13 Things I've Learned

I would like to share the things I have learned throughout this busy year of mine, having survived a whole year without failing in any of my exam papers while juggling responsibilities of both a national and college level Presidency at the same time:

1. Most of the solutions to my problems didn't come when I think hard but when I take time to relax or do prayers
2. Real peace of mind is not about hanging out by the beach, by the river or somewhere completely silent. It is about being in the middle of the hustle bustle of daily life and still feel peaceful inside. How? Work on feeling close to the Almighty. I have a ringing in my head 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. How am I supposed to feel peaceful if I keep waiting for silence?
3. We can adapt to almost anything if we expose ourselves to the challenge or unfamiliar situation long enough. Say...2 to 3 weeks.
4. Most of the bad things we worry would happen won't actually happen anyway
5. Time is relative. Wake up early in the morning and the afternoon comes very slowly. Wake up near the afternoon and the day will end so fast!
6. Doing things early in the morning is thrice as productive in terms of creativity and quality as compared to doing things after noon. Do your most daunting tasks early in the morning and reserve the less challenging ones for past noon.
7. There is always time. When there is none, you can always stay up all night
8. Everybody has a different definition of success. Even if you seem like the most successful person in the universe, other people will always reason that they are better than you in one way or another. So celebrate this malleability, stop being so uptight and let loose!
9. Never let success get too much in your head, but never let failure get too much in your heart too.
10. Not everybody thinks like you, if you don't understand their ideas, try to understand their way of thinking.
11. If your are obsessed with the bigger picture, work with someone obsessed with details. If you are obsessed with details, work with someone obsessed with the bigger picture
12. Preparations and deliberate practice do wonders
13. Missing a train only hurts if you run after it. If you know you are going to miss the current train, sit back, relax and wait for the next one which offers more seats and comfort. Same thing goes with daily life. Resist chasing things that naturally slips away from you. Learn to let go. Relax, sit back and have a good cup of coffee. I never have a daily schedule. I prefer a 'to-do' list. I work on the list at any time of the day I feel like I want to. By refusing to run to keep on schedule, I developed a sense of control over my time. I stand above the rat race instead of outside it. Well, it is difficult to lose a race you set up yourself, isn't it?