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10 Top Life Lessons from World Leaders

10 Top Life Lessons from World Leaders

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This article was contributed by Julie Martin.

Famous people can teach us a lot about success, failure, getting up again and everything in between. Since they have had such successful lives we can all learn some valuable life lessons from the people at the top.

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Below are ten life lessons learnt from famous people across time and every career you can think of, from presidents to actresses, we can learn something from everyone.

1.     Steve Jobs: “Don’t be afraid to be different.”

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was never afraid to be different. He embraced being different and ended up making millions because of his unique business approach. To be a great leader you need to be different, being the same has never brought anyone success. You need to stand out above the rest and be different in the world.

2.     Oprah: “The life you want begins by embracing the life you have.”

Oprah Quote

Accept and appreciate the life you have. Do not keep looking at the future wishing you had more, this way you miss what is good about your life already. There are many things to be grateful for and when you embrace this you will open doors for even more great things in your life.

3.     Nelson Mandela: “All people are equal and therefore deserving of basic respect and dignity.”

Nelson Mandela

To be a great leader in any field, be it work or in your daily life, you need to treat all people with respect. All people are equal no matter their race, class or gender. This was Nelson Mandela’s greatest goal for South Africa and is a very important life lesson to learn. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated.

4.     John Lennon: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

John Lennon

If you are always so busy making plans for tomorrow, this weekend, next month or next year it is easy to let today slip through your hands. We are all so busy aiming for something ahead of us that we forget life is happening right now.


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5.     Marilyn Monroe: “Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together.”

Marilyn Monroe

These wise words from one of the most iconic women in history can help us through tough times. Sometimes everything seems to be going wrong and life falls apart, but to build the new, the old needs to be discarded. Embrace change even if it is hard, everything happens for a reason and everything will fall in place again.

6.     Winston Churchill: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Winston Churchill

This famous quote from Winston Churchill contains an essential life lesson. We need to be optimistic about everything – not just the good, but also the bad.

7.     George Washington: “Focus on the work, not the prize.”

George Washington

In the wake of the Continental army’s triumph over the British, Washington could have accepted glory and lavish titles. But he didn’t want these trappings of leadership or victory. He wanted only to return to his home in Mount Vernon to live peacefully in the free republic he had helped to create. But it was not to be so. The delegates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 believed in him with such ardour, they all but demanded his candidacy. They had abiding faith in his leadership. Not because of his title. But because of who he was — and how he had continually led people faithfully with integrity and aplomb.

8.     Buddha: “Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

Buddha

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Sharing your happiness with others might even increase yours! So share the good times with those you care about, keeping happiness to yourself is not half as satisfying.

9.     Jesus: “Ask for what you need.”

Jesus

“Ask for what you need” is such a simple concept that can be so rewarding, but most of us think that we cannot simply ask for what we want. Instead we just wait for that promotion or increase instead of asking for it. If nobody know your needs how will anyone help you fulfil them. What’s the worst that can happen if you ask? They could say no, and there is no harm in that.

10.  Yoda: “Do or do not, there is no try.”

Yoda

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The last, but not least, life lesson is from the master of wisdom himself – Yoda. Even though Yoda is not a real person, it does not mean we cannot learn from his wise words. “Do or do not, there is no try.” is one of the most famous quotes from this well loved Star Wars character. It is a simple quote, short and to the point, but with so much meaning and truth. Saying you will try to do something means you are already not giving it your 100% effort. Always give it your everything, do not try – just do it!

In Summary

The ten lessons above teach us something about every aspect of life. No matter where a person is from or why they are famous, they achieved something great in their lifetime that we can learn from, even if they are not real people.

Julie Martin is a student from California University. She is interested in self-development and inspiration. Julie studies mathematics and writes on this math homework help blog MyMathDone. You can follow her on Facebook for more tips.

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1 thought on “10 Top Life Lessons from World Leaders”

  1. “Focus on the work, not the prize.” This one is what I like the most. I am living and working with that certain motto in life.

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