21 Lessons People Learn Too Late in Life, or never at all

You have probably said as I: “I wish I knew then what I know now.” The problem is, we can’t go back; we can only go forward. If you are young and reading this article today, there is a great future ahead of you if you can learn these twenty-one things now while you are still young. Still better, if you can learn the most vital lesson of all as pointed out in the conclusion of this article. Someone said young people will not listen to you, but I don’t think that is entirely true for all young people; I have known some who are wise beyond their years.  

By the same token, neither should older people be so set in their ways that they cannot learn new things that will enhance their quality of life and give them the greatest hope of all, eternal life. According to statistics, only 6% of those over 30 years of age will learn how to receive eternal life. So, here are the “21 Lessons People Learn Too Late in Life or never at all:”

1. Accept the brevity of life: Everything on earth is temporary and fleeting away. When I was young, it seemed to me things would last forever and always be the same, but of course, that was just a figment of my imagination. I have lost most of my family members in death, including my first wife. Many of the friends I had in high school have died. It is so easy when you are young to take things for granted. Time slips away, and the older you get, it seems to go faster and faster. So, today is the time to make your life count. Don’t wait until your family is grown and gone or until you retire. When we remind ourselves that all things will eventually come to pass or end, it is easier not to get too worked up over things bothering us now. God wants us to look at life in a positive way as His word says, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it,” Psalm 118:24 (KJV).
2. Have the ability to value time: “Days are expensive. When you spend a day, you have one less day to spend. So, make sure you spend each day wisely,” – Jim Rohn. Time is one of the most precious and priceless assets in life, and we should be taking advantage of it and not constantly wasting it. You can evaluate the importance of time to some by the size of their TV compared to the size of their library. A better understanding of time helps in structuring the activities of each day. It causes us to schedule things according to priority, such as time spent with family, friends, and devotion to God.
3. Live in the present: Too many times, people are absorbed with past events or mulling over things to come and forget about living for the moment. In other words, they fail to see the beauty all around them in the present tense, as it melts away without being observed and enjoyed.
4. Learn to deal with trouble: Jesus assured us that we will have problems, but He also assured us they can be overcome, and we can have peace in the midst of it all: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world,” John 16:33 (KJV). “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, also believe in me,” John 14:1 (KJV). The most significant way to face all life’s troubles is to trust and obey the Lord and leave the circumstances up to Him.
5. Be forgiving others: Going through life with a vengeful-attitude spoils everything for the presence.If you don’t practice forgiveness, it will hurt you more than anyone else; it will cost you dearly in terms of well-being. You can experience hope, peace, joy, and gratitude by embracing forgiveness. Forgiveness can also result in better physical and emotional health and improve your spiritual well-being. 
6. Conduct the affairs of your life with honesty: Sometimes, circumstances make it hard, to be honest. However, there is no doubt that honesty is the best in the long run. It also clears the conscience and gives the feeling of freedom from the bondage that dishonesty brings.
7. Be the natural person that you are: Learn to love yourself.The Bible says to love others as yourself; that means that loving self comes first before loving others. Putting on a phony facade to impress others is a waste of time; they don’t care. Relax and be glad that God made you uniquely different from anyone one else on the planet. It is a waste of life to worry about what other people think or try to live up to their expectations. You only are responsible for yourself, your behavior, and your actions.
8. Decide your future: You don’t have to be a doctor or a lawyer because you are from a family of doctors or lawyers if that is not what you want. Choose what you like most and what you think you will enjoy the most. Life is too short to be stuck in a career you hate. Most people hate their job; so don’t be one of them. Choose a career that is the most  fulfilling to you! Get matched to professions that suit you best. Online scientific tests can help you determine your aptitude and for what you are best suited.   
9. Conquer Anxiety and fear: God does not want His children to be anxious and worried. “Be careful [Anxious] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God,” Philippians 4:6 (KJV). Neither does God want His children to be fearful: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” Timothy 1:7 (KJV).
10. Be savvy about money and learn to manage it early in life: Over 70% of people who win the lottery wind up broke in short order because they have no idea how to manage their money. Managing money is something to be learned like most other things, but when discovered, it can reduce the stress of trying to provide for your family and keeping bills paid. It is also essential to depend on God and trust Him for your needs. The Bible says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 (KJV). We should avoid letting money be our first priority: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” Hebrews 13:5 (KJV). It is also essential to do something that many people rarely do, and that is to make saving for retirement seriously when you are young. A small amount saved and wisely invested will amount to a lot by retirement.  
11. Don’t focus your life only on the Material world: If your only aspiration in life is to be rich and buy everything you think you want, you are going to be sadly disappointed to learn that it is not those things that matter the most, nor do they in themselves make you happy or content. Far more valuable are your experiences in life, your family, friends, and relationships.
12. Be content with what you have: “Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.” – Jim Rohn. One of the greatest hindrances to peace and joy in life is the lack of contentment. If you have a job, decent clothes, a roof over your head, and transportation, you are in the top percentage of wealthy people in the world. So, why not be content? The Apostle Paul shows us that contentment is something to be learned: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [I] know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:1 1-13 (KJV).
13. Get an education and prepare for the field of your choice: I don’t mean college alone; I have learned more after college than I ever learned from a college degree. The future belongs to those who have a solid understanding of money, government, and society. Too many young people are satisfied with investing in tattoos all over their body while forgetting about investing in their best future. If you are young and fail to prepare yourself to excel in a particular area that is needed, you will be left behind, and that is a fact.
14. If you are older, remember Age is just a number: It is never too late to learn how to improve the quality of your life. Don’t allow others to persuade you that you are too old to enjoy your life and do the things you want to do. You can still have dreams and work to make them come true. Never plan to retire and do nothing. I have retired from two careers, and the mission I have now is the most important one I have had in my entire life. The essential thing in life is contributing to society in a way that helps others, which is not solely determined by money and position. John the Baptist of the Bible lived a solitary life in the wilderness of Israel, dressed in animal skins, but he preached the gospel. Jesus said of him: “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist,” Matthew 11:11(KJV).
15. Being concerned about your health: Being healthy is one of the single, most essential concerns of life. Health determines the length of life, the ability to engage in the activities we desire, or pursue the career we want. Good health is determined by the state of mind, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), “Lifestyle can ‘reduce your risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease and cancer, and promote your overall health.” If you smoke, drink, or abuse drugs, look forward to a shorter life plagued with health issues and problems. Isn’t it quite amazing that most young people have yet to learn that? That is why drug overdose is the number one cause of death among those from 18 years of age to 42.
16. Relationships: Family and Friends are at the top of the list of essential things in life. Your family and friends are those that you can depend on in times of happiness or sorrow. The Love of family is precious and should never be taken for granted. Express often to yours how much they mean to you. Decide each day to show them how much you care for them.
17. Learn the value of Love: 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (KJV): “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, [Love] I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, [Love] I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity [Love]envieth not; charity [Love] vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
18. Show Love and compassion: There are several words for Love in the Greek language; only two are mentioned in the Bible: Agape, the supernatural Love of God, and Phileo, which is human Love. Love is the epicenter for everything worthwhile and lasting in life: “Charity [love] never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away,” 1 Corinthians 13:8 (KJV).
19. Have a Purpose for living: “It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something,” – Winston S. Churchill. According to Psychologist Steve Taylor, “not having a purpose makes us more vulnerable to boredom, anxiety, and depression.” Purpose in life is fundamental for living a meaningful, fulfilling life. It also takes purpose to achieve the more extraordinary things in life.
20. Get the right amount of sleep: All and all, sleep contributes in a vital way to our physical and mental health. According to a report from Healthline, the human body needs at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep per 24-hour-period. Anything less could result in the risk of heart disease or strokes later in life. Lack of sleep is not just a health risk; it controls mood and mental health, causing disorders like depression, irritability, and anxiety.
21. Strive to become the best person you can be: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV). Jim Rohn said, “A person attracts success by the person they become.”

Conclusion

The Bible says we travel on one road or the other as we go through life. The most important lesson of all is to learn how to be on the right road. The Bible says, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it,” Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV). If you have found the right road, you are among the few. Sadly, most people will go to their grave not having learned the most vital lesson of all, how to be on the right road, which leads to life; according to statistics, that amounts to about 94% of people. If you are interested in knowing God and having a relationship with Him, you don’t have to be among that number.

Our first and greatest need in life is knowing God and having a relationship with Him. That is the only way to have Him on our side as we go through life, and the only way to know when we die we will go to heaven. When God is on our side, then we can say with the Psalmist, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” Psalm 118:6 (KJV). For information on how you can know God and have a relationship with Him, CLICK HERE.