All posts tagged: Life Lessons

People Who Rarely Feel Lost In Life Usually Follow These 11 Internal Rules

People Who Rarely Feel Lost In Life Usually Follow These 11 Internal Rules

Published by Jenni Sidey

Feeling lost doesn’t always come from a lack of options. It often comes from not having a clear way to filter those options or decide what matters most. When everything feels equally important, or equally uncertain, it becomes harder to move forward with any real sense of direction. Some people seem to navigate that uncertainty more steadily. They don’t have everything figured out, but they operate with a set of internal guidelines that keep them oriented. These rules aren’t always something they’ve written down or even consciously defined, but they show up in how they make decisions, respond to change, and keep moving forward. People who rarely feel lost in life usually follow these 11 internal rules 1. They make decisions based on direction, not certainty PeopleImages / Shutterstock Clarity doesn’t always come before action. Instead of waiting for a perfect answer, they choose a path that feels aligned and adjust as they go. This keeps momentum from stalling when things aren’t fully clear. A decision becomes a starting point rather than a final answer. …

I’m A Boomer Who Learned The Hard Way Why You Should Never Text Your Adult Kids Bad News

I’m A Boomer Who Learned The Hard Way Why You Should Never Text Your Adult Kids Bad News

Published by Jenni Sidey

Recently, I made the mistake of texting my adult kids some troubling medical news. I should have called, but the assisted living facility where I was staying temporarily got there first. My son, Matt, my medical contact, received a call, as per protocol, stating that I was on my way to the hospital but not in a critical state. My breezy text soon followed, referencing my broken left leg. The cheeky close in all caps is cringeworthy. “Long story short. I’ve wound up at the hospital with concerns about blood clots in the left leg. Being treated aggressively and will be here day or so (?) to get that under control …. Anyway, ALL GOOD.” In what universe would this news be “all good?” In truth, the blood clots had traveled to my lungs. (Pro tip: Don’t Google “pulmonary embolism” from a gurney in the ER.) I didn’t want to bother or concern them. I was pretty scared, but my rationale was not to pass along my fear and worry about the traveling clots.  I …

11 Basic Life Lessons Most Parents Completely Forget To Teach Their Kids

11 Basic Life Lessons Most Parents Completely Forget To Teach Their Kids

Published by Jenni Sidey

Parents do not want to set their children up for failure. They want to give them all the knowledge they can to move forward in life. No matter how hard they try, there will still be some things that they forget to teach. If school doesn’t cover it, these kids might be entering the world without some basic life lessons. I remember when I was in school. I never learned anything about finances. When I was thrown into the world as an adult and had to balance my bank account, I was lost. The first overdraft fee I experienced rocked my world. And don’t get me started on taxes! These are things no one taught me, even though my parents meant well and tried to check every box. Some parents also forget to teach their children life skills like resilience and emotional regulation. While they mean well, these things can fall through the cracks. These are 11 basic life lessons most parents completely forget to teach their kids 1. Budgeting digitalskillet from Getty Images Signature …

Experts Say The Happiest People After 70 Aren’t The Ones Who Chased Purpose — They Focused On These 3 Things Instead

Experts Say The Happiest People After 70 Aren’t The Ones Who Chased Purpose — They Focused On These 3 Things Instead

Published by Jenni Sidey

Living a meaningful life begins and ends with the individual, but the way someone lives tends to ripple outward. Some people spend their lives chasing money or status, others focus on spiritual growth, and many land somewhere in between, just trying to get through without causing too much damage to themselves or the people around them. There are endless ways to define meaning, but certain life lessons tend to show up again and again in people who feel genuinely satisfied by the time they reach old age. Instead of chasing purpose, if you focus on a few things after 70, chances are you’re living a more meaningful life than most people ever will — one rooted in self-knowledge and intention rather than comparison or outside approval. Experts say the happiest people after 70 aren’t the ones who chased purpose — they focused on these things instead: 1. The happiest people after 70 have learned to live their own lives You can’t live someone else’s life, as life coach Susan Allan knows so well. It is …

If You’re A Baby Boomer Parent, These 9 Habits Can Quietly Push Your Adult Children Away

If You’re A Baby Boomer Parent, These 9 Habits Can Quietly Push Your Adult Children Away

Published by Jenni Sidey

 The parent-child bond is a powerful one, but it isn’t invincible. When your child is dependent on you for food and shelter, they don’t have a lot of choice about sticking around. We don’t grow out of wanting our parents’ love and approval, so when your child no longer needs your daily support, chances are high they will embrace a new adult relationship with you. You can change all that. If you want the texts, phone calls, and visits from your adult child to grow less and less frequent and maybe even stop altogether, just follow these bad habits, and even the most connected child will eventually stay away from their Baby Boomer parents. If you’re a Baby Boomer parent, these habits can quietly push your adult children away: Boomer habit 1: Complaining that your adult children never call You can use this strategy whether they call daily, weekly, monthly, or once a year. It’s not about the frequency per se. No amount of contact will be enough for you. This works for phone calls, …

When Life Feels Overwhelming And You’re Barely Holding It Together, These 5 Truths Matter Most

When Life Feels Overwhelming And You’re Barely Holding It Together, These 5 Truths Matter Most

Published by Jenni Sidey

I wish every day could be bright and happy, but it turns out that life doesn’t work that way. Life isn’t always easy, and some days feel overwhelming, like you’re barely holding it together, but the hardest days teach the most valuable lessons. When everything feels like too much, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re falling behind or doing something wrong. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is pause, take a breath, and remind yourself of a few things that are easy to forget when the weight of the world feels heavy. When life feels overwhelming and you’re barely holding it together, these 5 simple truths matter most: 1. Appreciate the time you have because it’s limited Nobody knows how much time they have in life, so we need to make our lives count. Some days, we need more time to do simple tasks and rest our bodies. We should count each task and plan to manage the energy we need instead of rushing through life. It’s important for us to use …

8 Old-Fashioned Phrases Boomer Parents Told Their Kids That Actually Turned Out To Be Right

8 Old-Fashioned Phrases Boomer Parents Told Their Kids That Actually Turned Out To Be Right

Published by Jenni Sidey

When we were growing up, we didn’t always think the old-fashioned phrases our baby boomer parents repeated made much sense. Maybe sometimes we even chose not to listen at all.  However, as adults now, more and more of the lessons and advice our parents gave us start to prove themselves to be true. Little sayings they repeated endlessly now feel like laws we all live by. Some of these sayings apply to all situations, some only to very few situations. Either way, our boomer parents clearly knew what they were talking about. Here are the eight old-fashioned phrases our baby boomer parents said often that actually turned out to be right: 1. ‘Life isn’t always fair’ We all know this one is true. My parents used to say this to me when my sister and I were fighting or when she got something I didn’t. What I never realized before was that it honestly applies across every age and area of life. As we grow up we learn that if you spend all of your …

11 Things Kids In The 1970s Used To Do That Parents Today Don’t Allow Anymore

11 Things Kids In The 1970s Used To Do That Parents Today Don’t Allow Anymore

Published by Jenni Sidey

Being a kid in the 1970s was a period of freedom. They played outside without parental supervision and walked to school with all their friends, just a few of the many things kids in the 1970s used to do that parents today don’t allow anymore. They didn’t have a parent hovering over their shoulder, solving all their problems or removing discomfort from their lives, so it’s not a surprise that Gen Xers are resilient and independent adults. Compared to kids today, coddled by gentle and overbearing parents, they have a level of autonomy that we’re quickly losing. Taking accountability for their own lives and solving problems on their own might feel like “bare minimum” things, but kids today struggle to do them well. Here are 11 things kids in the 1970s used to do that parents today don’t allow anymore 1. Riding bicycles without helmets Evgeny Atamanenko | Shutterstock.com Not only were kids in the 70s riding around town on bicycles without helmets, but they were doing so without parental supervision. Two things that parents …

Most Couples Learn These 12 Hard Lessons Way Too Late

Most Couples Learn These 12 Hard Lessons Way Too Late

Published by Jenni Sidey

Being in a relationship offers more than just romance or someone to spend time with. In fact, it can provide a sense of fulfillment and nourish the other aspects of your life as well. But love isn’t enough to keep a couple together, because there are bound to be conflicts, ups and downs, and life-changing events, all of which can test a relationship. Whether they’ve been together for a few months, a few years, or a few decades most couples learn these hard lessons way too late. But that doesn’t mean all hope is lost, as there are still opportunities for personal growth and change, both as individuals and as partners. It serves as a reminder that couples should never stop learning from one another and the world around them. Most couples learn these 12 hard lessons way too late 1. It’s okay to spend time apart bbernard | Shutterstock It’s common for people to think that once they enter a relationship, they have to spend all their energy and focus on their partner in …

People Who Were Kids In The 1980s Learned These 11 Life Lessons That Are Sadly Rare Today

People Who Were Kids In The 1980s Learned These 11 Life Lessons That Are Sadly Rare Today

Published by Jenni Sidey

While there were certainly a number of adverse childhood experiences in the 1980s, many of which are controversial today, the life lessons and skills young Gen Xers and millennials learned from growing up in that period should be admired. From self-discipline to learning to grow into their independence naturally, people who were kids in the 1980s learned life lessons that are sadly rare today. Especially in contrast to new parenting styles and the emergence of technology, social media, and cellphones, younger generations today are living much different lives from their millennial counterparts. They’re adopting anxious, socially avoidant attitudes, building entitlement, and relying on technology for entertainment, all at the expense of their personal development and growth. People who were kids in the 1980s learned these 11 life lessons that are sadly rare today 1. Entertaining themselves without a screen Gorodenkoff | Shutterstock.com According to a study published in the Psychological Bulletin, the more screen time modern kids indulge in today, the more likely they are to experience socioemotional struggles later in life. From struggling to regulate their …