Perspective
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Pretend you are 90 years old waking up at your current age to gain perspective on the remaining years.
One person used this to avoid regretting not being able to wake up as their younger self again.
one person who lived it
Pick three random moments in a favorite book or movie, spend five minutes observing them and what follows, then reflect that these parts form an awesome whole.
To realize that bad parts are part of an awesome whole.
one person who lived it
Do not worry about your age, as older people often face similar problems that are harder to fix.
Problems faced by those 30 or older can be fixed but are more difficult to resolve.
one person who lived it
Gain perspective on an event by asking yourself if you will still care about it in five years.
3 people, independently
View past wasted years as tuition paid to teach humility.
This ensures you are not smug about future successes and can relate to others who are struggling.
one person who lived it
Volunteer to see that others have it worse yet remain cheerful.
It can open your eyes and help you behave better.
one person who lived it
Reframe scratches and dents on objects as memorials of shared experiences.
One person expects to value these marks more than the object's original attributes in the future.
- Based on one person's perspective on family life.
one person who lived it
Define success by ensuring everyone is alive, has shelter, food, and clothing, rather than trying to excel in all areas of life.
That's what really matters.
one person who lived it
Remind yourself that difficult times will pass and then you will die.
one person who lived it
- Act with the perspective that everyone, including those who treat you badly or with love, will die soon.2
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Reflect on struggles from a couple of years ago; realize you likely don't remember them or that they matter now, proving current worries are temporary noise.
What seems like a big deal today will be a blip down the line.
one person who lived it
Have fun and remember that life is just life.
People often forget this too often.
one person who lived it
Recognize that you are not late because you are still in it.
one person who lived it
Realize that most things don't actually matter; as you age, you may find you care less.
one person who lived it
Look forward and trust what history has taught rather than current narratives.
To have no regrets, only lessons.
one person who lived it
Imagine you are on your deathbed looking back at your life to determine if you would be proud of it.
one person who lived it
- Work out your current choices by imagining yourself nearing the end of your life and looking back.1
Read history to broaden your view of the world and recognize that most events are grey rather than black and white.
History shows how narrow most people's views are and reveals the complexity often missed by binary thinking.
one person who lived it
Connect with God, your higher self, or the universe to gain perspective and stay present.
one person who lived it
Rise above petty anger by caring about the world, recognizing that statistically most people do not care about you.
one person who lived it
When caught up in something emotional, bring your attention back to your biggest goals to put smaller problems into perspective.
Focusing on bigger issues shifts focus away from minor emotional distress.
one person who lived it
Visualize your entire life on a calendar and mark important events to widen your time frame.
one person who lived it
Visualize the physical absurdity of hunting down someone running away from you to recognize how desperate chasing looks.
Chasing implies the other person is fleeing; picturing this physically reveals the desperation of pursuing someone who does not want to be there.
one person who lived it
Read about astronomy or space discoveries to gain perspective on how insignificant personal struggles are compared to the scale of the universe.
It reminds you that whatever you are upset about in your tiny bubble is insignificant.
one person who lived it
Accept that everyone progresses at their own pace.
People achieve milestones like financial success or academic advancement on different timelines.
one person who lived it
Recognize that intelligence does not guarantee happiness or financial success.
Luck and other factors often determine outcomes more than cognitive ability; less intelligent people may be happier because they worry about simpler things.
one person who lived it
Recognize that you are a spiritual being having a human experience, not a human being having a spiritual experience.
one person who lived it
Recognize that low social status may hide untapped potential.
one person who lived it
Stop identifying with your position in an argument, recognizing that most things are subjective.
one person who lived it
Read 'Sapiens' to understand that modern behaviors and embarrassments stem from our hunter-gatherer evolution.
one person who lived it