After reading Mark Manson's article about 3 Important Life Skills Nobody Ever Taught You, it gave me an insights about the skills we must learn in order to survive and enjoy life without worrying too much on things we can't control.
These 3 life skills are:
How to Stop Taking Things Personally?
How to Be Persuaded and Change Your Mind?
How to Act Without Knowing the Result?
I admit to myself that most of the life skills he had mentioned in his article are not really mastered by me, maybe because I am just familiar with the concepts but I have not really understand their purpose.
So, in this article I will cover those life skills mentioned by Mark Manson, containing my own understanding about what I've learned after reading his article.
So, let's start!
1. How to stop taking things personally?
We all know that there are things which happened as if it's all about ourselves. The things that seems like hindering us to reach our goals, instances that act like a barrier for us to not do such things, or those situations that somehow irritate us because it doesn't jive with what we've planned before. Of course, taking things as if those are all about us will have a positive impact as well if the situation is a good thing. But, having this mindset in negative instances will affect us adversely if we take it personally. Not all things revolved around us. We should stop assuming as if everything happens because of us, and not because it was destined to happen no matter what.
Under this life skill, we have to learn about these three lessons:
When people criticize you or reject you, it likely has way more to do with them. It's not your fault if someone throws rocks of negativities on you. If they insult and criticize who you are, it somehow reflects who they are, emphasizing the values, behaviors, mindsets, and personality they have.
When something you do fails, it doesn’t mean you are a failure as a person. Everyone of us fails sometimes but it doesn't mean that we will be a failure for a lifetime. Failures are part of the learning process towards achieving our goals in life. Keep in mind that failures are great lessons and motivations in life not measuring our whole capacity as an individual.
Hardship is part of choosing to live. All of us already experienced or currently experiencing some sorts of tragedies which really hurt us horribly that made us think that it happened because of us, being unlucky and a sinful one to deserve all of that. Remember that hardship is part of our choice to live, and admit it or not, it gives meaning to our life. There are people who become stronger than ever because of the tragedies they have experienced before.
2. How to Be Persuaded and Change Your Mind?
Most of us have beliefs and perspectives we hold unto ourselves which we carry on whatever situations we are in. There are instances that our beliefs are being challenged wherein we can't just accept other's opinions without arguing with them. Our mindset is not always right. There are things we believed as true and beneficial before but are somewhat chaotic when executed now.
Take into consideration those guys who believed that every woman wants fancy things like money, chocolates, flowers, an expensive car and attractive guy, and doesn't prefer an old school ways of courtship.
With that one-sided mindset of dating a woman, do you think those guys will succeed in dating if ever that their ways of courting doesn't suit with the the taste of the woman they want to date? Of course not. We people must know how to widen our perceptions on things and not only focus on one aspect to avoid being wronged all the time.
To somehow change your mind, list down 20 things you think you are wronged about.
Are you lazy?
Self-centered?
Unable to communicate properly?
Think of the other side of yourself and not just focusing on one side, then try to ask yourself "what if those assumptions I have are true?" How will they affect your life, and how can you be able to correct those wrong things about you? In that case, you will develop the skills of being persuaded and changing your mind into thinking another sides of you.
3. How to Act Without Knowing the Result
Sometimes, we do things with someone's instructions, knowing what will be the results if we do such things.
Our teachers instructed us to do our projects creatively wherein when we follow what they have said, of course we can get a high grades.
At work, we do everything our bosses want us to do so we can get promotions or fees from them.
But our life does not always works that way. Just imagine if we choose a particular career in the present day and no one can foresee what will be the results in the future if we choose that career. We don't know if we will be successful or not. In that case, we should practice how to act without expecting too much on the results.
Sometimes, it's better to add some chaos into our lives without always being in our comfort zones.
We just have to do things because WE CAN, without thinking too much on the other reasons.
It may result to lots of failures, but it can teach us important life-lessons.
Conclusion:
Life is full of challenges and chaos. If we lack skills on how to face and handle our life then definitely we might fall a lot of times.
Life is complicated but it is actually sweet and simple if we stop worrying too much on things we can't control and just enjoy everything no matter how hard it is.
Author's Note:
Thank you for exerting effort in reading my article. I hope you learned something that you can positively apply in your daily living.
Have a great day! God bless your soul.
Yeah it is important skills in life but honestly it is not easy skills, but it is very helpful to a better life.
Just Live laugh love, for me go with the flow in life.