Amale Bouzlafa

I decided to start something I called My 100 Life Lessons, which I think is really cool! I believe everyone should have a list like that, a summary of what they’ve learned in life that gives insights to others at the same time.

There are so many things we learn in life, they say “life is the best teacher,” and my experience taught me that it’s very true. I like the idea of someone reading that list and not having to repeat the same mistakes or go through the same things I did.

Since I was younger, I’ve always loved reading fiction and biographies. You know why? Not only did it help me “escape” from the painful reality I was living, but it also helped me learn things from characters and people that I would never have known otherwise. Someone’s experience is such a great teacher, and you can learn so much from it…

I can’t help but think of all the people who helped me avoid making a mistake or falling into a trap. I don’t know where I would be if not for those people, and for that, I’m very grateful.

I was reflecting the other day and thought about a day when I was hiking in the Calanque of Marseille with my boyfriend at the time. We had spent the entire day hiking, and we arrived at the top of Sugiton as the sun started going down. There was an old man sitting on a rock, watching the sunset when we arrived. We sat next to him to enjoy the view as the night began to fall, and naturally, we started conversing with him. He said he lived nearby and came to hike in the calanque every week. We shared a little about ourselves, telling him we were law students and that this year had been hard, so we took a holiday to relax and take a break from everything. I personally admitted that I kind of hated law and it wasn’t what I had imagined, but I added that I would finish the degree at least for my mother.

We continued our conversation until the end of the sunset. As the sky darkened and we started to pack up, we said goodbye to the old man and began to leave. I was ready to leave, and my boyfriend was a little behind us when I remember the old man saying to me, “You know, life is too short to do something you hate. What is your dream?” That simple question changed everything in my mind because it made me think more about what I truly wanted. I didn’t immediately act on it, but it was a start. It was the beginning of something I had completely given up on because I was told to be realistic, rational, and to stop dreaming so much.

So yeah, this story is just a reminder that sometimes you can help someone and never know how much you’ve helped them. Honestly, in the end, does it even matter? I would say, though, that I’m very grateful for these people I randomly met who have changed my life in some way or another just by saying the right thing at the right moment. And that’s what’s inspiring me today to do the same with these 100 life lessons.

Trusting it will bring some light to someone’s shadow,

Amale 💫💙