12 Life Lessons I’ve Learned At 32 Years Old

7 min readMay 8, 2021

On today’s post, I’m going to write about 12 life lessons I’ve learned at 32 years old, in a way that can help you and also talking about some insights that happened to me along my life until now. I know I was not even close to being a wise person or an expert on absolutely anything. I really don’t pretend to be that way with my posts. I still have a long journey of learnings that will come naturally throughout my life.

I want to write about things that were part of my life and maybe can help someone who is in need of these words at this moment of your life.

I’m going to talk about friendship, work, family, relationship, life, and how I started to deal with certain situations after my 30s and coming to live in another country. I’d like to had learned many of these lessons on my early 20s, but I only could to do that many years later. So, if you’re in your 20s, this post is for you.

I hope that some of these topics can brighten your mind in the search for a better and happier life!

1 — What other people think about you tells more about them than about you.

I always worried a lot about what other people thought about me. And for many times this stopped me from doing and saying things that I really wanted, simply because I was afraid of judgment and comments.

Surround yourself with people who understand who you are, who know you from the heart, and ignore those who only bring judgments, complains, problems and opinions formed about your life. Especially those opinions based on the person’s own experiences, not on your experiences.

2 — There’s always time to start over.

I was terrified of getting old when I was in my 20s and I couldn’t even imagine myself with 32 living the life I have today, feeling as young as I felt 15 years ago. But it’s exactly how I feel today. I still have so much to see and live. I still have so much to do and I don’t feel as old as I thought I would be years ago. I’d liked to have realized that much earlier, because it would have saved me a lot of worries about the future.

3 — Some people just don’t deserve your attention.

The title already says everything. Some people just don’t deserve your attention at all. This recalls a little bit on the item 1, and reinforces my words about surrounding yourself with people who do make you feel good. People who make you feel confident and brave. People who have values similar to yours and view the life in a similar way you see. Anything beyond that doesn’t deserve your attention. I learned that in the hard way, and life tried to teaches me that repeatedly until I finally understand.

4 — Somewhere out there will be someone who is looking for the same things you are.

There is no problem with not being in a relationship, no matter what age or time of life you are in. But, if you’re looking for a relationship and find someone to share your life with, don’t despair or make smaller choices than you really deserve. No matter how long it takes… I learned that somewhere out there will be someone who is looking for the same things you are. And one day you will find each other.

5 — Quality is way better than quantity

Buying clothes and stuffs overly can bring you a certain feeling of “happiness” at the moment that you make that new acquisition. But very soon that ‘happiness’ is gone and there’s only an emptiness that’s always looking for something more. And that feeling leads you to buy again. After I got rid of it and started to buy what I do love and really need, my life has changed completely. I feel lighter, with a clear awareness that I am not spending on what is not worthy. And I have been much more confident about what I like and want for my life.

6 — Health is one of the most precious things you have.

Without health we all have absolutely nothing. There’s no point in having a good job, a beautiful house, and a life of the dreams without health to enjoy them. I wish I could have noticed that years ago and take better care of my health. Today, I’m still learning day by day how to control what I want for my lifestyle. If I had discovered this earlier, I could have a completely different life. But, as I already started at the item 2, it’s never too late for a new beginning. In five years from now, I hope to be even better and still writing about new things I’ve learned.

7— Don’t get so stressed about small stuffs.

I was always a little bit anxious, and often felt nervous, worried, irritated because of problems I had to solve living alone for 5 years, or because of the bad attitudes of certain people around me. These things has always hindered several categories in my life…. My studies, my old job, even my health. But over time, I learned that it’s not worth get so stressed about things you can’t control. No one has the power to change the attitudes of others, and the only thing you can do is to change our own attitude.

8 — Don’t be afraid to be who you are, and don’t care about what other people may think.

This is something that I’ve been trying to work daily and tirelessly in my routine. I can’t always do it, because it’s something I’ve learned in theory, but in practice it’s quite different. Some people just don’t care about how you feel and what you think. They only care about themselves and believe that their opinion is the only truth.

They don’t measure words or behavior, which sometimes, can be offensive and hurt someone. And this’s definitely not up to us to resolve. As I mentioned in the previous item, nobody changes anyone. The only thing you are able to change is your own attitude.

9 — There’s no point in having money and a stable job without happiness.

I know that many people don’t have many choice. But for me today, there’s no point in having a great job and money, if you are not happy with that work and the direction that your life are taking. I’m not telling anyone to quit their job. Happiness can mean multiple things for different people. What is happiness for me may not be synonymous of happiness for you. Many people are happy with their salary and financial stability, regardless of the work they have to do, and everything is fine. Just find what happiness is for you and don’t be afraid to change if you’re not satisfied.

10 — The little things are what matter the most.

At my 20s, I only felt that I had a “happy” weekend if I went to a fancy party or event and was surrounded by a lot of “friends”. If I had to stay home for the whole weekend, it was horrible for me. Yes, It was like that. I saw a lot of what other people are doing and going, and I created this true inside my head that I needed it too to be happy.

I can spend hours writing little things that make me immensely happy today, but this post is almost becoming a book. I sincerely hope that at least someone will read it and these words can improve something in someone’s life.

11 — Happiness definitely comes from inside of you.

For years I searched for happiness out there and I never found it. And that was because it was never there. Today, I’ve learned that happiness is more a state of being and not of having or doing. You need to take care of your mind, body and health in the first place. And regardless of what state of life you are in, what problems you have, your mind will be at peace and in a state of happiness.

12 — Always listen to your instinct and don’t hesitate to choose your happiness and well-being.

think I already wrote too much and I’m going to end this post with one last precious life lesson that I’ve learned in the last few years. I learned to always listen to my instincts and never hesitate to choose my happiness and well-being, as the last title already says.

Do you have that little flea that sometimes stays behind your ear suspecting that something is not going to work, or someone is not as reliable as it seems? Yeah. Listen to this feeling more carefully, and always believe in the power of your choices.