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The important life lessons I was taught way too late

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Photo by Colton Duke on Unsplash

Life is filled with many moments to build experiences and perspectives. Throughout this time, many of us will end up rising and excelling at everything we do, or sometimes we fall.

Some lessons are learned through lived experience, while others are learned by watching or reading things in newspapers and books.

As much as we can learn from books, there is a fundamental difference between theoretical and practical experiences.With that in mind, there are several lessons in life that we won't know until we encounter these situations for ourselves.

Additionally, other people (including me) would say that some lessons learned come later on in life, catching us by surprise and leaving us unprepared and a bit worried. But don't fret!

Read on to uncover some of the vital life lessons that I learned later on in life. But upon discovering them, my life has improved for the better.

1.We all have our own paths—embrace it!

Oftentimes, people are quick to judge others for loads of things. The judgment can sometimes make you feel that the path you're on, such as becoming a doctor or becoming an author of books, is not worth it, steering you away from your goals in life. But guess what? Your goal is still worth pursuing! We all have our own aspirations in life. Don't let the naysayers bring you down. The choice is always up to you.

2.It's ok to have flexibility with your goals

There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to help somebody understand their situation a bit better if they are unclear or just trying to be supportive. However, this same act can also redo down a rabbit hole of misunderstandings from others that think you're trying to control them.

3. Don't hesitate on things you shouldn't

At times, we don't act on what we want because we don't have the confidence or the willpower to do so. This hesitation holds us back from moving forward into our purpose, caging us away. Whenever you feel deep in your gut that you should do something, do it. It doesn't matter what the outcome is. You will end up being stronger in the end.

4. Don't be discouraged from "failures"

Even if you didn't get a 100 per cent on the exam or you didn't get the job you applied for, don't worry. It probably wasn't meant for you at the moment. Just continue to grind, and eventually, you will achieve what you want!

5. Applying learned experiences to aspects of our lives

It doesn't matter how much we think we know about a subject. Only after we apply our knowledge can we assess how much we know. Certainly, we all could read how to play the piano, learning to read the notes are in treble and bass clef. But it's not until we sit in front of a piano that our knowledge is really tested.As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said: "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."

6. Good things don't always come easy

Luck at times can only get you so far in life. To really get to a certain level of success and satisfaction within yourself, you have to work hard and put in the effort. Also, don't depend on anyone to be as dedicated to your vision as you are.

7. It's ok to give advice but don't be overbearing

There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to help somebody understand their situation a bit better if they are unclear or just trying to be supportive. However, this same act can also redo down a rabbit hole of misunderstandings from others that think you're trying to control them.

Let me give you an example.

One time, I had advised a friend of mine who didn't necessarily ask for guidance on a romantic relationship, but I still said something anyway.

This essentially put me in hot water because my friend believed I was judging when I was only trying to help.I say all this to say that sometimes it's best to let people come and ask you for help, then you go out of your way to do something so that way you don't come off intrusive.

8. Take care of your health overall

While young, it's easy to neglect your health when you feel and appear fine. However, consuming fast food, drinking in excess, and smoking can take a severe toll on health.Make regular visits to the doctor and live as clean as possible to avoid health ailments.

9. Everything that we do may have an opposite reaction

Always think about the consequences of things you may do or say, no matter your intention. Mindfulness is key!

10. Make the most of every moment in your life

We all know variations of the saying, life flashes before you in the blink of an eye. In my late teens to early twenties, There were many moments such as taking an unexpected trip to Japan or exploring a different borough in New York City by myself that I passed up out of fear.

But now, in my mid-twenties, I realized that I have to take more risks in my life and enjoy things that come my way. After all, living life to the fullest is ideal because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Have you got something to say? Want to share your thoughts and experiences with the world? Submit a post to Conversations today.


Women founders continue to come up against common challenges and biases

Written by Kelly Devine, Division President UK & Ireland, Mastercard

Starting a business may have historically been perceived as a man’s game, but this couldn’t be further from reality. Research shows women are actually more likely than men to actively choose to start their own business – often motivated by the desire to be their own boss or to have a better work-life balance and spend more time with their family.

The recently published Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurship 2021 found that in the category of 'Aspiration Driven Entrepreneurship’ – capturing those who actively choose to start their own business – women in the UK surpass men: 60% vs 56%. And Mastercard research from February 2022 found 10% of female business owners started their business in the past two years compared to 6% of men – meaning women were 67% more likely to have started a business during the pandemic.

Yet, there are common challenges that women founders continue to come up against - not least the gender imbalance in the household and long-held biases which are still prevalent.

In the UK, women are almost three times more likely to be balancing care and home commitments than men, and this was exacerbated during the pandemic as the additional barriers of school closures and lockdowns meant that the care time of dependents rose significantly on a day-to-day level for women. In addition, women were less likely to have access to a home office, greatly impacting the work they were able to accomplish when working from home was the only option.

It's also widely known that female business owners are still more likely to struggle to access funding for their business ideas. According to Dealroom, all-women founding teams received just 1.4% of the €23.7bn invested into UK start-ups in 2021, while all-male leadership teams have taken almost 90% of the available capital.

Without financial support, and when juggling significant time pressures both at home and at work, how can women grow their companies and #BreaktheBias (as this year’s International Women’s Day termed it)? What tools or support can save them time and money, and give them the headspace they need to focus on building their business?

With female owned businesses collectively estimating revenue growth of £120 billion over the next five years, solving this problem is bigger than supporting women – it’s about supporting the national economy.

Using tech to level the playing field

There are clearly societal issues at play that need to be resolved. But when we look at the rise in technology businesses during the pandemic, we can plainly see an alternative source of support critical for business growth: digital tools.

A third of female business owners say new technologies will be crucial to the success of their business in the future and one in five say it is the most important thing for business growth.

With new technology comes new ways to pay, create, and work. And yet there are barriers that prevent business owners accessing this technology. Women are significantly more likely to say they want to use more digital tools but don’t know what is best for their business and also more concerned about the security of digital tools.

When technology is adopted by businesses – whether using online accounting solutions or messenger services for communicating with staff – it saves them time, allows them to maintain and grow their customer base, and ultimately increases cost savings and profit.

By drastically improving the training and support that is available to women-owned business to access and utilise technology we will allow these businesses to grow and succeed. And we know there is demand for it.

Research done by the IFC and Dalberg shows that female entrepreneurs are more likely to invest time and money in business development. This includes product development, customer base expansion, and digital tools and training and there are plenty of services available offering this type of support – many of them for free.

One such programme is Strive UK – an initiative of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth – which aims to reach 650,000 micro and small business owners across the UK and empower them with the tools they need to thrive in the digital economy through free guidance, helpful tools and one-to-one mentoring.

Working together with small business experts – Enterprise Nation, Be the Business and Digital Boost – we hope to ensure hundreds of thousands of UK female business owners have the tools they need to succeed and reach their ambitious goals. Because this ambition remains strong in the UK, with female business owners largely optimistic about the future despite the multitude of challenges they are facing. Four in ten say they will grow their business in the next five years – compared to only a third of male business owners – and they’re also 35% less likely than men to say they plan to downsize or close the business.

But if we do not empower female entrepreneurs to access the tools and technology they need to grow, there is a risk this optimism could be misplaced. Support programmes that provide business owners with guidance and mentorship can help ensure this isn’t the case, allowing female entrepreneurs to not only survive but thrive in the months and years ahead.