 While facts remain the same, truths are concepts that evolve and are based on perception more than anything else. The intention of this video is for you to look inwardly at those things that may have paused as a limitation to your growth and work on them so that you can become a better you. As we explore these 13 brutal truths, it is advisable for you to carefully examine yourself and pick out the points that relate to you. 1. Appearance Matters Most people like to delude themselves with the ideology that the way they look doesn't matter, and all that matters is what is inside. Well first, I'd love you to ask yourself this question when you go to the bookstore to get books. What do you look at? That's right, the cover. It draws your attention. You cannot know for sure if indeed the book is interested, but the outer appearance makes you want to take a look. Same goes for humans. As much as we love to lie to ourselves that the outward appearance doesn't matter, it defines our foremost attraction to a person. Although you have been taught that a book is not judged by its cover, in reality, it is. Hence, as much as you can, you must attempt to use a cover that suits your content. 2. Life is indeed a competition Many speakers are quick to say that life isn't a competition. When for a fact, it is survival for the fittest. Life is a competition, only we do not compete with others, friends of four, but with ourselves. Competing with others in most cases births jealousy and hatred, but competing with oneself yields progress and determination. Therefore, for you to survive in this rapidly changing world, you must always bear in mind that you compete with you of yesterday, and if you cannot surpass the you of yesterday, then you lost today. This competition is a daily one, and every new day is a chance for a better play. Heed to the words of James Gordon, strive to be better today than you were yesterday. 3. Everyone is not born equal Although in recent times, developed countries have tried hard to stop discrimination and give equal privileges to everyone, still the fact remains that we are not born the same and we will all not get similar preferences. According to Anna Arendt, equality is the result of human organization. We are not born equal. Thus, you must decide what kind of world you wish to live in and create it for yourself because the world we are in is not a perfect one. 4. You may not act better than the person whose actions you condemn. Have you ever had to say words like, he or she should have done better? This or that was not the best. Or he would have acted this way or that way. Well, it is so easy to condemn people's actions, especially when you have not been there before. But then again, ask yourself, would I have done better? In most cases, the answer is no. Until you have been in a similar position and done better, you do not have the right to judge another person's actions. 5. Thoughts and actions are far from being the same How many times have you thought about doing something but yet not carried out the task? Often, people are carried away by the idea of thinking positive that they end up building castles in their head but in reality have nothing to show. If you plan on thinking yourself into success, then you need to wake up because the world is split between those who say they will do and those who do. American author Gordon B. Hinkley once said, you cannot plow a field by turning it over in your mind. You have got to act. 6. Happiness is not free The statement happiness is free has become a generally accepted notion. Happiness is free has become one of the most used captions on social media. But is happiness really free? Well, happiness may not be far-fetched but it is not free. Many people who round about being happy are actually not happy. Sometimes the ranting is just a charade to cover up their pains. Delighted people do not assume that happiness is free however they understand that happiness only stems from contentment and gratitude. There is a price for happiness and that price is contentment. And peace does not mean not having anything, it means being grateful for the little you have and striving to be better. 7. Time isn't running out You are wasting away. Surely you are familiar with the famous saying, time waits for no one. This statement is interpreted by many that time is running out. But a personal interpretation of this saying is that your time is running out. This can further mean that you are running out. Time is infinite and will not finish. But humans on the other hand are finite and our time on earth is limited. Hence, misusing time amounts to wasting yourself. Hopefully this explanation makes sense to you and you now understand that when you abuse time you do not only lose time but you lose yourself. 8. If you never attempt new things, you will remain poor. An ancient Indian proverb says, take the risk of life. If you win, you can lead. If you lose, you can guide. In life we are all dealt a hand, whether good or bad. However, when life deals a wrong side, draw a new one. Most poor people spend all their time complaining about how life is unfair without making an effort to change things. One prominent attitude among the wealthy and successful people is their willingness to take risks, calculated risk. When they find themselves in unfortunate or self-inflicted situations, they don't just complain. Instead, they learn from the circumstance and make new attempts to change things. Like the poor, rich people are always ready to step out of their comfort zone and dare new ways. 9. You are not as lovely as you think you are. Generally, most humans assume that they are incredibly altruistic but in reality they are not as helpful as they think they are. Many times there is an ulterior reason behind the selfless act that they carry out which spells selfishness. Being kind is not just about putting up an appealing appearance but you also need to have a noble motive behind every action. The fact is that if you search in-depth you will notice that not every kind deed you carry out has a genuine intent. 10. You can be busy yet unproductive. Statistics show that 95% of people will assure you that 364 days out of 365 they are busy but only 30% are being productive. Often many people get so occupied with activities but in the end they have nothing to show for their busy days. In the book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Carvey explains that most times people get entangled in urgent activities, living the important ones. And unfortunately, these immediate activities they attend to are not at all all productive. This action, he says, attributes to the lack of productivity. To get the best out of your days, you must be proactive enough to spot the difference between urgent and essential and handle the important. When you clear the important, the immediate will not arise and your day will become productive. 11. You won't live happily ever after. Many people have the notion that marriage is the license to live happily ever after. If you are getting married simply because you want to be happy ever after, then you should not bother getting married at all. Marriage is a lifetime commitment filled with many gallops and it is only those who are grateful and happy individuals in the past that can be a happy couple. Still, that comfortable home has its time of sadness and other negative emotions. Casey Randall once said, happily ever after, is not always the end. 12. Perfection is unattainable. You must have heard and even tried to act out this statement before, practice makes perfect. If you are still trying to be perfect, just stop already. The word perfect varies with individuals, timing and even location. An Asian Greek leader once said, practice is everything. This saying is often misquoted as practice makes perfect. Hence, do not aspire for perfection when you practice. Only give your best. 13. You will die someday. Even the subject of death is mentioned, a lot of people get irritated about it. They assume that talking about death makes it come to them. However, whether you talk about it or not, still won't change the truth that death is inevitable. Now we are all going to depart from the earth. Once in a while, you must ask yourself, what will I be remembered for if I die today? This thought is not to make you fear, but for you to remember that you who are running out. Will you to make the best out of this list? You must be honest with yourself. You must free yourself from limiting beliefs and open up your heart to new knowledge. The truth is bitter and many people do not like to hear it. But if you must grow, then you must be able to swallow certain truths without being emotionally biased.