All posts tagged: Life Lessons

Kids Raised By Parents Who Made Them Work For Everything Carry 8 Advantages Into Adulthood

Kids Raised By Parents Who Made Them Work For Everything Carry 8 Advantages Into Adulthood

Published by Jenni Sidey

Kids who had to work for what they wanted can carry those lessons into adulthood. Teaching kids to value effort prepares them for life on their own.  Parents who give their kids age-appropriate responsibilities and room to face challenges, while still offering support, give them a chance to learn through experience. With that balance, kids can grow up with advantages that last long after they’ve left home. The 9 huge advantages kids raised by parents who made them work for everything have as adults: 1. They follow through even when they don’t feel like it Photoroyalty | Shutterstock.com Teaching discipline doesn’t just mean forcing kids to do chores or help at home, although those things can be beneficial in many ways. It’s about teaching kids how to look after themselves, regulate through discomfort, and think critically, even when it’s not easy. Kids raised by parents who made them work for things now have a disciplined mentality as adults. Even when it’s easier to procrastinate, stay stagnant, or avoid accountability in their own lives, these adult kids …

My Heart Was Broken By A 34 Year-Old When I Was Only 17, And Only Now Do I Realize Why

My Heart Was Broken By A 34 Year-Old When I Was Only 17, And Only Now Do I Realize Why

Published by Jenni Sidey

Years ago, the man I loved found another woman to live the life I once believed should have been mine. For a long time, I thought that meant she was better than me. Over the years, the question would occasionally resurface: Why had he chosen her instead of me? That man, whom I call Adam in my memoirs, was already building a catamaran when I met him. His life revolved around the boat. It wasn’t a hobby or a fantasy. It was the future he intended to live. I was 17. He was 34. I believed he was the one for me. Adam held such certainty. He was intelligent, unconventional, and magnetic. He had left behind his marriage, children, and missionary life, living in a boathouse while building a vessel he planned to sail around the world. To love him meant sharing that dream. For years, I tried. When we met, I was a high school dropout working in a diner, hoping someday to become an artist or writer, though I had little idea how …

The 5 Life Mistakes I Truly Regret Most At 70 Years Old

The 5 Life Mistakes I Truly Regret Most At 70 Years Old

Published by Jenni Sidey

I spent nearly five decades building a career across three regions of the world. The first half of my professional life was in India, where I learned the value of hard work and perseverance. A brief chapter in the Middle East exposed me to a truly international work environment and broadened my perspective. The latter half of my career unfolded in the United States, where I continued to grow professionally and eventually retired after more than 45 years in the workforce. I am grateful for the opportunities, friendships, and experiences my career provided. I do not regret working hard. But now, at 70 years old, a deeper question has arisen: Did I work harder than necessary, at the expense of other important aspects of life? With the benefit of hindsight, I would like to share a few observations. At 70, these are the life mistakes I regret making most: 1. Prioritizing a bigger paycheck over flexibility At some point in a successful career, responsibilities grow, income rises, and opportunities seem endless. This is also when …

8 Quiet Boomer & Gen X Strengths That Younger Generations Underestimate

8 Quiet Boomer & Gen X Strengths That Younger Generations Underestimate

Published by Jenni Sidey

Despite all the things young people may pick apart about their middle-aged counterparts, the grit and independence that have become hallmarks of the boomer and Gen X upbringing have yielded quiet strengths that younger generations underestimate. Whether it’s their steadfast loyalty regardless of their personal feelings or their resilience in the face of a changing and divided society, boomers and Gen X have a fortitude that younger generations don’t yet understand. It’s so easy to cling to stereotypes, but young people might be getting the generational gap all wrong when it comes to their elders. Quiet boomers and Gen X strengths that younger generations underestimate because they don’t yet understand their value: 1. They’re adaptable Inside Creative House | Shutterstock.com Even with new technology and changing social norms, baby boomers and Gen Xers, especially, understand how to roll with what comes. Not only are they socialized to make do with what they have and be resourceful, but they’re resilient by nature. They may have more traditional values and preferences, but that doesn’t mean they’re incapable of …

6 Old-Fashioned Lessons Intellectually Curious People Grew Up Learning

6 Old-Fashioned Lessons Intellectually Curious People Grew Up Learning

Published by Jenni Sidey

People who are intellectually curious often grew up differently than their peers. They were taught to think critically through old-fashioned life lessons that they’ve carried with them into adulthood. Curiosity is a common trait among the smartest people, and these pearls of wisdom ensure they always make time to simply think and let their minds wander rather than relying on tech distractions. In a world where we spend as much of our lives online as in person, these old-fashioned life lessons are a reminder that sometimes it’s better to just put the phone down. Old-fashioned life lessons that intellectually curious people were taught never to forget: 1. Take time to listen to all kinds of people PeopleImages / Shutterstock In a world where the loudest voices take up so much space, we have to ensure that we listen to all kinds of people. Learning about people with different life experiences helps us develop emotional intelligence and find a path forward when faced with division. The reason this is so old-fashioned is that people are so …

8 Lessons Kids Who Don’t Listen To Their Parents Usually Learn At Home

8 Lessons Kids Who Don’t Listen To Their Parents Usually Learn At Home

Published by Jenni Sidey

Some kids are so close to their parents that they’ll do everything they say. They trust them implicitly, so they pay attention to their rules and advice. But not all children are like this. Some can’t help but push back against their parents, no matter what they say or do. But even though they aren’t listening to their parents, they still learn lessons at home that come from their own experiences rather than following the rules. Kids learn these lessons when they don’t listen to their parents 1. There are consequences to their actions PeopleImages | Shutterstock Almost every kid gets in trouble at least once when they’re younger. They don’t know what to do, so they need their parent’s help to learn. But because they don’t listen to their parents at home, they end up understanding just how much their actions can cost. Some kids have good behavior and just make mistakes by accident. Their parents will forgive them because they know they’re not trying to do anything bad. Still, those kids won’t be …

People Raised In The 60s And 70s Would Be Embarrassed Not To Know How To Do 9 Things

People Raised In The 60s And 70s Would Be Embarrassed Not To Know How To Do 9 Things

Published by Jenni Sidey

There’s something special about the resilience of people raised in the 60s and 70s, even if it did stem from a very independent upbringing. They were often left alone and taught to fend for themselves, which also meant they learned the hard way about a lot of practical things. Whether it was chores or socializing with others, there are certain things people who grew up in this time would be embarrassed not to know how to do, but that young people today are sometimes still uncertain about. 60s and 70s kids would be embarrassed not to know how to do these things 1. Clean and launder clothes simona pilolla 2 | Shutterstock Forced to do chores from a young age without a lot of parental oversight, Gen X and boomer kids learned to do laundry on their own. They were ironing button-down shirts and separating darks from lights before they even became teenagers. Even getting stains out is something this generation would be embarrassed not to know as grown adults, and yet, many young people …

Why Just 2 Minutes A Day Can Lead To A Happier, Wealthier Retirement

Why Just 2 Minutes A Day Can Lead To A Happier, Wealthier Retirement

Published by Jenni Sidey

Terry told everyone for years how eager he was to retire. He talked about how liberating it would be. Life would be so amazing without the conflicts, demands, and petty games at work. He could do anything he wanted to, and nobody could tell him otherwise. The day finally came, and he was bursting at the seams. It was over. Like the end of a prison sentence, he walked through the iron gates to a new life, unshackled freedom, and a bottle of fine whisky — a gift from his friends. We were envious but happy for him and his newfound freedom. Nine months later, Terry was back at work. “I was bored with nothing to do but walk around the block and sit on the couch watching golf. Then the office called, and I said, ‘Sure, what the heck, I’ll come back.’” What went wrong? Like Terry, more than 1 in 3 retirees will return to work, most often because of boredom voronaman / Shutterstock It’s easy to fill your days when they’re consumed …

7 Rough Lessons People Who Constantly Feel Embarrassed Usually Learned As Kids

7 Rough Lessons People Who Constantly Feel Embarrassed Usually Learned As Kids

Published by Jenni Sidey

We all have insecurities that make it harder to feel confident at times. My biggest insecurity is that I am constantly embarrassing myself. Feeling that way makes me second-guess what I say or how I’m acting. I get so self-conscious that I sometimes find myself acting like someone I’m not. It might sound strange to someone who doesn’t get it, but there are perfectly reasonable explanations for why people like me may feel like we can’t get things right. Most of the time, they learned toxic lessons when they were younger that caused them to have this belief about themselves. If someone almost always feels embarrassed, they usually learned these rough lessons growing up 1. There’s something wrong with them Ksenia Chernaya from Pexels via Canva If you feel embarrassed all the time, you’re probably not very confident in who you are. Some people try to change their behavior so they can act like whatever they think just enough looks like. Changing who you are rarely works to make you feel more confident, though. You have …

6 Rough Lessons People Who Always Feel Like They’re Too Much Usually Learned As Kids

6 Rough Lessons People Who Always Feel Like They’re Too Much Usually Learned As Kids

Published by Jenni Sidey

Without even realizing it, kids internalize many things they’re told by people who matter to them when they’re growing up. Being frequently criticized for core aspects of who they are can make them feel like they’re too difficult to ever be fully accepted or loved by others. When parents routinely get mad or yell at their kids, it often makes them feel like they’re too much of a hassle or they take up too much space. This creates insecure adults who fear that their behavior will always push people away. If someone feels like they’re always too much for others, they probably learned these rough lessons as a kid 1. Everything is their fault People who are taught that they take up too much space learn to feel sorry for just existing. But it’s impossible not to take up space, and, when those people do, they’ll feel the need to apologize for it. Friends like this can constantly be heard saying “I’m sorry,” even when they did nothing wrong. They’ll routinely repeat the phrase when they’re …