[l2g name=”” id=”869″]Are you an adult?

When did you become one?

Was it overnight when you reached a magical age? 18? 21? 25? 30? Older?

Or do you still feel like you’re faking being an adult—that there are secrets someone forgot to tell you that will make you actually feel grown-up?

Being an adult today can be very difficult but it does not have to be.

One reason being grown-up is so hard is because there are a lot of false premises taught by society. It’s not their fault. Really, it’s not. Your parents, teachers, and religious leaders were taught the same false premises.

Understanding what is truth and what is not can make the difference between a life filled with inner and outer struggles and one in which you flourish. Would you like to live a life where you can pass the truth on to those you love and help them flourish, too?

One of the false premises drilled into almost everyone’s head is that making a mistake is BAD. We’re taught making a mistake means you are less than others who do not make that mistake.

Can I be quite frank?

That whole concept of making a mistake being bad is bogus, utter BS.

That single concept keeps so many people in society “in their place” when they could be thriving so much more.

Making a mistake is part of the process of success. If you never take one or our programs or read one of my books and you just plant that belief firmly in your mind, your life will be better than it would have been with a belief that mistakes are to be avoided at all costs.

One of the big computer companies had an employee who made a mistake that resulted in the company losing over 6 million dollars. When the mistake was discovered, the employee’s manager wanted to fire him. The CEO forbid it stating, “I just spent over 6 million training him to succeed.”

I don’t expect you to make a mistake of that magnitude, but reframe your mistakes (past and future) as learning experiences and it will serve you well.

The key is to take the lesson. If you are beating yourself up for making the mistake you’re not learning the lesson—you’re just reinforcing a belief that you should not make mistakes.

Another reason being an adult can be so difficult is we are trained to believe that adults act certain ways and that they know things. Well, they do know things. But not all of them know the same things. Everyone on this planet knows things you don’t know and you know something no one else on this planet knows.

I don’t know what those things are but I do know those statements are true. You can check it out for yourself. Start asking people you encounter what they know that you probably don’t know that they think you might benefit from knowing. If they ask, (or even if they don’t, depending on your personality) share something you think will benefit them.

The long-winded point I am making is adults don’t know everything. I read and study voraciously in the field of human thriving. Because I teach and interact with others on this topic, it is very common for people to ask me if I have read a particular book or research paper. Often the answer is no. I have been studying this subject for decades! I am a fast reader. I spend far more than 40 hours a week in this field. This is my passion so working is fun—it is common for me to spend as much as 80 hours a week in pursuits related to human thriving. Yet I continually meet others who have a tidbit that I didn’t have.

You don’t have to know everything. You’ll never know everything. You could live to 100 with a sound mind and still not know everything. Do you know how much new information is created every day? How much new research is completed? How many new products developed? How many new people show up in the headlines?

Don’t try to know everything. Don’t beat yourself up for not knowing something. Being an adult does not mean you have to know it all.

But being an adult is easier, far easier, if you become comfortable asking questions.

Despite the fact that I don’t know everything, I know a great deal. In fact, I know the secrets to human thriving. Over the last several years there has not been a question anyone has asked me on the topic where my answer has failed to provide helpful and clarifying information. Sometimes so helpful it is lifesaving and often it is life changing.

Earlier this year I wrote a novel where the main character, Maia, demonstrates mental processes that increase thriving. Imagine my surprise when Maia, (who was really writing herself as I wrote the book) wrote four training manuals while she was in the novel. I’m already receiving requests for the manuals even though the first novel has not yet been published.

I hope the tidbits I shared above help you be easier on yourself about being an adult. I would like your help. I would like your questions.

Have you ever watched the movie, Pay It Forward?

Have you wanted to do something to help the world and the people who share it with but you but did not know what to do?

Did helping seem like an overwhelming task?

I need your help to help the world and all I am asking for are your questions.

I would like you to send me questions Maia can answer to create the training manuals referenced in the novel.

Please send me your questions or post them in the comment section. Any question is welcome. If you have the question, it is likely the answer will help you and others. I’ll also post as many answers as possible here and on my main website.

Thank you for helping me write books that will benefit all of us. If you want to help even more, please share this with your friends.

Thank you. I appreciate you more than you know.

Love,

♥ Jeanine Joy

For more techniques on defusing stressful thoughts so you can relax and enjoy the holidays, try one of my books.

I really appreciate that you are reading my post and hope it provided value to you. On LinkedIn, I regularly write about Happiness, Stress Reduction, Human Thriving, Primary Prevention, Health and Wellness, and more. If you would like to read my regular posts then please click ‘Follow’ (at the top of the page) and feel free to also connect with me via Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads. Please consider sharing this information with your network if you found it valuable, they may also find value in what I have written.

Here are other posts I have written for LinkedIn Pulse:

I wish for you many blissings. (Blissings = blissful blessings)

About : Jeanine Joy Jeanine Joy is an inspiring and life-changing author, speaker, and scholar. The purpose of her life is to seek out knowledge that increases human thriving, create explanations and processes that provide practical ways for individuals adopt strategies that enhance their lives. Her programs, books, and speeches empower people to fulfill their dreams and enjoy more loving, happy, and successful lives. Her ultimate goal is to help create a better world for everyone on Earth.

Available Now

Coming in 2015