Life Skills & Traits — Skills to cultivate to successfully navigate through life

“red neon store facade” by Alexander Popov on Unsplash

Understand that most of the time when people think of life skills they think of resume writing and “dressing for success”. These are more important than that. These are traits and skills that will ease suffering, solve problems, and help you avoid obstacles and traps; however, just like other life skills they are often not taught in most classrooms and require a lot of practice.

Mindfulness

Learning to pay attention, control your awareness, and improve concentration.

• Thoughts are not reality. Learning to detach from them and watch them come and go.

• Paying Attention – increasing focus

• Awareness & Attention

• Devotion & Inner Strength

• Develop perception

What happens if you are not mindful, let someone else control your awareness, stop paying attention?

“mindfulness printed paper near window” by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

Critical Thinking

Careful analysis and evaluation

• Gather information by asking Questions, Healthy Skepticism, Assuming Nothing

• Think and think some more.

“people gathering on street during nighttime” by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash

Managing Conflict

As conflicts arise how will you deal with them? How do you keep them from occurring in the first place?

• Being willing to say you are sorry

• Be willing to walk away

• Be willing to change your mind

• Study Conflict resolution skills not just conflict avoidance

“man sitting on gray chair” by 90 jiang on Unsplash

Emotional Control, Impulse, Detachment

Mastering your emotions and increasing the ability to use logic and reason.

• Courage/ Facing Fear (emotion)

• Examine Motivation (Intention & Consequences)

• Acceptance, Forgiveness, Letting Go

• Empathy & Compassion

• Patience

• Be Humble

• Generosity

Becoming Comfortable with Doubt & Uncertainty

Call it “paralysis by analysis” or just managing fear. If you are not comfortable with the unknown fear and weird behavior will follow.

“woman sitting on soil” by Alex Iby on Unsplash

Seek Knowledge, Look for Insight, Develop Wisdom

How do you explain or communicate what you don’t understand?

• “Evil” Education – Understand how you may be attacked or deceived.

• Learn to Form a Narrative & Tell a Story. It’s the best way to explain anything.

• Commit to a lifetime of learning new things

Compassion and Empathy

It is not a matter of just being a good person. Good people suffer all the time. Being able to see any situation from the point of view of everyone involved makes you better at finding answers to complex questions and making good decisions. You will also create allies instead of enemies. It is almost selfish. The person who will benefit most for the compassion and empathy you cultivate is you.

While there is no strict plan for success in life (Anyone who tells you there is has to be lying) there are things that ease suffering and pain.

Traditional Life Skills — The Top Traditional Life Skills Needed for Survival:

Communication & Social Skills

Etiquette

Dress for Success

Study Skills/Life-Long Learning

Basic Legal Knowledge

Personal Finance