Alhamdulillah, I turned 18 years old on 19th July 2023. I honestly felt cool and like a grown-up with my responsibilities, which was very exciting! I am genuinely so grateful to Allah for being able to witness these eighteen years on this planet and I also want to share some of the wisdom that I learned in these eighteen years with you all!

So, in this article, I will share 6 of the 18 life lessons that I learned in 18 years of my life. These life lessons are based on self-development, self-love and becoming the best version of yourself. I hope that you benefit from this article, and let’s get started!

This is part 3 of this part 3 series. Check out part 1 here and part 2 here!  

If you can’t solve a problem within 24 hours, then you need to speak up within 48 hours.

Many people do not know when to speak up when they have problems. Some spend too long trying to fix their problems on their own and bottle up their emotions while others try to vent every problem they have. So here is a rule of thumb that may help you: unless it is an emergency, speak up only if you can’t fix the problem within 24 hours and speak to someone within 48 hours. 

By doing this you can build up your own problem-solving skills but at the same not bottle up your emotions and suffer with your problems.

Don’t compromise on your standards.

This is one you have to remind yourself constantly. And that is to never compromise on your standards and self-respect. Whether it is for your dream house or a partner, don’t think that your standards are too high. Of course, nothing is perfect in this world so you need to have at least three non-negotiables to ensure you are not compromising on your standards and hence your self-respect along the way. By having three non-negotiables, it ensures that you remember your worth and you don’t settle for less.

For those people who tell you that you are too picky or too difficult or too unrealistic, it is because of their scarcity mindset. Honour your three non-negotiables and stick to them as Allah finds you worthy and He wants to give you the best. People less qualified than you are also getting what you want.

Learn to love the bad days

When I was younger, I used to be harsh on myself whenever I would have a bad day. I would ask myself why I have bad days and thought it was abnormal to have bad days, or that everyone else is always happy. That is not true. Everyone has bad days, whether it is your teachers or whether it is your favourite celebrity. I have two things to help with this: 1. Love and accept your emotions but don’t follow your emotions

2. If you are feeling bad at night, you are probably just tired. 9 times out of 10, you will feel better when you get up the next morning. So try to have an early night.

Have the right support system (the 3-person rule)

I had to mention this one. And that is because so many young people are listening to whatever they can find. The truth is that I understand that Allah puts us all in different circumstances. Some of you may have been brought up with loving parents, while others are not so lucky and have been brought up with abusive parents. Some of you may have had parents that were loving but simply did not have enough time, while other parents had all the time but not the resources or the knowledge. So here is the 3 person rule: have someone who cares about you (preferably older and someone related to you who is similar in values to you), someone who is your role model and always look at someone who you don’t want to be like and don’t follow the wrong advice they give you. And of course, remember that you and Allah are also part of your support system.

Always do what makes you happy long term

This is the advice that we need to scream out, especially to young people: look at how your actions will affect you long term! Always think about your high-value version of yourself and embody your high-value version of yourself always. Would he/she be doing this action? If it is what your high-value version of yourself would do and if it makes you happy long term then do it. By doing this, you are not wrecking yourself down the line and suffering later. You can be happy long term by taking the right actions for the rest of your life.

Always follow your gut.

Your gut is a very powerful tool. Trust your gut always and don’t doubt your gut. If you doubt your gut, you are more likely to take the wrong decision. Always trust your gut fully when taking a decision. If a gut says yes to something, do that thing. This is because your gut gives you the best and the right decision for you based on all the knowledge you have. So many books and even Mufti Menk has talked about trusting your gut. 

So always follow your gut!

That was the third part of six of the eighteen lessons I learnt in eighteen years of my life. I hope that this article benefitted you in any way. Please share this article with others, because what you share with the world comes back around to you!

If you want to read the other 12 lessons of this series, check it out here and here.  You can subscribe here to check out my blog whenever I publish: Get My Blog On Your Emails For Free

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

P.S I would really appreciate it if you followed on me on my Medium blog and also on my TikTok account.

• My 2023 Reflections As A Medical Student 
• My First Term of Medical School | Exams, Essays and Events 
• My First Month of Medical School | Moving Out, Freshers And Workload
• The Ultimate Guide To Ace Year 12 | Revision, Friendships And Supercurriculars
• How I Got All A*s At GCSEs | 10 Tips Every Year 11 Student Should Know

Alhamdulillah, I turned 18 years old on 19th July 2023. I honestly felt cool and like a grown-up with my responsibilities, which was very exciting! I am genuinely so grateful to Allah for being able to witness these eighteen years on this planet and I also want to share some of the wisdom that I learned in these eighteen years with you all!

So, in this article, I will share 6 of the 18 life lessons that I learned in 18 years of my life. These life lessons are based on self-development, self-love and becoming the best version of yourself. I hope that you benefit from this article, and let’s get started!

This is part 2 of this part 3 series. Check out part 1 here.

Failure is inevitable. Then, try not to make mistakes.

Failure is going to happen. It is guaranteed. I remember hearing this piece of advice from a motivational video and it really resonated with me. Because I personally hate and detest failure. I hate the fact that I have to feel a mixture of feeling sorry for myself, feeling overwhelmed and also disappointed in myself. But the truth is that you can never avoid failure forever. And if you do, that means you are not trying anything new.

Now, I also do not want to romanticise making mistakes. Many people also are now falling into the trap of damaging themselves now but then trying to cure it later.

The key is to always follow your gut and always do what makes you happy long term. If you end up failing, being rejected or making a mistake, let yourself feel and process all the emotions. However, don’t follow these emotions and don’t let these emotions dictate your actions. You have to learn from your mistakes and then get back up. Then, try not to make mistakes.

Only do everything for you and Allah.

I have two references for this specific lesson. The first book is ‘The Courage To Be Disliked’, where the author discusses how many people tend to see the relationships in their life as ‘vertical’ and there is a hierarchical system. Many people want to impress the people above them, and unfortunately mistreat the people below them. However, you should instead perceive your relationships to be as ‘horizontal’ which means that you treat everyone equally. That way, you don’t feel the need to impress anyone and you can do everything for you. Regardless of who is with you, you are always embodied in your boundaries and values.

The second reference is from the book ‘Loving Yourself To Great Health’. The book states that the key to every problem in this world is to love yourself more. Many people suffer from a deficiency of self-love and hence, they try to fill that emptiness within themselves by seeking approval from others. However, this is a low-value trait, filled with highs and lows. 

If you want to live a peaceful life where you can regulate your emotions and you are doing what is best for you, always do everything for you and Allah. The best three ways to do this are: always follow your gut, always do what makes you happy long term and learn more about yourself and Allah.

Diversify your identity.

It is shocking how many people live in the digital age of social media and the Internet, yet they are still struggling to do what they love. I believe that every young person should have a hobby outside of school. Not only does this mean that you will have a break from school, but it also means that you are not solely relying on school for an income in the future or to form your whole identity. Your hobbies can be monetizable or even a simple addition to your identity that can turn you into a polymath.

You are worthy all the time regardless of the situation.

You are worthy. Full stop. There is no question. There are two main ways to always remind yourself of your worth. The first reason is that Allah decided to create you as a human with free will.

However, Allah finds you and me worthy which is why we are still living humans on this Earth. The fact that we are surviving means that He is not done with us. 

The second reason is that there are people less qualified than you who have this mindset that ‘I am worthy’ and who believe in themselves, that are achieving your goals. They are living their dreams simply because they are so firm in their high self-worth. You can cultivate this mindset of high self-worth too. We are all humans and therefore, we are all worthy.

There are two components to success.

Many people believe that success comes from only one thing, and that is hard work. This could not be further from the truth. True success comes from not one, but two things: hard work and luck/unfair advantages. Both luck and unfair advantages come from Allah. In other words, for whatever you desire in this world, whether it is good grades or your dream car, you have to work hard but also pray to God because He knows what is best for you.

The best way to remind yourself is this: there are many who have gotten all A*s, the best grades and exceeded all the entry requirements for their dream university, and yet could not get in. On the other hand, another candidate may have scraped the entry requirements but somehow still get into the university. That’s why you should never give up on your dreams and keep praying to Allah.

No one is coming to save you.

I said it. It is the harsh truth you need to know. You need to stop living in the victim mindset that someone is coming to save you. And if you do feel that you need someone to change you, you may need to heal. I know that it is easier when someone helps us, but you are the one who has to work on yourself.

Once you have tried fixing the problem but it hasn’t been solved, ask someone else and always seek help from Allah.

That was the second part of six of the eighteen lessons I learnt in eighteen years of my life. I hope that this article benefitted you in any way. Please share this article with others, because what you share with the world comes back around to you!

If you want to read the first six lessons of this series, check it out here. You can subscribe here to check out my blog whenever I publish: Get My Blog On Your Emails For Free and for part 3!

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

My Latest Posts:

• My 2023 Reflections As A Medical Student 
• My First Term of Medical School | Exams, Essays and Events 
• My First Month of Medical School | Moving Out, Freshers And Workload
• The Ultimate Guide To Ace Year 12 | Revision, Friendships And Supercurriculars
• How I Got All A*s At GCSEs | 10 Tips Every Year 11 Student Should Know

Alhamdulillah, I turned 18 years old on 19th July 2023. I honestly felt cool and like a grown-up with my responsibilities, which was very exciting! I am genuinely so grateful to Allah for being able to witness these eighteen years on this planet and I also want to share some of the wisdom that I learned in these eighteen years with you all!

So, in this article, I will share 6 of the 18 life lessons that I learned in 18 years of my life. These life lessons are based on self-development, self-love and becoming the best version of yourself. I hope that you benefit from this article, and let’s get started!

Everything works out in the end

It is guaranteed that everything works out in the end. Proof? Think back to a situation where you had a huge problem that made you feel nervous, anxious or worried. Does that problem still exist? Probably not. Even if that problem exists, you learnt how to deal with it or you learned something new. I believe that everything will work out, whatever I am going through. Just keep doing what makes you happy long term.

Emotions are a part of the human experience. 

So many people go through life suppressing or escaping from their emotions. But emotions are a part of the human experience! Being sad or overjoyed are both completely valid emotions. But just remember that you can love and accept these emotions and not follow them. That is because emotional problems cannot be fixed with logic. Every emotion will pass eventually, whether it is happiness or anger. You can also tell yourself that ‘this emotion is very real, but it may not be true,’ to ensure that you don’t let your emotions affect you negatively or cause you to take actions that harm you down the line. 

Boundaries. Boundaries. Boundaries. 

One of the most powerful things I have personally learnt in my life is the importance of boundaries. Boundaries are knowing the line so no one can get too close to you. I am sacred and therefore, no one deserves to get in my space unless I allow it. That is where boundaries come in because I know my worth and I won’t let anyone walk all over me. You need to think this highly of yourself because the truth is people do whatever they want because of themselves, but you have the power to put up with only what you want. I always embody my boundaries and values regardless of the situation.

Friends come into your life for a reason and usually for a season

I have had my fair share of friendships in my life, where there have been friends who have taught me valuable lessons. I strongly believe that you are the average of the 5 people you stay with so you have the choice of who you will let these five people be. If you cannot find those five people, it is better to be alone because your energy is precious. It is okay and best for you to let go of people who are not aligned with your energy. Check out how to be happy alone here. 

No matter what you do, there will always be someone who loves you and also someone who hates you.

This can be a comforting but also a harsh statement to read at the same time. But the good news is that you have control. You can choose to be that someone for you who loves you and live your life from a place of getting up again and again or you can choose to be clouded in negative thoughts. Regardless, people can trigger you but don’t be controlled by them. You have the power to choose to speak to yourself in a way that will make you happy long term. 

When it comes to others, there will always be some people who love you and some people who hate you, and that is based on their beliefs and their versions of their stories. As long as you are doing what makes you happy long term and remembering your purpose on this Earth, you are doing just fine.

Allah is sufficient for everyone.

Allah is truly sufficient for everyone. He is the only one you need. You can never be disappointed if you truly trust Allah, remember that He is always there for you and that He is the best of planners. He is the one who has kept you alive up till this point. Saying the statement ‘Hasbiyallahu la ilaha illalah’ brings me a lot of peace and ease. Remember, trust in yourself by working hard and also trust in Allah that He has your back.

That was the first part of six of the eighteen lessons I learnt in eighteen years of my life. I hope that this article benefitted you in any way. Please share this article with others, because what you share with the world comes back around to you!

Keep a look out on this blog for part 2 and part 3 with more amazing life lessons! You can subscribe here to check out my blog whenever I publish: Get My Blog On Your Emails For Free

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

P.S I would really appreciate it if you followed on me on my Medium blog and also on my TikTok account.

My Latest Posts:

• My 2023 Reflections As A Medical Student 
• My First Term of Medical School | Exams, Essays and Events 
• My First Month of Medical School | Moving Out, Freshers And Workload
• The Ultimate Guide To Ace Year 12 | Revision, Friendships And Supercurriculars
• How I Got All A*s At GCSEs | 10 Tips Every Year 11 Student Should Know

This is called a growth mindset.

Having a growth mindset is crucial all the time, whether you are starting a business, doing a hard degree or even in your personal life.

A growth mindset is the opposite of a fixed mindset 

What is a fixed mindset? 

A fixed mindset is where you have black-and-white thinking. This is where if you have tried something once, that is it. That is your threshold of how much you can do. If you are currently a C-grade student, that is how you will stay as. You have no chance of improving.

What is a growth mindset and its benefits?

A growth mindset is where you are able to look at your past experiences and learn from them. You have faith that you will improve. If you got rejected from a job once, you have the resilience to learn from that rejection, try not to make mistakes again and apply to another job.

The key is that you should always give your best to have no regrets.

The main benefit of a growth mindset is that you become a more resilient and high-value person, who is more likely to achieve your dreams.

How do you know whether you should quit or continue due to a growth mindset?

You may have heard of the quotes:

‘Insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results’

‘Quitting is for winners’

So, should you quit something that has not been working, for example, a new business idea or should you have the growth mindset and keep going?

The answer is to follow your gut. Your gut will tell you whether you should continue with this path or quit.

See past experiences and learn from them 

The first way to adopt a growth mindset is to realise that you have survived till now. You may have been through the worst rejection, yet you were still able to come out of it. For example, when you were applying to your dream job and you got rejected, it may have felt like the end of the world. Yet, now in your current job, you might realise that that rejection was a blessing in disguise. In your current job, you have more free time, less stress or perhaps a shorter commute. Perhaps, this job allowed you to grow more as an individual. Find those blessings and even if you feel like it wasn’t a blessing, remember that you have the pixel and Allah has the picture.

What is to come will be better than what has gone by

I have not made up this statement out of thin air. This is actually a Quranic verse (Chapter 93, Verse 4). Allah promises to us that what is coming will be better. This encourages us to have a positive outlook and keep a growth mindset because regardless of your past, the future is better. Also, I wanted to highlight that the Quranic verse does not say ‘what is to come will be what you expected’, because despite Allah loving us, He will not always give us what we want. 

Therefore, you need to have the faith that life is improving every day, get up and move on.

Ask what this experience is trying to teach you

Allah loves us all and He finds us worthy, which is why we are still here today. He is not answering your prayers or He has not rejected you because you are not good enough, there are other reasons. He knows those reasons. Your job is to not dwell on the past, and instead learn from those mistakes. 

Can you make improvements on your resume to reapply the second time? Perhaps you could ask feedback from your manager? If you don’t know how to improve, seek knowledge! Seek knowledge from the Quran, books, podcasts, YouTube videos and even blogs like this one! This will help build your confidence that you can handle anything that comes your way.

Again, learn from these mistakes, move on and try your best not to make mistakes.

Prioritise yourself when making a decision 

When you have undergone a low point of your life, you may not know what to do next. For any decision in your life, just follow your gut. Your gut is the internal voice and based on all the knowledge you have, it is the best decision that comes from you. Just trust your gut and follow what your gut says. 

Also, from the Islamic perspective, praying Istikhara is a really good option when it comes to making decisions as you seek help from Allah to make the right decision. 

Be your own best friend and have a good support system 

When you are going through a tough time, or you just feel stuck, it is really important to be compassionate to yourself and let yourself grieve over the rejection. It is absolutely okay to also have friends by your side who also help you  and who you can seek advice from. Again, make sure you are not taking any decisions that will harm you down the line. Only take decisions that will make you happy long term.

The bottom line:

A growth mindset is where you learn from your past mistakes and failures and are willing to improve. You move on and you try your best not to make mistakes.

That is all! I hope you have enjoyed reading this article and I hope that you benefitted from it! Please share this article with others, because what you share with the world comes back around to you!

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

P.S I would really appreciate it if you followed on me on my Medium blog and also on my TikTok account.

• My 2023 Reflections As A Medical Student 
• My First Term of Medical School | Exams, Essays and Events 
• My First Month of Medical School | Moving Out, Freshers And Workload
• The Ultimate Guide To Ace Year 12 | Revision, Friendships And Supercurriculars
• How I Got All A*s At GCSEs | 10 Tips Every Year 11 Student Should Know

The good news is that if you follow the tips that I will share with you today below, you can stop people pleasing and start living for yourself and Allah. The bad news is that it might be difficult at first and you have to keep yourself accountable.

First, let’s understand why many people engage in people-pleasing behavior.

The answer is simple. Most people please because it is what they have been taught and conditioned from childhood. During childhood, you may have been told to talk to people you don’t want to talk to or eat food you don’t want to eat. This is to please others, and this behaviour was sometimes rewarded.

The problem with this behaviour is that some people lost themselves and no longer have the limit of when to stop pleasing others. This makes them part of the majority and eventually become a doormat. Some people like being part of the majority, so if that is you, great job! You can continue your people-pleasing tendencies. But for me, I love being high value and prioritising myself is definitely high value.

What are the three disadvantages of being a people pleaser?

I will be using the example of you going to a party because you want to make your friend happy, rather than studying for your exam tomorrow.

1. You will not get your own needs met. Because you don’t study for your exams, your grades will drop and this goes against what makes you happy long term. This can make you feel bad about yourself, and perhaps even lose motivation to study.
2. You will attract people who are of the majority. If you are someone who is constantly giving out to others by neglecting yourself, you will attract people who can take advantage of that. This means you won’t have a friend circle who elevates you and vice versa, you will all remain the same. 
3. You will feel drained constantly. If you are saving others and putting on the oxygen masks for others before yourself, you will be the one to suffer. You will have less energy to work on yourself and this will limit your own success.

What is the key to striking a balance between being considerate of others and maintaining one’s own needs and boundaries?

If you are people-pleasing and giving to others while being empty yourself, you will not have enough to give to yourself and others, and that is a lose-lose situation.

Realise that by prioritising yourself, you are like a vase that is full of water. Once you overflow, it will pour out to others. This is a win-win situation.

It is actually more selfless to give to others after being whole first because you will be happy first and then have more to give to others.

So, here are the five tips on how to stop people pleasing:

Be aware of people-pleasing behaviours through journaling 

The first step is self-awareness. You have to be self-aware of how you are pleasing others or trying to get unhealthy validation from others. For example, if you are always waiting for your friend after school, despite knowing that you have so much work to do, ask yourself why you are doing it. If you feel the need to constantly people-please, you may also need to do some deep healing.

Getting approval from people is temporary and these highs and lows create an addiction. Instead, gain approval from Allah as that is permanent and will bring peace to your heart.

Have me-time daily to remind yourself that you are enough the way you are

Have me-time daily, whether it is 30 minutes or 1 hour to spend time alone. You can learn more self development tips, meditate, journal or go for a walk. Learning self development (e.g. from my blog posts) is key as most people are not doing this as they don’t have these resources or they are too lazy to follow them.

By having me-time, you remind yourself of your worth and realise that you can give yourself happiness. You don’t need validation from others by doing things that don’t make you happy long term to make you happy. People who align with your energy will come to you.

Have Boundaries 

Saying no to what doesn’t make you happy long term is the fastest way to eliminate all people-pleasing behaviors. You will have more time and energy and you can use that for better things that will make you happy long term.

Start setting boundaries with yourself and others.

Select your company wisely

Select friends who will elevate you and help you, rather than want to waste your time and energy. Exclusivity is high value and you need to only give your energy to those will help you and you can help in return.

Take opportunities 

If your current friend circle makes fun of you for wanting to start your own business, when you know in your gut that this business is right for you, then reconsider your friends. Follow your gut on the opportunities you should take.

Again, this will eliminate the friends who don’t want to support you and you may end up meeting better friends along the way.

The bottom line:

Remember it is selfish to not show up every day for yourself and then to help others, and the only way you can show up daily is by prioritising yourself. Only do what makes you happy long term.

That is all! I hope you have enjoyed reading this article and I hope that you benefitted from it! Please share this article with others, because what you share with the world comes back around to you!

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

P.S I would really appreciate it if you followed on me on my Medium blog and also on my TikTok account.

• My 2023 Reflections As A Medical Student 
• My First Term of Medical School | Exams, Essays and Events 
• My First Month of Medical School | Moving Out, Freshers And Workload
• The Ultimate Guide To Ace Year 12 | Revision, Friendships And Supercurriculars
• How I Got All A*s At GCSEs | 10 Tips Every Year 11 Student Should Know

What this book is about:

This book is about focuses on how to trust yourself, trust God, trust others and trust in life. It is also coupled with many examples and life experiences of others who needed trust in their own lives and how to obtain it.

What it has taught me: 

Practise trusting every single day.

Trust is a muscle that needs to be built on a daily basis through spiritual practise. You will come to a point where you know that no matter where you are in life, you will be okay. 

You build self trust (having confidence in yourself) by listening to your gut and following it. 

You need to heal in order for this voice to give you the best interests to you. And every time it goes right, remind yourself to celebrate the good that you have achieved. 

Learn what advice to ignore and take in to build self trust.

Again, listen to your gut and if it doesn’t feel right to you, don’t act on it. Don’t give into the nasty voice.

Feel your emotions. 

That way, the emotions can pass and you won’t have any unmet needs. By doing this, you can feel safer and happier.

Create boundaries

Boundaries tell people that you are willing to take care and honour yourself.

Speak and stand in your truths

There will be people in life who will criticise you, especially when you make mistakes. But realise that everything will be okay and speak the truth firmly from what you know. This includes being honest to yourself and keeping your own promises.

The four human realities that keep us from believing in God is fear, doubt, disbelief and disobedience.

Make sure to stay away from these emotions and strengthen your trust in God every day.

Stop trying to make God small and human.

The book discusses how most people who disbelieve in God try to limit God’s potential and compare Him to human qualities. God is not human so don’t limit him like that.

Seasons change.

Life gives you different seasons to learn from them so whenever the season changes in life, stop blaming God.

We are all worthy of the things that we seek from God so pray and trust God.

This is how you can attract the good into your life.

Trust yourself to get through the pain of disappointment and betrayal when people violate yourself. This is how you will trust others.

Stop mistrusting others. When you do the above, things get much easier. When you have your own voice, it is easy to rely on yourself and choose which advice to consider that others say.

When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. 

Trust yourself to not give a second chance to someone if it doesn’t feel right. People will show you their true colours and you will learn of they are trustworthy, that is the point of life. Know why you trusted them in the first place.

Forgive yourself for the mistakes you committed in the past.

Self forgiveness is key for self trust.

What you draw to you on the outside is a reflection of your inside.

If you attract positive people, it says a lot about you. It also work for negative people too. 

Be clear with what you are doing and why. 

It is so important to get clarity.

Trust the process and yourself because you are worthy of your own time, energy, attention and love.

You will be okay.

What I like about this book:

I already knew all of these lessons but having them established and explained thoroughly and filled with stories really helped me to see these ideas come to life.

The possible improvements to the book:

There were many stories which made the book very lengthy and many lessons are simple and repeated. But then again cliches are cliches for a reason

My Rating: 4/5

This book is great for hope, self improvement and learning more about yourself.

Where to buy the book from (not sponsored): 

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. This link is not sponsored. Comment down below ether you have read the book too. If you enjoyed this article, please check out my other article too:

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjiuevBv-r5AhWGNcAKHeMdAycQFnoECBEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FTrust-Mastering-Essential-Trusts-Others%2Fdp%2F1401952178&usg=AOvVaw3R76U7pfi4I7CoUMQxCAiv

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

• My 2023 Reflections As A Medical Student 
• My First Term of Medical School | Exams, Essays and Events 
• My First Month of Medical School | Moving Out, Freshers And Workload
• The Ultimate Guide To Ace Year 12 | Revision, Friendships And Supercurriculars
• How I Got All A*s At GCSEs | 10 Tips Every Year 11 Student Should Know

What this book is about:

This book is about how to heal your mind, body and spirit and change the way you think. It is all about how to take your health, your moods and energy to the next level. There are also effective strategies in the book to bring your body back into alignment with your mind, how nutrition plays a role and listening to your body.

What it has taught me:

The key to every problem is loving yourself.

This lesson is so powerful. As humans, we all have problems in our life but all of them can be solved by loving yourself more. Broke up with your best friend? Love yourself more. Got rejected by your dream university? Show yourself love and remember that you are worthy regardless. Got embarrassed on the bus today? Love yourself enough to move on. This is such an authentic and great message to always remember.

Autoimmune conditions occur when you do not listen to yourself enough.

Autoimmune conditions are diseases that happen when you don’t listen to yourself and when you criticise yourself so much that your cells attack itself. This is becoming more common nowadays, which shows that we need to go back to a place where we listen to ourselves more. 

Three things to be connected to: family, small group of friends and spiritual group

Support is so important in your life to ensure you are enjoying your life and have people to lean on one another in times of hardship.

Affirmations and meditations that connect you to Earth can heal you.

There are some great examples of meditations in the book that help you to feel more grounded, because as a species that has evolved, we need nature to survive and get into the original world. So connect to nature from time to time.

Chapter 2 – Love yourself to better thoughts and nutrition

Loving yourself means changing your limiting thoughts. You need to tell and believe that you are worthy because it is 100% true. 

When your body is sick, it is a way to return your body to love so think about nutrition and medical help.

Whenever you feel a symptom in your body e.g. a headache, remind yourself that this is your body telling you that you need to do something to show yourself love and heal it. E.g. a headache might mean you need more sleep or you need to reduce your stress. You need to make yourself feel good by eating healthy food and if you want to lose weight/eat healthier food, do it to feel good.

When manifesting your dream life, have no limitations, Write it down and feel as if you already have it.

Manifestation is powerful and is becoming a common practice among many people. Don’t limit your dreams and criticise or downplay them before even getting started. Write these dreams and goals as if you have already achieved them. Keep saying positive affirmations.

Chapter 3 – Learn more about digestion and food. 

This book has a large emphasis and focus on food. The book delves deeper into the digestive system, Vitamin B12, and eating foods that help your gut.

Your gut and your brain is linked.

You need to have a healthy diet to feed your gut. Without a healthy diet, you will lose willpower. 

Methylation and digestion are important. 

Trust the process and fill your life with ease and love. Affirm that you can digest your life and food. 

Chapter 4 – Listen to your gut.

Listen to your gut and inner voice. Some people dismiss the inner voice by listening to their temporary emotions instead. They also fear getting things wrong or taking the step their gut tells them to. Remember the more you doubt your gut, the more you will keep getting it wrong so trust your gut unconditionally. Affirmations and meditation can help with this.

Have a food diary

See what your body tells you and eliminate foods that don’t make you feel good. You deserve to feel your best.

Chapter 5 and above – know which foods will make you feel good

The book then provides a lot of information about foods that will help you to feel more good about yourself. There are recipes, foods to eat and avoid and so many more tips and advice for the kitchen.

What I like about this book:

This book was written beautifully and it felt so gentle and feminine to read this book. It really promotes self confidence by loving yourself more which I really enjoyed reading. 

The possible improvements to the book:

Of course, there were some tips that I already knew but this book reiterated them to me. Also, the second half of the book was on recipes, and as a person who is not a huge fan of cooking, I didn’t explore these pages too much but it was interesting to read which foods to eat and avoid!

My Rating: 4/5

This book is amazing for anyone! It is good for those who want to heal and are on a road of self improvement and self love (like me!) 

Where to buy the book from (not sponsored):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loving-Yourself-Great-Health-Louise-ebook/dp/B00KSF7VQI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=TSRYNB4QGP8W&keywords=loving+yourself+to+great+health&qid=1650238545&sprefix=loving+yourrrself+t%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-1

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. This link is not sponsored. Comment down below whether you have read the book too. If you enjoyed this article, please check out my other articles too:

http://surobiscribbles.com/category/book-reviews/

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

• My 2023 Reflections As A Medical Student 
• My First Term of Medical School | Exams, Essays and Events 
• My First Month of Medical School | Moving Out, Freshers And Workload
• The Ultimate Guide To Ace Year 12 | Revision, Friendships And Supercurriculars
• How I Got All A*s At GCSEs | 10 Tips Every Year 11 Student Should Know

And, if you don’t already know me, my name is Surobi and I am currently a teenager and a student who shares productivity tips and tricks as well as girl solutions here on this website and over on my podcast The Chat Library. And, remember it is your choice if you want to follow these tips or not.

Here we shall go on to the five bad habits:

Habit #1: Waking Up Late

I know that it is really tempting to stay asleep until midday and sleep at like 1 am but I don’t recommend that. Waking up late is not good as the morning is the time where you have the most energy and probably when everyone in your household is still asleep, so try to use this morning time to get your work done and be productive. This helps you to also start the day with a positive approach.

Habit #2: Having A Longer Screen Time

Okay, this feels inevitable but trust me when I say that it is not impossible to stop doing this. If you have access to your phone or electronic devices 24/7 during this quarantine time, you are likely to use them more. However, my tips would be to have a goal of your screen time on how long you will use it each day and track it in a planner to ensure you know if you reach that target. You could also assign times in the day where you don’t use your phone at all or you give it to someone in your family.

Habit #3: Having An Unstructured Routine

You were probably used to having a fixed or structured routine back when you were not quarantining. And even if you weren’t…this is the time! Build the self-discipline to make a routine as detailed as you want it to be to ensure that you are getting your work done. Fit in times for relaxation, work and even spending time with your family.

Habit #4: Piling Up Work

I know that taking care of your mental health is super important and you may take some time off to take care of yourself but if you feel completely fine, try to get some work done. I know it can be hard at times, but if you do some work now, it will be easier for you later as you won’t have to catch up on a lot of work. 

Habit #5: Not Gaining Good Knowledge

This is the time to also push yourself out of your comfort zone to do something good, whether that is by making a new platform like a website, learning a new skill, or reading a book. Since racism is quite a big issue right now, you may want to research on that or you may want to feed your brain with other good information. If you incorporate this into your routine, you may end up doing this for the rest of your life.

Those were my five top habits you should not do and instead try to do the opposites if you want to really develop yourself and become an improved version of yourself while quarantining. And, of course, remember to take care of yourself especially during this time :).

And while you are already on my website, stick around by surfing around my website and also listening to my Podcast: The Chat Library. 

Stay happy, healthy and well! Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

What this book is about:

This book is a step-by-step guide that is practical in order to help any teenager to help improve self-confidence, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve goals and so on. It goes into detail about 7 habits that will allow you to kickstart into being a happy, healthy teenager. Personally, I think that even adults can read this book because it applies to everyone.

What it has taught me:

To summarise the 7 habits, they are:

Habit 1: Be proactive

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind

Habit 3: Put first things first

Habit 4: Think win-win

Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood

Habit 6: Synergize

Habit 7: Sharpen the saw

What I liked about this book:

1. I liked that it was very friendly and direct instead of having long boring paragraphs. This kept me reading and I couldn’t keep the book down.
2. It really explained each the habits in detail. For instance, in Habit 3, it explained that you must do important and not-urgent things by planning in rocks and then fitting the pebbles (smaller tasks) in your planner.
3. I liked that it was relatable to teenagers which meant that it gave me the solution to problems that I didn’t know how to solve.
4. It made my life more balanced than before.
5. It allowed me to find advice for every aspect of my life such as making friends, doing well in school and even understanding others.

What I didn’t like about this book:

It could have been a bit shorter for those who just want to know the tips and not want to beat around the bush. I did take some time to read this book due to schoolwork.

My rating: 5/5

To conclude, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to self-develop themselves and just wants to reflect on their teenage life in 10 years time and just be happy for all the experiences they had. Just read this book if you are older than 11-12 years old. It involved a lot of useful advice that a simple Youtube video or a Ted Talk could provide. I hope you read this book and like it as much as me.

Where to buy the book from:

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. This link is not sponsored. Comment down below whether you have read the book too. If you enjoyed this article, check out my other articles too:

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

R.J. Palacio’s book ‘Wonder’ is heart touching and meaningful. It is based around individuals in the world who care more about a person’s looks than their personality. In this novel, a boy called August Pullman has a deformed face due to all the surgeries he had in the past. His face acts as an obstacle throughout the story especially when he goes to school for the first time as a fifth grader. However, his parents and sister Olivia support him. Do his experiences in school impact his life or is it a happy ending? Read the book to find out.

What I liked about the book:

1. I loved the lesson that the book signified which is that what’s within matters more than what is in the outside.
2. It is an eye-opener as we all have insecurities and complaints about our life but reading this book can allow us to reflect on all the things we do have.
3. The book includes different perspectives of the story as the novel contains 8 different parts with 8 characters speaking. This demonstrates what each character thinks of August such as his sister and his friends.
4. There is a meaningful quote in every part of the book such as in Part 2 of the book: ‘Far above the World, Planet Earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do.’ It’s amazing.

What I didn’t like about the book:

1. I didn’t see anything bad in this book overall, but I would say that it may be confusing or overcomplicated for some readers as a lot happens in the book simultaneously.

My rating: 4.5/5

Overall, I would recommend to anyone over the age of 9 or 10 years old. It is the perfect book to read if you are feeling insecure about yourself as it can teach you to overcome it through August’s confidence. It also involved a mixture of feelings such as sadness and shock. I learnt many lessons by reading this book and I hope you love it too.

Where to buy the book from:

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. This link is not sponsored. Comment down below whether you have read the book too. If you enjoyed this article, check out my other articles too:

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!