We’ve all heard the saying “you’ll understand when you’re older” when we were kids or younger. Our parents certainly knew that no matter how much they tried to explain something, we needed more life experience to understand it.
They also told us that with age comes wisdom, but that’s not always true. What really matures us is not how old we get or how many life experiences we have. It’s true that hardship and suffering can help us gain a different life perspective. But loss or tribulations alone cannot make us more mature.
What makes us wiser is how we choose to go through that hardship. If we refuse to experience the pain that comes with any loss, we have not learned anything. Here are 6 signs you’ve matured through hardship and not with age.
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1. You know when it’s time to give up.
Although you’re not a quitter, you know there are things and events in your life beyond your control. Maturity is about knowing which things to let go of and what you should hang on to.
2. You’ve learned to be patient.
The best things in life require time. When you rush something, you cannot get the best results so you need to develop patience.
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3. You feel your failures have taught you a lot.
You have made peace with your failures and mistakes and realized how much you’ve learned because of a difficult situation.
4. You know what you don’t want.
You have a whole list of things you don’t want from life or from a relationship. And you got here the hard way, but it was worth it. This will help you be more focused on what you do want.
5. You question everything.
You’re less naive when it comes to all sorts of life situations. You don’t take anything you read or you’re told for granted but start searching for proof.
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6. You know the difference between love, lust, and emotional attachment.
There is a thin line between these, but maturity is about acknowledging the subtle difference between real love and emotional or physical needs.
How did you face hardship in your life? Did it make you wiser?
