It s so easy to get caught up in the business and demand of life that we can often

for the most simple of truths. Even some of the truths that hold together the
foundation of our experience, that give life meaning, and that bring us joy ofte
n get buried beneath a concoction of thoughts, obligations, and responsibilities
.
While it can be excited to experience life and go with the flow, a life without
reflection is not worth living. There has to be some time set aside each day to
examine yourself and see if there is something you can improve on. The funny t
hing is, it s usually the case that the solution to our problems is so obvious tha
t we failed to see it.
If you find yourself feeling stuck, upset, or unfulfilled, the solution may be a
s simple as remembering some of the basic truths that we may have taken for gran
ted. Here are 5 of the most basic truths that even the smartest people forget.
1) Success and failure go hand-in-hand
Every single successful person you can think of has failed many times in their lif
e. They ve lost money, friends, relationships, jobs, and hope. In the same way t
hat you can t have light without darkness, you can t really talk about success until
you have a concept of what it means to be unsuccessful. In fact success and failu
re are really just states of mind. One state of mind is grateful and inspired, a
nd the other is doubtful and fear-based. Both of these are a part of the circle
of life, and there is not coming to success without a few bumps and bruises alo
ng the way.
2) Success

does not mean happiness

A basic truth that often gets forgotten is that having money and financial freed
om will not make you happy. Neither will your relationships, your job, or your
social life. Only YOU can make you happy through your own self-realization and
personal development. You can be happy without money and your dream job, but yo
u can t be happy without a relationship with yourself and the Universe.
3) Life is short
Life is too short to hate people, hold grudges, and worry about things you can t c
hange. It s also too short to spend time in a place you aren t happy, spend your da
ily hours doing something you detest, or make safe decisions your whole life. Tak
e some risks once in a while, don t be afraid to make mistakes, and go on adventur
es.
4) Everyone suffers
Nobody in the history of planet earth has lived a life free of suffering, pain,
depression, anger, of anxiety. Everybody is experiences these things on a daily
basis. Even the people you look up to in your life the most are fighting their
own battles. Just because the people around you are smiling and talking does n
ot mean they aren t suffering deep down.
It s important to remember that suffering is a natural part of the human experienc
e. There is nothing wrong with you, and you are not messed up just because you ar
e sad or confused often. Everyone you have ever met in your life has, at some p
oint, experienced the same kind of emotion you are dealing with right now. You
are not alone in your struggles.
5) What we see in others exists in us
Life is a mirror. Everything wrong we see in others exists, at least in part, w

ithin us as well. Everything that irritates us about others shows us what we ne

ed to work on. Everything area we need to improve in is mirrored back to us in
our relationships, circumstances, and life events. When you find yourself frust
rated with the world around you, don t be afraid to stop and ask yourself How much
of this is a reflection of myself?
By remembering these 5 things, it can take a massive weight off of our shoulders
. Sometimes, life is not so mysterious. Sometimes the answer to our dilemmas i
s as simple as stopping, reflecting, and remember some of the most basic truths
that seem to get lost in the chaos of life.