Deputy Principal, Senior Years and Wellbeing

Things I Have Learnt In My Life

David R. Hamilton,

Life presents us with many different experiences. Sometimes they are wholly positive experiences and sometimes they really challenge us to dig inside ourselves and find something we never knew existed. What we learn from these experiences shapes our character.

Here is a list of some of the things I've learned in my life, as an author, public speaker, as a friend, and as a life partner.

1. Be the change. Yes, we've heard Gandhi's immortalized words so many times before, but that's because they are so true that people keep repeating them. It means to live by the principles that you want to see in others or in the world.

2. Be open to the possibility of miracles. They don't always happen to you; they often happen because of you. Our hopes, dreams, beliefs, and open minds invisibly build up momentum; then they reach tipping point.

4. Count your blessings. We often get so caught up in life that we don't notice the wonderful people right in front of our eyes, but when we do, magic happens in our own lives. We experience internal joy as we seek the beauty in them.

5. Love can really make a difference. I have found that no matter how hard things get, love can make everything all right. A hug can make so many stressful situations feel better. Love builds spiritual strength.

6. People are inherently good inside. We are wired for empathy and kindness. The love of the human spirit is always there, no matter how well it is hidden. Our task is to reveal it, even in our enemies.

7. Take time for yourself. A quiet and balanced mind makes it much easier to deal with life's ups and downs.

9. Think about what you want and not what you don't want. You engineer ‐‐ both consciously and unconsciously ‐‐ what you give your attention to.

10. Being positive doesn't just mean believing you'll achieve your goals. It can mean that no matter how hard things get, you know that you'll get through it. There's always a way.

Kristen Waldron