The most important lesson life ever teaches us rarely comes from a textbook. It usually comes from the moments that test us the most. During a recent podcast interview with Elsa Kurt, I was asked a question that stopped me in my tracks: What is the most important lesson life ever taught you?
It is not an easy question to answer. Life is a constant teacher, throwing countless lessons our way through every triumph and heartbreak. I had to pause and really dig deep to find my ultimate truth. Then, in a flash, it hit me. If I could travel back in time, the single most important lesson I would tell my younger self is this: Do not get hung up so long on life’s disappointments. I actually go into this further in my inspirational memoir “Cooking Inspired.”
We all face setbacks, failed plans, and broken hearts. Pain is an inevitable part of the human experience. However, staying stuck in that pain is a choice. My advice to anyone hurting is to feel the grief, heal, recover, and then get back into the game of life as soon as humanly possible.
Why is this so crucial? Quite simply because time is the most precious commodity we possess.
We live with the illusion that we have forever, but the truth is we never know how much time we really have left. Spending weeks, months, or years drowning in regret or feeling sorry for ourselves doesn’t change the past. It only robs us of the beautiful, unwritten future waiting right in front of us.
In the video clip below, I dive a little deeper into this philosophy with Elsa and talk about how to reclaim your time after a setback. Watch the clip, reflect on your own journey, and ask yourself the same question.