Five of Life’s Greatest Lessons you Need to Learn Now
1. Control Desire
Desire is the root of all evil. From Jesus’s 10 commandments to the philosophers Seneca and Budda, the key to a good life is the ability to control desire. According to Psychology Today, “in the Hindu tradition, desire is a life force but also the great symbol of sin and the destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.” In a similar vein, the second of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism states that “lust, in the broad sense of coveting or craving, is the cause of all suffering.”
2. Be your authentic self
In a world that encourages you to ‘live up to the Joneses’, seek status, follow the influencers, and pretend to be who you are not, there is nothing better than being your authentic self. According to Naval Ravikant, in The Almanac of Naval Ravikant, “no one can compete with you on being you”.
3. Live below your means
One of the quickest ways to get rich and grow wealth, according to Morgan Housel in The Psychology of Money, is to live below your means. It means that you will always have ‘leftovers’ in your savings account.
4. Be a good Person
Do the right thing even when it is far from easy. It is said that everyone has their price. Corruption is tempting, but nothing beats doing the right thing. And, according to one of my former bosses at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Dr. Jean Holder, “there is no right way to do the wrong thing”.
5. Forgive
Finally, FORGIVE. Nothing frees you more than forgiveness. Hate and resentment are probably the leading causes of chronic diseases. Go on, get rid of that baggage. Hate less and love more. Stop holding a hot coal, and aiming it at someone you despise. You’ll only get burnt yourself.
Author:
Dr. Auliana Poon
Dr. Auliana Poon is the founder and Managing Director of Leve Global and Exceptional Caribbean.
Auliana loves the Caribbean and believes in its people. Her personal mission is to change the world; to transform our societies. And this is precisely why she has spearheaded Exceptional Caribbean – a continuing mission to elevate tourism, trade and lives.
