10 Important Lessons About Life And Love I Learned From My Grandma

Entering the world of adults sure is exciting and thrilling. You feel like you’re so independent and no one can stop you now (especially your parents) when it comes to running your life. But little did we know, that being an adult is a lot of work. So here are some lessons I learned from my grandma.

1. Start your day with a simple prayer. My grandma always tells me to thank God each day, because I am still alive and full of hope. A day started with God will make everything feel so light for He will bless you as you walk out the door. Let us all bear this in our minds and hearts as we face each day:

I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

–Philippians 4:13

2. Be realistic instead of being too optimistic/pessimistic. My grandma always tells me to embody what is real; to be aware that life isn’t all rainbows because there’ll be stormy nights as we sleep. It means we should be pragmatic when it comes to living our lives instead of always looking at the bright side of life and disregarding the fact that bad things naturally happen or being too negative and close-minded to the world.

3. Live life as it is. Grandma often scolds me when I complain about my life. She told me that, humans are the ones who make life complicated. We kept on ranting how unfair life is when in fact, it was us who chose what kind of life we’re living at this very moment; the decisions we make, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the people we let in, etc.–it is us who chose those all of those things. So instead of whining like a kid, we need to stop every shitty things we do that stop us from living life as it is. Just live in the moment and everything will work out as it should be.

4. If you can’t say it, show it. When I was little, my grandma always hugs me when I’m feeling down but can’t say a word about it. She told me that, if it’s okay if I don’t say anything but it’ll help if I just cry in her arms. She told me that if I can’t tell her or to my parents how much I love them, being who I am today is more than enough than saying ‘I love you.’ There’s a lot of ways on how we can convey our feelings to our loved ones even without saying a single word. Just like what the old saying goes, ‘Actions speak louder than words.’

5. Fall in love deeply, not momentarily. Yup my grandma told me that when I fall in love, it has to be deep and genuine because love is not a plaything to begin with. Being in a relationship with someone requires commitment and honesty for it to last. Our generation today kept on clinging to relationships that are temporary because we never invested something deep and real from ourselves.

6. You are not your mistakes. Grandma always reminded me that the scars I had from playing won’t stop me to become a beauty queen someday (but sadly, I’m too short to be one). No matter how big or small those mistakes are, it doesn’t define who we are. Mistakes are just part of us growing up. So instead of being too hard on yourself just because you keep on committing mistakes; love yourself more, accept your imperfections and learn from those mistakes.

7. Do what makes your heart flutter for the longest time. This is my favorite lesson for it motivates me to pursue my dream to become a good writer someday. Doing what we really love is one of the best things that we can give to ourselves. It creates a special connection between us and the world, for we’re able to share a deep part of ourselves. So never let anyone or anything stop you from doing what you love.

8. Model your uniqueness. In this world full of people who go with the flow, just be yourself. Stop conforming to what the world tells you to do. God Himself gave us the freedom to live our lives the way we want, so might as well be proud of who and what you are. Because your very existence is a gift that was given by the Almighty God.

9. Be brave enough to take risks. Because life is all about taking risks and you need to be brave enough to do it. Otherwise, life would be super boring if you just stayed inside of your comfort zone and kept on thinking about ‘what ifs.’

10. Trust God and everything will be fine. Adulting is not easy as it sounds like. At first, it feels like everything is new and you have freedom at its finest. But once you knew that it is not what you thought it was, say hello to anxiety and frustration. My grandma always reminded me not to trust my own understanding regarding what is happening to me and just pray all my worries to Him. Adulting sure is a lot of work, but never forget that God is always there for us whether we ask for it or not.

Life is too short for us to worry about a lot of things, so try to seize each day and live life as happy as you can be.