What is a hard life lesson, and how did you learn it?

[Agape93]

[FriendlyDrugDealer]

You can't help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves.


I’m loyal by nature and very driven to assist people who are in my heart. When it comes to my friends or someone I love who has no interest in helping themselves out of a difficult situation or life, I struggle to just stand by. I would go so far for them that I would put myself in complicated situations because I wouldn’t let go of my connection to them.


I learned the hard way because I started to see my desperation to cling to that connection was beginning to harm people who were innocent that cared about me. I made a choice then that I continue to follow today

[HighlyVolatile]

Don't swim deep in the sea with dead jellyfish scattered all over the beach and no lifeguards let alone hardly anyone around.

I learned the hard way off the coast of Malaysia on a secluded beach as a boy. I thought I had an entire beach to myself and swam so deep and felt so free.

But then I felt things stinging my legs and the entire water around me was surrounded with blood. Then I couldn't feel my legs and kept sinking and had to swim with my arms to stay afloat.

Some strangers on the horizon spotted all the blood around me and dashed me while I tried to swim to them with just my arms. They carried me to a hospital and I had lacerations all across my inner thigh down to my inner ankle which was bleeding most profusely.

The people gave me all these shots into my shins and knees. Then I was okay but I had to walk on crutches for about six weeks.

[HighlyVolatile]

... unless you want risk these consequences, that is, then it's okay if you want to do that.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Things are not always going to be as hard or as easy as they are now. Right when you think something is just how things are going to be, things can change on a dime.

Learned that lesson both ways. The hard way getting better after think suicide was the only way to deal with my problems and attempting it several times. Things going from good to bad with a former job of mine being taken away when I felt safe.

[Sour-rose]

My boss is an idiot and doesn't give a damn about me.

It hit me when my boss I trusted to make the right decision didn't and what was supposed to be a four hour shift, became a 10 while we were stuck in our cars, watching videos until someone relieved us.

[ShadezMcgee]

You can only control things within your control. No matter what happens in life or what people do, you can only control how you respond to what comes at you.

That was very tough, especially growing up with generalized anxiety disorder and OCD. I would freak out over the smallest things and react and catastrophize everything in my head from every possible outcome. It was hell. The need to do the right thing to avoid rocking the boat even when I had no control was not fun.

[serious]

Being 100% honest doesn't work in professional life. Such honest may work only in your personal life.

Honesty doesn't always get rewarded appropriately.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Never be a firebug when you are a teenager, there were these suspects who set the neighbor's old garage on fire, and seeing that made me scared of fire and taught me a lesson don't play with fire.

[Rizwan_khan]

In this life you are own your own no. One is gonna help you. You have to help yourself self. Good people will walk with you at some point not through out your journey.

[JayParris]

Never argue with a woman. I learned this through many relationships and breakups.

[douride2]

Life isn't what it seems to be sometimes. Don't be so trusting.