5 Powerful Lessons I Have Learned From My Elders

1. Do not let your dreams die.

As cheesy as it sounds, it is very important to take full advantage of the time you got in your hands because whether we like it or not, our time will come someday. Thus, I urge you to not dwell for too long in your thoughts trying to figure out what to do, otherwise life will pass by right in front your eyes and suddenly you'll realize it will be too late for you to fulfill those dreams. Instead, be a doer and work towards your goal(s). At the end of the day, it is all about passion, patience and persistence.

2. Accept what you have, work for what you want and share what you’ve learned.

I think this one is pretty self explanatory. Cultivate your gifts, don't waste them. Do what you can to impact this world positively and lastly, share them with those who want to learn it. It's pretty self explanatory.

3. Go out of your way to assist others.

We all have busy lives, and we all have days in which we gotta get somewhere in a hurry, or study for a test we got the next day. But even in those days we need to make an effort to be a little selfless. If you just stop and think how bad could it affect you being 5-10 minutes late to class/work, or taking 10 minutes away from your study session to help someone, you'll soon realize it is not that big of a deal. In the long run, using that time to help others will compensate you more than it will hurt you. Who knows, you might make a new friend or you'll simply help yourself build a better character.

4. Treat others with respect no matter the situation.

Here's a quick anecdote someone once told me:

Imagine you were on the highway in a car full of people you love. You're at the wheel and suddenly another car blows right past you and got scared. You look at their car and call whoever was driving all kinds of names. After that scare, you get a bit mad and keep on driving for a couple of minutes until you get pulled over by a cop because you were speeding. The cop comes to you and before he even says a word you say, "why didn't you stop the car that blew right past me earlier? You couldn't have missed it." and then the cop replies "I did, but I let them go because there was a pregnant woman needing urgent medical attention in that car."

What's the morale of the situation of the situation you may ask? Yeap, you guessed it. Don't judge anyone of off first impressions, because there are a million things you don't know about them.

5. Be confident, yet humble.

This one might seem a bit contradictory, because when we think of how most confident people act, we do not always picture them as being the most humble around. What I mean however, is that you should be a person that talks others up and not down. You should give credit to those around you for your achievements without being afraid of losing the spotlight. Do not let anyone talk you down and making you feel inferior. Be sure of who you are and of your capabilities. Be honest with yourself and give yourself some credit for what you have done. Nonetheless, do not ever let your accomplishments get into your head too much. Simply acknowledge the things that ought to be acknowledge and give others their deserved credit.