Discussion: Hardest life lesson(s) learned?

What is the hardest life lesson(s) you have learned over your life?

In my years, learning that things don’t always go as planned is a continual learning experience for me. Maybe it’s just the way I expect things to go, maybe my expectations are extremely unrealistic. Maybe I aim too high, or too low. I don’t know. But I do know that life can’t be planned. Maybe you just gotta go with the blastwave, and just float along, maybe having loose life plans (like finishing school).
I’ve learned this with many things I’ve tried throughout my life. I’ve planned to out-eat my friend (who weights about 10 kilos more than me) and I failed miserably. I planned to enjoy a great deal of time with someone who I had great affection for, but alas, great tragedy befell and that plan was scratched. It still hurts quite a bit. I’ve challenged myself at school multiple times, each time with me struggling and flailing around, but I’ve always come out more than I’ve expected… Though I don’t really have any expectations when it comes to school, I just do the best I can, but if my marks don’t reflect my own perspective of effort, then I get pissed off.

But within that lesson,I’ve also learned that you can’t just float along either. You gotta have direction to float. Perhaps even a goal you can kick your flippers to reach faster (get it? we’re fish here at fluther?). Many times in my life, I’ve just kept quiet, not saying or doing anything to convey my opinion or desire or idea. And by just floating on, there was no way it could become real. However, if you do say something, then there is a great chance of making it real, at the risk of getting hurt. But most of the time getting hurt is worth the risk to make it real.

I think i’m in the middle of learning a new lesson right now : You can’t always get what you * may think you * desire.

There are much more lessons I’ve learned, like : Some things you just can’t show by saying, but by knowing it yourself and acting upon it. And so, some of the really really deep lessons can’t really be translated to words, only understood.

I love learning my lessons the hard way, learning is a cruel mistress, but I love her. Oh. So. Much.