One of the most magical/frustrating things about being alive is the fact that you learn something new every day.

In every single moment we’re being taught new lessons about what it means to be human. Some of these lessons are beautiful, life-affirming things and others? Well they’re heart-breaking but necessary in order to help us grow and develop.

With every celebration and every setback that you experience there is a powerful life lesson to be learned. These lessons can give you insight, change your life for the better and stop you from making the same mistake over and over again.

Here are eight of the most important lessons that you will learn during your lifetime...

___________________

Your gut is your best guide when it comes to making decisions

1. Always trust your instincts: At the end of the day, only you know what’s best for you and your life. Never ignore those niggling gut feelings. If something doesn’t feel right on every single level, then chances are something is amiss. Make it a priority to listen to your gut more – it will always guide you in the right direction. Your subconscious is a powerful tool that will help you navigate difficult decisions. Trust it.

2. Everything is temporary: No matter what you’re going through right now, remember that ‘this too shall pass.’ When we’re caught up in an upsetting situation it often feels like it will never end. The only thing constant in this life is change. Hang in there and remind yourself that your luck will eventually flip and things will get better. Hold your optimism close to your heart and use it to help you get through the hard times.

3. Life is too short to be unhappy: One of the most important things in this life is happiness. In order for us to reach our full potential, have rewarding relationships with others and enjoy the fact that we are alive, we need to make our own happiness a priority in our lives.

This means that you shouldn’t feel like you have to suffer or be miserable for the sake of something else. If you hate your job, look for one that will make your soul sing. If you’re stuck in an unhappy relationship, leave and find someone who inspires greatness in you. If someone is giving you a hard time, walk away.

The biggest mistake we make as people is believing that we don’t deserve happiness. Happiness is your birthright. Make a decision to allow yourself to be happy and your life will change completely.

When you're afraid bring love into the equation

4. Love trumps fear: A wise person once said that ‘fear is only the absence of love.’ Fear can ruin our lives. It can stop us from trying new things, taking risks and chasing our dreams. The next time you feel frightened, simply acknowledge your fear and then love it into submission. Love your fear until it disappears completely. If you’re worried about anything, if you’re going through a tough time, practice the art of feeling love for whatever you’re facing. It can dissolve the biggest of obstacles in a heartbeat.

5. Actions speak louder than words: Words can be beautiful but they can also be twisted and faked. If you want to discover what someone is really like, study their actions. Someone can swear to you that they love you but if their actions don’t match up with their epic declarations then chances are they’re not telling you the truth.

6. Every heartbreak you sustain offers you another chance to find your great love: Getting dumped sucks but rather than seeing it as a negative thing, see the lesson. A break-up is the universe’s way of telling you that something wasn’t meant to be. Now that you’ve gotten another wrong partner out of your way, you’re one step closer to finding the person who will set your world alight like nothing else. Remember: you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you finally find your prince. Don’t get discouraged.

If you're hurting, give it time - things will always get better

7. Time heals: If you’re really hurting, hearing this will not ease your pain but time really does heal all wounds. Eventually, the pain will dull. Eventually, you’ll stop hurting. Eventually, you’ll start smiling again and eventually? You’ll wonder why you were so upset about it all in the first place.

8. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle: You never know what’s going on in someone else’s life, that’s why it is so important to try and be compassionate and kind to others. That retail assistant who snapped at you today? She’s not a bitch, she’s just going through a bad break-up. That driver who beeped at you? They’re having financial troubles and worried that they might lose their home. Perspective is a powerful thing and sometimes you have to give people the benefit of the doubt.