I was Told in Primary School that "Understanding is Irreversible"
- Madhukar Dama
- Apr 16
- 28 min read
1. I was told in primary school that fresh fruits are better than packaged ones.
By the time I realised it, I was living on juice boxes and artificial flavoring.
But because understanding is irreversible, I returned to eating fruit that grows, not fruit that’s marketed.
2. I was told in primary school that sleep before midnight is the deepest.
By the time I realised it, I had trained myself to survive on 4 hours.
But because understanding is irreversible, I shut the laptop at 9.
3. I was told in primary school that food cooked at home is best.
By the time I realised it, my tongue only craved takeout.
But because understanding is irreversible, I learnt to love my mother’s kitchen again.
4. I was told in primary school that exercise should be daily.
By the time I realised it, my body had forgotten how to move.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now walk without purpose and run without goals.
5. I was told in primary school that sharing brings joy.
By the time I realised it, I was hoarding status and solitude.
But because understanding is irreversible, I started giving without waiting.
6. I was told in primary school that sugar rots your teeth.
By the time I realised it, it had already rotted my sleep, mood, and mind.
But because understanding is irreversible, I lost my sweet tooth on purpose.
7. I was told in primary school that water is life.
By the time I realised it, I was drinking cola and surviving on caffeine.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began sipping water like prayer.
8. I was told in primary school that kindness is strength.
By the time I realised it, the world had trained me to see it as weakness.
But because understanding is irreversible, I started being kind even when it wasn’t returned.
9. I was told in primary school that cheating feels bad inside.
By the time I realised it, I had become numb to my own shortcuts.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose the long path with peace.
10. I was told in primary school that nature heals.
By the time I realised it, I was boxed in concrete and swallowed by screens.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sit under trees more than ceilings.
11. I was told in primary school that loud noises hurt the ear.
By the time I realised it, my days were filled with horns, TV, and arguments.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now protect silence like treasure.
12. I was told in primary school that greed is never satisfied.
By the time I realised it, I was always upgrading and never content.
But because understanding is irreversible, I stopped chasing and began choosing.
13. I was told in primary school that lying creates more trouble.
By the time I realised it, I was buried under my own web.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began to speak raw truth.
14. I was told in primary school that the sun gives energy.
By the time I realised it, I was afraid of getting tanned.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now wake with the sun and welcome its light.
15. I was told in primary school that breathing deep calms the mind.
By the time I realised it, my breath was shallow and my mind louder than ever.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now breathe like I mean it.
16. I was told in primary school that listening is as important as speaking.
By the time I realised it, I had become addicted to proving myself.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now listen without waiting to respond.
17. I was told in primary school that comparison steals joy.
By the time I realised it, social media had already built a home in my insecurity.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now admire without envy.
18. I was told in primary school that skin needs air.
By the time I realised it, I was living in polyester.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now wear clothes that let me breathe.
19. I was told in primary school that stress can make you sick.
By the time I realised it, my digestion, skin, and hair had already told the story.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now walk away from things I can’t carry.
20. I was told in primary school that gratitude makes you happy.
By the time I realised it, I was addicted to goals, not grace.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now say thank you before I ask for more.
21. I was told in primary school that people matter more than things.
By the time I realised it, my phone had become my closest friend.
But because understanding is irreversible, I started looking up.
22. I was told in primary school that emotions are signals, not enemies.
By the time I realised it, I had mastered pretending.
But because understanding is irreversible, I started letting my sadness speak.
23. I was told in primary school that dirty water makes you sick.
By the time I realised it, I was drinking bottled labels, not real purity.
But because understanding is irreversible, I found a spring and never left.
24. I was told in primary school that gossip is poison.
By the time I realised it, my tongue was sharper than my mind.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose silence over spectacle.
25. I was told in primary school that fear grows when fed.
By the time I realised it, fear had become my master.
But because understanding is irreversible, I stopped feeding it and watched it shrink.
26. I was told in primary school that you must rest when tired.
By the time I realised it, rest felt like laziness.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began to lie down without guilt.
27. I was told in primary school that too much salt harms the heart.
By the time I realised it, it had harmed my patience too.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now eat as if I’m seasoning my future.
28. I was told in primary school that anger needs a safe outlet.
By the time I realised it, I was a walking volcano.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now feel without exploding.
29. I was told in primary school that pain is a message.
By the time I realised it, I had muted every signal with pills.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now listen before I treat.
30. I was told in primary school that exercise sharpens the brain.
By the time I realised it, I had blurred mine with chairs and screens.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now move before I think.
31. I was told in primary school that bad company corrupts good habits.
By the time I realised it, I had become the noise I sat with.
But because understanding is irreversible, I chose quiet people over loud places.
32. I was told in primary school that laughter heals.
By the time I realised it, I had become too serious to smile.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now laugh like I’m alive.
33. I was told in primary school that greed makes you lonely.
By the time I realised it, I had gold and no warmth.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now count moments, not coins.
34. I was told in primary school that jealousy turns friends into enemies.
By the time I realised it, I was surrounded by smiles with daggers.
But because understanding is irreversible, I stopped competing and started connecting.
35. I was told in primary school that plastic harms the planet.
By the time I realised it, it had already harmed me.
But because understanding is irreversible, I replaced convenience with conscience.
36. I was told in primary school that patience builds peace.
By the time I realised it, I was always rushing, always gasping.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now let things ripen before I reach.
37. I was told in primary school that TV rots your brain.
By the time I realised it, it had already eaten my time, my focus, my soul.
But because understanding is irreversible, I turned it off and turned myself on.
38. I was told in primary school that walking is the best medicine.
By the time I realised it, I hadn’t walked in months without a destination.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now walk just to meet myself.
39. I was told in primary school that good posture builds strength.
By the time I realised it, my back had bent under stress and shame.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sit like I belong.
40. I was told in primary school that brushing twice keeps decay away.
By the time I realised it, I had ignored my mouth and invited disease.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now brush like I mean it.
41. I was told in primary school that screens aren’t real life.
By the time I realised it, my life had become a story for followers.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now live more than I post.
42. I was told in primary school that pollution harms lungs.
By the time I realised it, I was coughing through every breath.
But because understanding is irreversible, I left the city and found clean air.
43. I was told in primary school that families should talk.
By the time I realised it, we were all in the same house, alone.
But because understanding is irreversible, I started asking “How are you?” like I meant it.
44. I was told in primary school that food cooked with love tastes best.
By the time I realised it, I was eating in silence and scrolling through dinner.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began cooking with stories again.
45. I was told in primary school that friendships need care.
By the time I realised it, my replies were all blue ticks.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began showing up, not just texting.
46. I was told in primary school that the earth gives everything.
By the time I realised it, I was buying what could have been grown.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now dig more than I shop.
47. I was told in primary school that chemicals can harm.
By the time I realised it, my shelves were full of fragrant poisons.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now clean with what my grandmother used.
48. I was told in primary school that contentment is wealth.
By the time I realised it, I was wealthy but restless.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began enjoying what I already have.
49. I was told in primary school that beauty fades.
By the time I realised it, I had paid for it in creams and shame.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now wear age like art.
50. I was told in primary school that we must forgive.
By the time I realised it, bitterness had become my second skin.
But because understanding is irreversible, I forgave — not for them, but for me.
---
51. I was told in primary school that time is precious.
By the time I realised it, I had wasted years on things that didn’t matter.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now spend time like it's breath.
---
52. I was told in primary school that words can heal or hurt.
By the time I realised it, my silence had done more harm than honesty ever could.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now speak gently, even when it’s hard.
---
53. I was told in primary school that every living being has feelings.
By the time I realised it, I had contributed to suffering with every meal.
But because understanding is irreversible, I chose compassion on my plate.
---
54. I was told in primary school that cheating is stealing from yourself.
By the time I realised it, I had stolen years of potential.
But because understanding is irreversible, I started doing things the honest way.
---
55. I was told in primary school that bullying breaks souls.
By the time I realised it, I had ignored the pain of many.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now defend the quiet ones.
---
56. I was told in primary school that plants are alive.
By the time I realised it, I had forgotten to care for even one.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now grow what I eat, and respect what I take.
---
57. I was told in primary school that you can’t pour from an empty cup.
By the time I realised it, I had given everything except to myself.
But because understanding is irreversible, I refill before I serve.
---
58. I was told in primary school that rushing leads to mistakes.
By the time I realised it, my life was a race with no finish line.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now walk slower and reach deeper.
---
59. I was told in primary school that true friends accept you.
By the time I realised it, I had built a life around pleasing strangers.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose circles that feel like home.
---
60. I was told in primary school that elders deserve respect.
By the time I realised it, I had confused age with wisdom.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now respect those who deserve it, not demand it.
---
61. I was told in primary school that anger is like fire.
By the time I realised it, I had burnt bridges and homes with it.
But because understanding is irreversible, I learned to cool down before lighting the match.
---
62. I was told in primary school that clutter clogs the mind.
By the time I realised it, my room and thoughts were both overflowing.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now live with less and breathe more.
---
63. I was told in primary school that loud isn’t always right.
By the time I realised it, the noisiest people had taken over my life.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now listen to the quiet ones.
---
64. I was told in primary school that gratitude is magic.
By the time I realised it, I had taken everything for granted.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now whisper thank you in silence.
---
65. I was told in primary school that gossip is like litter.
By the time I realised it, my mouth was a landfill.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now clean up what I speak.
---
66. I was told in primary school that being busy isn’t the same as being useful.
By the time I realised it, I had confused exhaustion with productivity.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now rest without guilt.
---
67. I was told in primary school that real strength is calm.
By the time I realised it, I had mistaken rage for power.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now stay silent when I want to shout.
---
68. I was told in primary school that the best things can’t be bought.
By the time I realised it, I had surrounded myself with price tags.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now cherish the free and the formless.
---
69. I was told in primary school that real confidence is quiet.
By the time I realised it, I had shouted my insecurities into every room.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now carry my worth, not wear it.
---
70. I was told in primary school that the body speaks the mind.
By the time I realised it, mine had been screaming for years.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now listen before it breaks.
---
71. I was told in primary school that selfishness isolates.
By the time I realised it, I was alone with my achievements.
But because understanding is irreversible, I started sharing again.
---
72. I was told in primary school that every action has a reaction.
By the time I realised it, the reactions had already become regrets.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose wisely before I move.
---
73. I was told in primary school that simple food is best.
By the time I realised it, I was addicted to artificial stimulation.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now prefer dal over delicacies.
---
74. I was told in primary school that the planet is borrowed.
By the time I realised it, I was consuming like it was mine.
But because understanding is irreversible, I live like a guest, not an owner.
---
75. I was told in primary school that discipline sets you free.
By the time I realised it, I was trapped in indulgence.
But because understanding is irreversible, I built quiet routines that saved me.
---
76. I was told in primary school that body and mind are connected.
By the time I realised it, I had treated them like strangers.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now heal both, together.
---
77. I was told in primary school that the truth will set you free.
By the time I realised it, I was chained by image and approval.
But because understanding is irreversible, I chose truth over applause.
---
78. I was told in primary school that technology is a tool.
By the time I realised it, it had become my god.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now use it without being used.
---
79. I was told in primary school that bad habits are hard to break.
By the time I realised it, they had become my identity.
But because understanding is irreversible, I slowly peeled them off.
---
80. I was told in primary school that jealousy poisons love.
By the time I realised it, love had already left.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now love without cages.
---
81. I was told in primary school that mistakes are teachers.
By the time I realised it, I was still punishing myself for old tests.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now let failure sit beside me, not inside me.
---
82. I was told in primary school that moderation is wisdom.
By the time I realised it, my life had no brakes.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began to sip, not gulp.
---
83. I was told in primary school that patience changes everything.
By the time I realised it, I had lost things I could’ve waited for.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now water what I plant.
---
84. I was told in primary school that prayer is not begging.
By the time I realised it, I only prayed in crisis.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now pray in gratitude, not panic.
---
85. I was told in primary school that respect starts at home.
By the time I realised it, I had been polite to strangers and rude to family.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began at the dinner table.
---
86. I was told in primary school that too much screen time dulls the brain.
By the time I realised it, I couldn’t focus for five minutes.
But because understanding is irreversible, I replaced pixels with paper.
---
87. I was told in primary school that people forget what you said but remember how you made them feel.
By the time I realised it, I had wounded people with perfect logic.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose warmth over winning.
---
88. I was told in primary school that it's okay to cry.
By the time I realised it, my chest was a dam.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now let the flood be my freedom.
---
89. I was told in primary school that doing nothing is also doing something.
By the time I realised it, I feared stillness.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now schedule silence.
---
90. I was told in primary school that the body tells the truth.
By the time I realised it, I had ignored all its early warnings.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now tune in before I treat.
---
91. I was told in primary school that light matters.
By the time I realised it, I had replaced the sun with screens.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now chase daylight.
---
92. I was told in primary school that fasting heals.
By the time I realised it, I had forgotten what hunger feels like.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now pause between meals.
---
93. I was told in primary school that homemade is healthier.
By the time I realised it, I was buying convenience and swallowing chemicals.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now knead, grind, and stir with my own hands.
---
94. I was told in primary school that animals feel pain.
By the time I realised it, I had turned away from their eyes.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now live gently on their land.
---
95. I was told in primary school that birth and death are natural.
By the time I realised it, I was afraid of both.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now greet life and loss with folded hands.
---
96. I was told in primary school that dreams need action.
By the time I realised it, I had filed mine under “someday.”
But because understanding is irreversible, I started before I felt ready.
---
97. I was told in primary school that boredom births creativity.
By the time I realised it, I had filled every second with stimulation.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sit and wait for wonder.
---
98. I was told in primary school that elders are libraries.
By the time I realised it, I had ignored their stories.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now ask and listen while they still speak.
---
99. I was told in primary school that wealth is what you can’t lose.
By the time I realised it, I had guarded only the material.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now treasure my peace first.
---
100. I was told in primary school that everything is connected.
By the time I realised it, I had been living in compartments.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now walk knowing that every breath matters.
---
101. I was told in primary school that fresh air clears the mind.
By the time I realised it, I had been breathing recycled air in sealed buildings for decades.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now keep my windows and life open.
---
102. I was told in primary school that family time builds bonds.
By the time I realised it, our meals were quiet and our eyes were on screens.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sit closer and talk longer.
---
103. I was told in primary school that selfish people end up alone.
By the time I realised it, my success had emptied every room I walked into.
But because understanding is irreversible, I started choosing people over power.
---
104. I was told in primary school that trust is fragile.
By the time I realised it, I had broken it in small, careless ways.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now hold it like glass.
---
105. I was told in primary school that you become who you spend time with.
By the time I realised it, I had absorbed the fears of the wrong crowd.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now keep company that uplifts.
---
106. I was told in primary school that being alone doesn’t mean being lonely.
By the time I realised it, I feared silence more than emptiness.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now enjoy my own presence.
---
107. I was told in primary school that bitterness is poison.
By the time I realised it, I had been sipping it for years.
But because understanding is irreversible, I put down the cup and picked up peace.
---
108. I was told in primary school that eye contact is powerful.
By the time I realised it, I had stopped seeing people — only their status.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now look into eyes, not phones.
---
109. I was told in primary school that slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
By the time I realised it, I had rushed through my best moments.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began to move like water, not fire.
---
110. I was told in primary school that the earth provides all we need.
By the time I realised it, I had become dependent on factories.
But because understanding is irreversible, I turned back to the soil.
---
111. I was told in primary school that truth doesn’t need volume.
By the time I realised it, I had learned to shout because I had nothing real to say.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now speak softly and clearly.
---
112. I was told in primary school that learning never stops.
By the time I realised it, I had mistaken degrees for knowledge.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now learn from silence, mistakes, and trees.
---
113. I was told in primary school that rest is sacred.
By the time I realised it, I was burning at both ends.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now treat sleep as prayer.
---
114. I was told in primary school that humility brings growth.
By the time I realised it, pride had made me hollow.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now bow more than I boast.
---
115. I was told in primary school that fresh vegetables are medicine.
By the time I realised it, I was swallowing tablets with processed food.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now eat with intention.
---
116. I was told in primary school that everything alive has rhythm.
By the time I realised it, my life had become noise, not music.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began dancing again — to silence.
---
117. I was told in primary school that you can’t unsee the truth.
By the time I realised it, I had tried closing my eyes for years.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now keep them open, even when it hurts.
---
118. I was told in primary school that good posture reflects self-respect.
By the time I realised it, I had been slouching through life.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now stand like I matter.
---
119. I was told in primary school that laughter connects hearts.
By the time I realised it, I had been laughing only online.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now seek real joy in real rooms.
---
120. I was told in primary school that quality is better than quantity.
By the time I realised it, I had a lot of everything and no meaning.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose fewer, deeper, truer.
---
121. I was told in primary school that warmth can’t be faked.
By the time I realised it, I had mastered polite distance.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now offer presence, not performance.
---
122. I was told in primary school that dignity is in how you treat the invisible.
By the time I realised it, I had ignored those who served me daily.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now say thank you from my eyes.
---
123. I was told in primary school that the body can’t be tricked.
By the time I realised it, I had learned to numb pain, not heal it.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now let my body speak.
---
124. I was told in primary school that culture isn’t control.
By the time I realised it, traditions had become shackles.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sift values from rituals.
---
125. I was told in primary school that forgiveness frees the forgiver.
By the time I realised it, I had made anger my identity.
But because understanding is irreversible, I released myself by letting go.
---
126. I was told in primary school that repetition becomes belief.
By the time I realised it, I had believed what others kept saying.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now write my own inner script.
---
127. I was told in primary school that sunlight kills germs.
By the time I realised it, my curtains had been shut for years.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now welcome light into every corner.
---
128. I was told in primary school that relationships need work.
By the time I realised it, I had left too many unattended.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now water every bond I want to keep.
---
129. I was told in primary school that rhythm lives in the body.
By the time I realised it, my body had forgotten how to move freely.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now let it sway like a tree in wind.
---
130. I was told in primary school that heat from the sun is different from heat from machines.
By the time I realised it, my skin missed real warmth.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sunbathe instead of using gadgets.
---
131. I was told in primary school that hunger is a signal, not a routine.
By the time I realised it, I was eating out of habit, not need.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now eat with awareness, not a clock.
---
132. I was told in primary school that memory comes from meaning.
By the time I realised it, I had memorised facts but forgotten truths.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now live stories I can remember.
---
133. I was told in primary school that heat and cold are medicine when used right.
By the time I realised it, I had become dependent on pills.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now trust warmth and stillness.
---
134. I was told in primary school that still water grows mosquitoes.
By the time I realised it, I was emotionally stagnant.
But because understanding is irreversible, I stirred myself back into flow.
---
135. I was told in primary school that television is not real life.
By the time I realised it, I had lived through serials, not seasons.
But because understanding is irreversible, I returned to the reality of dirt and sun.
---
136. I was told in primary school that punishment teaches nothing when not explained.
By the time I realised it, I had raised my voice instead of my child.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now discipline with patience, not power.
---
137. I was told in primary school that true love is service.
By the time I realised it, I had measured love by gifts.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now cook, clean, listen and stay.
---
138. I was told in primary school that what you admire shapes you.
By the time I realised it, I was worshipping empty fame.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now follow quiet goodness.
---
139. I was told in primary school that mouth is the dirtiest part of the body.
By the time I realised it, I had used it to wound others.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now purify my words like water.
---
140. I was told in primary school that fear can’t lead.
By the time I realised it, I had followed it into every decision.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now ask, “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?”
---
141. I was told in primary school that home is not just walls.
By the time I realised it, I had built houses but not warmth.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now build homes with touch and truth.
---
142. I was told in primary school that addiction begins with comfort.
By the time I realised it, I had become dependent on distractions.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sit with discomfort until it softens.
---
143. I was told in primary school that humility builds bridges.
By the time I realised it, I had built walls made of ego.
But because understanding is irreversible, I began to apologise first.
---
144. I was told in primary school that broken things can be mended.
By the time I realised it, I had thrown away too much — people included.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now fix what still breathes.
---
145. I was told in primary school that rhythm heals.
By the time I realised it, I had only chased tempo, not tune.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now walk to the beat of breath.
---
146. I was told in primary school that peace is contagious.
By the time I realised it, I had spread my stress everywhere.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now carry quiet like incense.
---
147. I was told in primary school that the mind is like a garden.
By the time I realised it, weeds had overrun my thoughts.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now plant slow-growing truths.
---
148. I was told in primary school that kindness multiplies.
By the time I realised it, I had withheld it from those who needed it most.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now give without reason.
---
149. I was told in primary school that waste is a form of disrespect.
By the time I realised it, I was throwing away food, time, and feelings.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now live with reverence.
---
150. I was told in primary school that every action is a seed.
By the time I realised it, I had planted too many weeds.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sow with care, and harvest with grace.
---
151. I was told in primary school that bullying leaves scars.
By the time I realised it, my jokes had become someone else's pain.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now speak like every word will echo.
---
152. I was told in primary school that the earth doesn’t belong to us.
By the time I realised it, I had lived like the owner, not the guest.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now tread with gratitude, not greed.
---
153. I was told in primary school that animals have feelings too.
By the time I realised it, I had laughed at cruelty.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now defend the voiceless with my choices.
---
154. I was told in primary school that you don’t need much to be happy.
By the time I realised it, I had bought everything except joy.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now seek less and live more.
---
155. I was told in primary school that jokes shouldn’t hurt.
By the time I realised it, my humour had become a shield for cruelty.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose wit with warmth.
---
156. I was told in primary school that cleaning is caring.
By the time I realised it, my home was tidy but my habits weren’t.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now clean my corners and my character.
---
157. I was told in primary school that crying is natural.
By the time I realised it, I was choking on swallowed emotions.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now let my tears speak what words can’t.
---
158. I was told in primary school that beauty fades but grace remains.
By the time I realised it, I had worshipped mirrors more than meaning.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now chase grace, not glamour.
---
159. I was told in primary school that books hold worlds.
By the time I realised it, I was scrolling instead of imagining.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now read to remember who I am.
---
160. I was told in primary school that questions are good.
By the time I realised it, I had grown afraid to ask.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now live curiously, not cautiously.
---
161. I was told in primary school that the sky teaches humility.
By the time I realised it, I had spent years under roofs and pride.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now lie down and look up again.
---
162. I was told in primary school that you can say no with love.
By the time I realised it, I had become a doormat dressed in duty.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now honour my boundaries without guilt.
---
163. I was told in primary school that every person has a story.
By the time I realised it, I had judged covers and forgotten to listen.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now read people before reacting.
---
164. I was told in primary school that competition is with yourself.
By the time I realised it, I was racing ghosts.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now grow in silence, not comparison.
---
165. I was told in primary school that silence can be sacred.
By the time I realised it, I had filled my life with noise.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now listen to stillness like scripture.
---
166. I was told in primary school that what you plant is what grows.
By the time I realised it, my words had become weeds in someone else’s mind.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now speak as if planting orchards.
---
167. I was told in primary school that every person is a mirror.
By the time I realised it, I blamed others for my shadows.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now clean my own reflection first.
---
168. I was told in primary school that food has energy.
By the time I realised it, I was eating what made me tired.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now eat to rise, not rest.
---
169. I was told in primary school that your home reflects your mind.
By the time I realised it, I had clutter in both.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now simplify within and without.
---
170. I was told in primary school that nature doesn’t hurry.
By the time I realised it, I had burnt out chasing the clock.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now trust my own seasons.
---
171. I was told in primary school that too many opinions weaken clarity.
By the time I realised it, I had drowned my voice in theirs.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose solitude over noise.
---
172. I was told in primary school that you'll never regret kindness.
By the time I realised it, I had lost friends to pride.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now let softness win.
---
173. I was told in primary school that multitasking is a myth.
By the time I realised it, I had forgotten how to be present.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now do one thing at a time, fully.
---
174. I was told in primary school that even a pencil must rest.
By the time I realised it, I had worked myself into fragments.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sharpen through stillness.
---
175. I was told in primary school that the sun doesn’t compete to shine.
By the time I realised it, I had become a spotlight chaser.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now glow in my own time.
---
176. I was told in primary school that gratitude changes how you see.
By the time I realised it, I had grown blind to blessings.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now look at life like a gift.
---
177. I was told in primary school that home-cooked food carries memory.
By the time I realised it, I had replaced it with packaging and speed.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now stir nostalgia into every meal.
---
178. I was told in primary school that simple living brings peace.
By the time I realised it, I had buried myself in convenience.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now live lightly and sleep deeply.
---
179. I was told in primary school that work done with love leaves no fatigue.
By the time I realised it, I was tired before the day began.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now work with joy or not at all.
---
180. I was told in primary school that overthinking solves nothing.
By the time I realised it, I had lived more in my head than the world.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now let go sooner.
---
181. I was told in primary school that the best conversations happen without a screen.
By the time I realised it, I was replying without relating.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now look up and lean in.
---
182. I was told in primary school that sunlight is a vitamin.
By the time I realised it, I had relied on capsules and curtains.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now begin my days outdoors.
---
183. I was told in primary school that blaming delays healing.
By the time I realised it, I was still stuck in stories of others' faults.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now take charge, not revenge.
---
184. I was told in primary school that anger is pain's disguise.
By the time I realised it, I was exploding on everyone but myself.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now speak from wounds, not fire.
---
185. I was told in primary school that complaining weakens you.
By the time I realised it, it had become my default language.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now rewire my words.
---
186. I was told in primary school that your voice matters.
By the time I realised it, I had been quiet for too long.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now speak what I used to whisper.
---
187. I was told in primary school that posture affects the mind.
By the time I realised it, I was hunched in spirit and spine.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sit like I believe in myself.
---
188. I was told in primary school that people will forget what you wore, not how you made them feel.
By the time I realised it, I had invested in image, not impact.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now care how I show up, not just how I look.
---
189. I was told in primary school that sleep is the body's repair shop.
By the time I realised it, I had driven myself into breakdown.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sleep like medicine.
---
190. I was told in primary school that lying is a slow poison.
By the time I realised it, I had grown comfortable in dishonesty.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now bleed truth, no matter the cost.
---
191. I was told in primary school that music softens the soul.
By the time I realised it, I had only heard noise.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now sing even when no one listens.
---
192. I was told in primary school that respect is earned.
By the time I realised it, I had demanded it through fear.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now model it with actions, not authority.
---
193. I was told in primary school that sunlight kills disease.
By the time I realised it, I was disinfecting everything but myself.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now dry my life under the open sky.
---
194. I was told in primary school that awareness is the first step to change.
By the time I realised it, I had become used to sleepwalking.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now live awake.
---
195. I was told in primary school that attention is the purest form of love.
By the time I realised it, I had given my best attention to strangers on a screen.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now turn toward the ones beside me.
---
196. I was told in primary school that medicine is often in the kitchen.
By the time I realised it, I had a shelf full of prescriptions.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now cook with care, not just ingredients.
---
197. I was told in primary school that fresh air is better than perfume.
By the time I realised it, my lungs were full of fragrance and fatigue.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now choose trees over trends.
---
198. I was told in primary school that repetition makes habits.
By the time I realised it, my bad habits had become identity.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now repeat what I wish to become.
---
199. I was told in primary school that small things matter.
By the time I realised it, I had chased milestones and missed moments.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now pause to notice the tiny joys.
---
200. I was told in primary school that love is a verb.
By the time I realised it, I had turned it into a performance.
But because understanding is irreversible, I now show love in the quietest ways.
---
