Tuesday Truth: 10 More Life Skills Everyone Should Master By Age 40

Waaaaaay back in early January, I read this Huffington Post article entitled "Life Skills: Ivanka Trump, Thich Nhat Hanh And Others On The Things Everyone Should Master By Age 40." The article consists of a list of 20 life skills that various well-known individuals believe everyone should be able to do by the time that they're 40, and includes helpful quotes and links along with each item. 

I loved the article--bookmarking it so I could come back it it later--partly because it covers skills that run the gamut from "How Not to Embarrass Yourself at Karaoke" to "How to Say Goodbye To A Loved One," and also because I love the idea of life lessons and learning to be comfortable in your own skin.  

So yesterday, I revisited this article, and as I read it, I began thinking about my own list of skills that I think everyone should master in their lifetime. Although the article does a great job at touching on many truly important lessons ("How To Laugh At Life," "How To Know When To Quit," "How To Forgive Yourself," "How To Make New Friends--At Any Age"), I think there are still a few things that I would add...

10 More Life Skills Everyone Should Master By Age 40

1. How to say NO
2. How to enjoy your own company/being alone
3. How to hang a picture (or a shelf, or a painting...maybe I should do a "how-to" post on this soon?)
4. How to listen to your body
5. How to travel lightly
6. How to take responsibility for your energy--"the energy you give yourself and the energy you create for others" 
7. How to sew on a button
8. How to relax/take time off
9. How to love your body just as it is
10. How to turn off your phone

What would you add to this list?

Funny aside: As I was reading this article, I said to Ben, "What is a life skill that you think everyone should master before they're 40?" His answer: "Um...I don't know...I guess if you have kids, er, being unselfish............I don't know. Whatever it is, I don't have it." 

Haha! So we all have some growing up and learning to do, don't we? 

I hope that no matter what your age, you've begun to master at least some of these skills. I know I'm still working on many of them!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine