9 Inspiring Lessons from the School of Life

take your shot

A few years ago, I found myself sitting on my couch at home watching a movie – School of Life – that would fundamentally alter the course of my life. Below are 9 lessons inspired by that movie.

1. Life is a Hero’s Journey

Whether you realize it or not, you are the hero of your story. At the end of your life all you’re going to be left with is a story made up of events and experiences. The most important thing you can do is to make that story epic. That is why I suggest that you always choose a life made up of experiences instead of one made of possesions.

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Lessons for Dealing with Disappointment & Letting Go

dealing with disappointment

“As for the future, your task is not to forsee it but to enable it.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Today I lost my job. There may not ever be a great time to lose a job that accounts for the majority of your monthly income, but this was a particularly low time to be told my services were no longer needed.

When I graduated two years ago, degree in hand, I kicked my feet up and waited for the job offers to come pouring in. Needless to say, they trickled — never poured — and the financial abundance I was waiting for never actually showed up.

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Choosing Confidence

choosing confidence

So often we (or at least those of us who struggle with confidence) tell ourselves that confidence is one of those intangible, inherent qualities. Either you have it, or you don’t. Some people seem to just ooze it. You know who I’m talking about. They walk into a room and you can just see the puddles of leftover confidence that’s just dripped off of them as they meandered gracefully from one person to the next. Little social butterflies with the presence of something so much larger and greater.

I’ve wanted to be that person for a long, long time. I’ve wished that I had the confidence to be the “life of the party” or, if not that, at the very least someone who didn’t shy away from the party altogether. People are attracted to confidence. I’ve always wanted to inspire that. But, here’s what I’ve learned over the years: we can choose to be confident.

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4 Ways to Stretch Instead of Stress

stretch

“A boat is always safe in the harbor, but that’s not what boats were built for.” ~ shared by Katie Couric, the Women’s Conference 2009

If you are in your stress zone all the time, you have to ask yourself what role you have in creating this atmosphere for yourself. Perhaps you are a busy CEO, an entrepreneur, or a parent with three children and no help. All are valid reasons to be stressed, but there are plenty of CEOs and parents who are not stressed all the time.

You can experience stress both from positive and negative events. Some people may get stressed as a result of receiving a promotion at work and having new responsibilities. Others may experience stress when preparing for a dinner party when they have limited free time and their house is a mess. Stress levels can also be affected by external negative events, such as losing your job or health insurance, having a fight with your spouse, or gaining weight. Stress levels become unhealthy when your body and mind are constantly under pressure. Learn to be aware of your stress levels and how much you can handle without detracting from your performance.

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Dealing with the Unexpected

baby feet

To say that life doesn’t always goes as planned can be the understatement of a lifetime. I got a large dose of that reality last month when I gave birth to my first child. My beautiful daughter Eleanor was born by emergency Caesarean section on July 21, 2011, weighing in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 21 inches.

Being a project manager by trade, I tried my best to anticipate what would happen during the birth. I created a “birth plan,” which outlined everything I wanted to happen from my first contraction to leaving the hospital. Of course, I knew that labor can turn into an emergency, but after attending several birth classes, I felt assured that I would have a less traumatic experience. I mean, I prepared beforehand, right? What could go wrong?

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How to Keep Your Composure When Life Deals You a Bad Hand

keep your composure

It’s inevitable that when you play the game of life you’ll occasionally be dealt a bad hand. But as any real winner knows, your experience of life will come down to how you play the hand you’re dealt. Poker players sometimes emerge victorious even when they have terrible cards because of their ability to maintain their composure.

Problems are part of the human experience, but, handled the right way our biggest problems often end up being the biggest blessing in disguise. There are a few simple things you can do that will help you keep your composure when you get dealt a bad hand.

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Moving Past Heartbreak: 5 Tips for Picking Up the Pieces

heartbreak

When relationships end – especially those that we thought were of the “forever” variety – the loss can feel like a death. For many it’s similar to giving up an addiction, new habits must be formed, routines must be shifted, and an alternate identity must be recognized.

The healing process can take a large amount of time, and unfortunately doesn’t always happen in a linear fashion. There are some days when moving on from the relationship seems easy, exciting even, but these days can be followed by the feeling that life will never quite be the same.

If you’re struggling to let go and move on to the next phase of your life, these tips can help you gain a little perspective.

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What’s Motivating You: the Carrot or the Stick?

motivating

When it comes to making change, motivation matters.

You’ve seen this in your own life … maybe time and time again. You’ve started on big plans and goals which fizzle out, because you couldn’t stay motivated.

I know it’s happened to me. I’ve often wanted to change, only to find that I lacked the ability to really follow through. Something that’s helped me, though, is to understand the power of two different types of motivation:

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How to Be Happy Now By Dealing With the Past

dealing with the past

The pivotal event of my life happened in my early 20s.

I was living away from home for the first time, training to be a staff member for a voluntary organisation known for its cookie-cutter approach (and I’m a cookie that doesn’t cut well).

Quite a big chunk of the support money that I was supposed to be living on wasn’t coming through, and to put the tin lid on it I was in unrequited love with one of my fellow trainees.

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Why Altering Your Personal Space Can Rejuvenate Your Spirit

rejuvenate the spirit

Whenever I’m in a serious rut one of the first things that helps rectify the situation is taking a look around and evaluating the state of my living space. It may not sound like the place to start but a calm environment is usually a key ingredient towards fostering my self growth and refreshing the imagination.

After all, if my surroundings are falling apart it’s only natural that I too could start cracking at the seams.

That’s why though an occasional major cleaning or de-cluttering campaign does the job, once in a while a more drastic approach is in order. It’s something I like to call spatial rejuvenation.

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