I recently turned 28 so I wanted to take this opportunity to share 28 life lessons or “wisdom nuggests” that I’ve learned over the years.
I feel so grateful for where I am in life and everything I’ve learned so far. Every new birthday I feel “this is the ideal age to be”, but it keeps getting better and better!
These are my beliefs currently, but I believe we are never done learning or growing so they might change in the future.
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Here Are My 28 Life Lessons Learned In 28 years:
1. Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success
Failing feels like shit. It never feels good in the moment. However, when I look back at my failures and low points in life, I realise I have always learned valuable lessons from them.
I used to be terrified of failing, and I used to cry every time I didn’t get the highest grade in school. What I have learned over the years is that success comes first when you are not afraid to fail.
2. What you send out comes back to you
I used to think karma is woo-woo, but now I feel certain it’s one of the laws of the Universe. What you reap you sow. What you give, you get. When you do good in the world, it comes back to you.
When I was a teenager, I was often wondering why I didn’t have many friends or why people didn’t seem to make much eye contact with me in groups. Until I started noticing a pattern – when I would give a people more of my attention by asking them questions, laughing, sharing stories etc, suddenly lots of people wanted to be my friends. I realised the reason why I didn’t have many friends is because I didn’t give them much energy.
The opposite also applies. When you lie or do bad things, karma comes and bites you in the bum – you get exposed, you get trapped in a web of lies etc.
3. Visualisation is not enough to manifest your dreams, you need to take inspired action towards them also.
Law of Attraction is a law of nature that says that you attract what you focus on. If you have read about how to use it to manifest your dreams, you know that you should:
- Set an intention
- Visualize what you want
- Fake it til you make it
One intention could be “I want to be a wealthy yoga teacher”. Then you visualize how success would look like with millions of followers on Youtube and invitations to expensive retreats in Bali and Costa Rica. After that you fake it to you make it, by wearing expensive yoga clothing all day, doing yoga every morning, write a “check” to yourself etc.
This stuff is really powerful, but it’s not enough. You need to also take inspired action towards your dream. Put up yoga videos every day on youtube, apply to teach at retreats, even if it’s unpaid.When you take action the Universe sees where you want to go and that you are serious about getting there. The Universe can’t help push a car that stands still. You need to set it in motion, and THEN the Universe can give you support.
4. Your purpose is to share your passion.
Ever since I was a little girl I was obsessed with finding my purpose in life. I took all the career and personality tests, courses, read all the books, etc.
One day I saw a channeling of Bashar that was really eye-opening. He said your higher self shows you what you purpose is through passion. It makes sense, most pleasures in life are just satisfying our ego and our senses – travelling, eating food, gambling, partying etc.
However, when we are immersed in a passion project, we forget space and time because our soul is so happy.
Why is our soul happy when we follow our passion? Because doing and sharing our passions with the world, IS our purpose.
5. Dairy products make your bones WEAKER, not stronger.
In my home country Sweden we love our dairy products. In school we had three milks to choose from – fat milk, classic milk and light milk. The options for toast toppings were butter, cheese and cream cheese. Yet, we have one of the highest rates of osteoporosis in the world (together with another milk-loving country – the US).
When I got the diagnosis PCOS I learned that I should avoid dairy, which did not make me happy. I started researching and found out that not only did milk not make the bones stronger, like the ads claimed, but the acidity actually pulls calcium out of your bones, making them weaker!
I also find that my acne comes back every time I introduce dairy products into my diet. So dairy is now a big no-no for me.
6. Just because most people believe something, doesn’t mean it’s the truth.
I used to believe in what people around me believed in without questioning it.
For example, I grew up in an atheist family and with atheist friends. I would laugh at people who were religious. Why don’t they question the faith they grew up with? Well, neither did I.
Now I believe in God, reincarnation, aliens, ghosts, I believe Donald Trump is a good president – things nobody in my family and few of my close friends believe. Because I took the time to research the topics and formed my own opinions rather than just listening to my loved ones and the media.
7. Read. A lot.
There are so many extraordinary books out there. You can buy a book for around 3-12 dollar on Amazon packed with information and life-changing content.
Some of the books that have literally changed my life are:
- Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsh
- Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer
- The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
- Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
8. We are multidimensional beings, living a human experience.
This is something I learned the hard way, during an Ayahuasca trip in Peru. The plant medicine triggered an ego death experience in me and I could feel that I am not this body, it’s just a shell. I’m not Julia and my experiences, that’s just what I am called this reincarnation.
I am an immortal soul, living a human experience.
9. Be present.
Your happiest moments happened when you were completely present in the moment. So try to avoid going on the phone every time you have a spare moment. Try to limit your time on social media.
Travel around the world, go on a safari, draw a painting, have a candle-lit dinner in the garden with your partner – seek out experiences where you can really enjoy the present moment. These are the moments you will remember on your death bed. NOT when you watched another movie on Netflix or watched videos of cats farting on Youtube.
10. 9/11 was an inside job. Period.
11. Meditating is the secret to solving most of your problems.
When you meditate daily, you are more in tune with your higher self and take better decisions. You listen to your soul more than to the ego.
When I have a difficult problem that I have a hard time deciding what to do about, I also find it easier to take a decision after a meditation sessions where I clear my thoughts.
12. We always wake up dehydrated – drink a big glass of water every morning.
Since we wake up every morning dehydrated I start every day by drinking a big glass of water. It should ideally be warm and with lemon, if you really want to detoxify and and alkalise your body.
If you do add lemon – end with drinking a glass without lemon, so it won’t damage the teeth enamel.
13. Don’t be a victim. Take full responsibility of your life and move towards your dreams.
You are powerful and can achieve anything. It’s so easy to complain and see yourself as a victim of your circumstances – your crappy job, your illness, your non-supportive parents etc.
Your life really begins to transform when you take full responsibility for your life, and you become the creator of your life.
14. You are never really alone.
You are surrounded at all times by loving guides and soul friends with whom you have eternal connections.
What really convinced me spirit guides are real was the book Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives. It’s a huge case study where Michael Newton Ph.D. does Past Life Regression Therapy (a type of hypnosis) where hundreds of people remember what happened in between lives. They all report a similar experience and mention meeting with their spirit guides. Fascinating read.
Since then I have been going to a psychic once a year, who claims to talk to my spirit guides, and she keeps predicting my upcoming year spot-on every time.
I also believe we have soul family and soulmates that we have reincarnated with many lifetimes. They often show up as our best friends or partners. It’s those people you feel you hav known or lifetimes, even though you might have just met a few months ago.
15. Your biggest obstacle to success is yourself and your limiting beliefs.
If you don’t believe you can become a millionaire you will never become a millionaire.
If you keep blaming your childhood for where you are and how you are today you will stay a victim for life and never succeed.
It’s all in your mind.
Nothing in this world is inherently good or bad.
It’s all about perspective. One situation could be seen as an awesome aha moment for one person and the end of the world for another person.
Your biggest obstacle to success is your (conscious or unconscious) limiting beliefs.
There are many examples of twins with the same upbringing where one twin ends up rich and successful and the other one homeless. The later never got out of the victim state, and the first one used the pain to get motivated.
16. Successful people are the ones with successful habits.
What do most billionaires have in common? They have powerful daily habits.
The truth is:
You can’t build wealth without a strong foundation.
- They wake up early (Richard Branson wake up 5:45 every morning!)
- They have a nourishing morning routine they follow religiously
- They exercise every day
- They read regularly – especially business and self-development books
We are what we repeatedly do.
I have had a morning routine for years now and it has become just as engrained in my daily schedule as brushing my teeth. I find it gives me energy and a clear head through-out the day. You can read my 10 step morning routine here.
17. Take a few minutes every day to think about what you are grateful for
Gratefulness is a very high vibration to be in so every morning I write down a few things that I am grateful for.
Even during your shittiest day, there’s something you can be grateful for like the sun, the cup of tea your sipping, that you have a roof over your head, your loved one, God etc.
18. Life is beautiful.
Yes, life on Earth can be a bit of a rollercoaster. But the low points in my life makes me really appreciate the good days. Imagine if every day of your life was a total bliss. You would not be able to be grateful if your life didn’t have any contrasts.
19. Life is better with avocados.
Enough said.
20. Every person is creative and should make time for their creative hobby every week.
I truly believe we are ALL creative, in some way. And I think it’s really important for our well-being to express it.
It doesn’t have to be the classic creative hobbies like painting, playing the guitar or salsa dancing. For example, my favourite creative hobby is writing blog posts and recording videos about topics I am passionate about.
What is yours? If you don’t know I recommend you try to find it. Try it all and who knows, maybe you will become the new Picasso or Michelangelo?
21. Eat as people do in the Blue Zones if you want to live long.
No matter which diet you follow, you will find studies supporting what you eat.
There are studies showing that eggs are good, even a superfood.
There are also studies showing eggs is nothing more than a heart attack on a plate.
That’s my philosophy is to simply look at what people who live the longest in the world eat. These places in the world are called the Blue Zones and include places like:
- Okinawa, Japan
- Sardinia, Italy
- Nicoya, Costa Rica
- Icaria, Greece
95 percent of their daily food intake comes from vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. So it seems like a mainly plant-based diet is the winner, and that is what I am now eating.
22. To attract wealth, don’t ask yourself “how can I become rich?” Ask “How can I be of service?”
You get so much more support from the Universe when your focus is to be of help, than if you just focus on making money. The Universe wants to help you and give you abundance when you are following your heart and with the intention to help the collective. Rather than focusing on making money so that you can satify the ego.
23. To reprogram your subconscious, listen to a guided meditation every evening before bed.
On Youtube you can find a hypnosis for anything you are struggling with – confidence, money blocks, insomnia etc. Try listening to the same hypnosis for 30 days, just before sleep (your mind is more open to suggestions then), and you’ll see amazing results.
24. You cannot reach fulfilment without going out of your comfort zone.
I am very much an introvert and can spend a whole weekend at home just reading and watching movies.
However, I try to make an effort to go out, meet new people, network and try new things.
Sometimes I will do something I am terrified of doing, just because I feel so powerful afterwards. Some things I’ve tried that I never thought I would do:
- Perform stand-up
- Paragliding
- Improv theatre
- Cold calling (sell on the phone)
If you spend most of your time at home watching Netflix or gaming, you are not going to see much success in life. You’re making it really difficult for the Universe to support you and bring you opportunities.
And often the scariest things to you is exactly what you need to do.
The thought of starting a blog and youtube channel is something that scared me for years. But I am so glad that I did it, as I feel like my purpose is to help people awaken to their power, and these channels help me do that.
25. Don’t be afraid to say “no”.
In my home country Sweden we hate conflict more than anything and go through great lengths to avoid it (such as helping Germany during World war 2, to avoid invasion). I have always been a people pleaser and said yes to things I didn’t enjoy.
For example alcohol. I have never really liked alcohol and only consumed it because I didn’t want to be seen as the weirdo or the black sheep. I stopped drinking alcohol cold turkey last year, and people haven’t even been that judgemental about it.
In my head I was so worried about what people would think but most people don’t really care.
26. The real currency is time.
I would not enjoy being CEO of a massive corporation. Money is basically useless if you don’t have time to use it.
That’s why I am focusing on building passive income, so that I earn money while I sleep or hike to Machu Picchu instead of trading time for money.
27. It’s okay to wear yoga pants all day.
You don’t have to wear jeans if you don’t want to. When I was younger it was very important to me to dress like everyone around me and look fashionable, even if it meant wearing tight, uncomfortable jeans and push-up bras that literally stopped the blood flow around my breasts.
Now I don’t care what everyone thinks and I wear yoga pants or flowy dresses every single day.
28. We are all One.
I believe individuality is largely an illusion . We are not a distinct entities, unbounded to others.
We are all drops in the ocean of God.
We are all divine.
We are all One.
