn’t mean marry your current best friend, but be best friends with the person you marry. Having things in common and being free and easy with a person make a relationship work in the end. As well as a lot of other things, obviously!
March 18th, 2008 at 6:25 am
can’t agree with #15
good list!
March 18th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Marc,
Interesting list.
#11 is one of those that kinda creeps up on ya as 20s morph into 40s.
I could party all night at 24 and still run a Personal best the next evening in a competitive race.
Now I get a couple of great fun runs in every few days or so - and that’s fine, for both body and soul.
I would also add that a healthy mind (probably how well you relate to #1 on your list is an accurate barometer of that!) is a trusty ally, as “life change” puts in a special guest appearance (usually uninvited) around midlife…
Personal peace of mind can carry a person thru a lot of the rougher waters.
regards
mark mcclure
March 18th, 2008 at 10:46 am
@Shoebe:
That is exactly the point I was trying to make. Your significant other should be one of your best friends. Thanks for clarifying it.
@Mark:
Thanks for the added insight. I could not agree more. I would venture to say that peace of mind is priceless at all junctures of life.
March 28th, 2008 at 10:11 am
@ Aron
You need the help and advice from David Deangelo. Check some from youtube.
But for the list… I really relate to #21. Because I’m sort of an artist and motivation is the key in my work. It really comes and goes and we need to act before it goes.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Are you sure you are only 26?
What to you do to be so serene and inspired? Honestly I wan to know!! In need of clarity and serenity right now.
March 31st, 2008 at 7:37 am
@Soubt:
Really, I just try to keep an open mind of awareness as I march through life, looking at the good and bad from as many possible angles as possible.
I am most certainly 26 until September.
You have to realize that much of your happiness and sadness is based entirely on what you make of any given situation. Changing your mindset is usually the most efficient way to change your real world circumstances.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Awesome post!Loved it!
I loved the points #3,#4,#9,#11,#14,#24 and #25 a lot!How true your words are!
May 17th, 2008 at 2:07 am
@rampantheart:
Thanks for the kind words.
July 28th, 2008 at 8:55 am
I’m 17 and for some reason those things scare me a lil. lol. number 8 i do understand… marry ur best friend… once u go from friends to deing together that can change a person…can’t it???
August 11th, 2008 at 3:29 am
This is so true most of the time. Another thing is:
We stare at a long that has been closed for so long that we don’t notice other doors that have been opened for us.
Regards,
Husna
http://ignore-inc.blogspot.com
November 14th, 2008 at 2:39 am
Hello Mr. Marc,
I’m only 15, but I did use a variation of #20 for an essay I’m writing for my English class. You give good advice, Mr. Marc.(:
Keep it up.
With thanks,
Amber B.
December 10th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I will be 41 years old in 15 days and I’ve never been married. I’ve been in my current relationship for 1 year and realize that he is my best friend and I can’t imagine life without him. Patience will pay off in the end. I often thought I’d “found the one” before, but I was so wrong. When you find it you will know in every cell of your body that it’s right. I only wish I could have met him 20 years ago.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:19 pm
This is a great set of life lessons. For someone at age 25, the timing is especially timely for me. I particularly like 21 and 23. Thanks for the great post.
January 1st, 2009 at 11:33 pm
very true im 14 and i have done a lot of thinking the past few months and i have figured some of these out by myself. one day i wish to be as wise as you. thank you for your share of knowledge.
January 27th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
i’m 21
i agree with you
February 1st, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I agree with you a 100%, from #’s 1-26.
Seriously. And these are life lessons learned.
February 19th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Thank you Marc for your lessons, I am only 17 but I soon will be leaving high school and moving on with my life, and I will be meeting new people and I appreciate number 13 and 15. I’m a hard worker but not always a great decision maker. So I plan to make sure I marry the one girl who I feel complete and comfortable with.
Thank You again Marc
February 24th, 2009 at 8:46 am
This is truely an inspiring quote. Thank you very much Marc.. Hope to learn more from you. Im only 18 in university and I wanna know how to find real love
March 5th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Did you marry your best friend?
April 8th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Hi Marc! I stumbled upon this post through google! Thank you because I was able to find a relevant information that I could tackle on my blog. I copied the list of 26 Life Lessons Learned to my blog. I hope you don’t mind. I was hoping I could help spread these realizations not only to those 26-year-olds but also to people of all ages…
Take care!
April 8th, 2009 at 8:16 am
by the way, i linked your blog in that post. I hope it’s really okay!
God bless!
April 28th, 2009 at 12:23 am
thank you, I’m using the “Time Heals all Wounds” as the topic of my Life Theme paper culminating my whole high school experience. thanks!
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:37 pm
this is a nice list Marc.
I’m 22 now and I agree with the things you listed.
The most notable being
“Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now.”
This is so important and I learned it the hard(est) way. Sticking to your comfort zone will only get you so far.
June 21st, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Wonderful list… so much to think about! Thank you for posting this.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:23 am
Sounds like you’ve had a great experience. I am experiencing much of this now.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:00 pm
excellent post. very wise for your age
August 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
It’s all good, but I disagree with no. 8.
“Uncertainty is caused by a lack of knowledge. Hesitation is the product of fear.”
If someone was making a decision and they were undecisive, and they remembered hesitating results in the production of fear, then they would rush into something that originally they were uncertain about.
August 11th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Amazing list. Really. I am in the process of “discovering myself”, and this is just what I need. Thank you a bunch.
David
August 27th, 2009 at 4:49 am
Lessons learnt:
1. If you’re on a good thing enjoy it, don’t second guess it or yourself.
2. Remember that shit can go pearshaped real fast, and without warning.
3. When shit goes pearshaped it’s all too easy to let it all bring you down and derail you, but if you can stare it down and get through it, you’ll build character and confidence.
4. Everyone will eventually be confronted by something, but not everyone can back themselves and deal with it, which distinguishes you from the other 95%.
5. Take the less dramatic option.
6. Nearly everything else in life is useless if you don’t have a good girl to share it with. Lonliness would have to be the lowest existence.
7. Stay fit, jog everyday. Good abs are 95% cardio.
8. Don’t ask a question if you don’t want to know the answer. Ignorance may be the better option. Spare yourself the pain. Focus only on what you can do to be happy as it’s the only thing you can know about and control.
9. Peace of mind is key.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice from different types of people, but always walk your own path and do it your way.
11. You are the sum of your experience, learn a lesson from a fucked situation, and put it down to character building. You’ll be better for it.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 am
While I’m only 16, I feel this list has helped me a lot. I’m currently searching for a life’s purpose, as I’m being pressured to let the world know what I want to be. I’m always asked “What do you want to do with your life?” To be honest, I have no clue. I just want to be happy. I want to go away to college far, far away from everyone and everything I know (I’d say 2,000 miles would suffice) so I can just live. While there, I’m sure that I will learn at least a few of these lessons on my own, but I thank you for helping me out a bit.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
I couldn’t agree with this list more. Although I’m only 16, I believe so much of what you write to be true. With regards to #11, health most ceto rtaintly is your life. I know what it’s like not to be healthy, and it challenges you every day.
Your blog keeps me up at night. How do you get inspired?
October 13th, 2009 at 12:16 am
Good evening, I’d like to put your lessons in my book. Please write to my personal email address and tell me your thoughts on this.
October 22nd, 2009 at 7:51 am
I was inspired by your young age and your sharing of some of the most fruitful knowledge we strive to teach our children today . I have quoted your list on my blog as well thank you for sharing . I have encouraged my readers fans and followers to direct their attention to your site ! Truly a masterpiece
October 25th, 2009 at 7:42 am
i am an aspiring musican. i write rock type songs for a band called “against goliath” and a lot of this article hits home with me hard. i even wrote a song on 2 of these. very inspirational and true.
Leave a Reply