Over the years, my self-development has raised in value. After going through many difficulties from my childhood, I realized as a young adult that there were many instilled beliefs in me that needed to be re-written. So naturally, I turned to reading to inspire me. One book that has made a huge impact on me is a book called, "Life's Greatest Lessons - 20 Things That Matter," by Hal Urban.
* This post is not sponsored.
I came across this book after coming home from a trip to the nearby Goodwill store. We love shopping at Goodwill stores because of the unique variety of items; time is truly timeless there! Before leaving, Dimitar managed to find a book that he thought was interesting but like majority of the books he buys - it went straight to the book shelf. Which isn't a bad thing really - I like the idea of having my own library.
Some years went by and I found myself grieving the passing of my dearest mother. It was a dark time indeed for me but I relied on reading, spending time outdoors, and journaling to comfort me. After finishing one book called "The Journey of The Soul," by Michael Newton, I picked up another book from the book shelf and immersed myself. After several pages into the book, I felt like I had found a book that completely resonated with me.
 |
| Chapters of Life's Greatest Lessons |
I found this small book of only 167 pages to be the moral support I needed during my darkest times. The chapters cover almost every aspect of a persons well-being with the sole take-away being that we are in control of our lives and it's important that we live our lives like we are. Hal Urban presents his message in a easy to grasp format as it was originally intended to inspire the youth of the world.
This book really puts the human spirit into perspective as it informs readers on the importance of our attitude; the one that we give to ourselves internally and the one we project onto the world. It's a book that empowers you to see your life for what it is and to make the most out of it. I have always believed that our attitudes is what determines the quality of our life and Hal's book confirms this.
The best part about this tiny book is it's relatability. I have always found myself surrounded by people that didn't quite understand or appreciate my intentions. Because of my difficult life, I learned to raise my standards high as I grew up because I didn't want to be a victim; I wanted success and happiness to define me instead. So when others around me didn't appreciate my newly developed character, it was refreshing to find a book that helped me appreciate myself again.
 |
| Life is hard and not always fair |
Life's Greatest Lessons starts off with honesty; that life is not easy and instead it's hard and unfair. Schools do not teach children the reality of the world which often leads them to trying to obtain a perfect world that simply doesn't exist. By informing readers to accept that life is hard, it can prevent us from being stuck in self-sabotaging way of thinking and being, and instead push us to use our own difficulties to lift us up.
"Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." - Bruce Lee
 |
| Being Positive & Negative |
Life's Greatest Lessons also addresses our behavior and encourages readers to be mindful of how we treat ourselves and those around us. Many of us, including myself, can go on autopilot and allow our emotions and actions to have a mind of their own. Fortunately, this tiny book gives readers an ample amount of examples to help us pin point when we are at our best and when we aren't. He informs us that with everything that is presented to us, we all have a choice to decide how we will respond. Being tuned into this choice is imperative to our growth.
I don't know about you, but I can say whole-heartedly that the world is in a state of negativity. Fear and negativity is constantly being thrown at us from all aspect of our lives which can only stunt our personal growth. By making a cautious effort to filter out that negativity and fear from our lives, we can focus on what truly empowers us to be our best. Life may be hard, but allowing ourselves to become victims will only make our lives unnecessarily harder.
 |
| Self-esteem starts with you |
I'll end this blog post on one of the Chapters in this book covering Self-Esteem. It's a mixture of different traits, but at the root of it all, it starts with you and ends with you. No one can be the support you truly need in this world if it is not coming from you first. No one can fill in a void within you if you cannot be there for yourself. To have impeccable self-esteem means respecting ourselves like never before.
Respecting our deepest desires, our wishes, what does and doesn't feel right to us, living our live according to our values and principles regardless of the backlash it comes with; all of this is respecting our truest selves and leads us to having impeccable self-esteem. This book in a nut shell reminds us that for us to live the life of our dreams, or at least one that completes us, we must first be one with ourselves. It sounds cliché, but at the end of the day you are the only one who can take you from point A to point B. With the right mindset and attitude, you can do and go anywhere you want.
Until next time! xoxo - Sarah
Posts
