[Image licensed under the Creative Commons Dogs-in-party-hats, CC BY-SA 4.0]
Even so, I have learned a few things, and I thought I'd step aside from my usual fare for a day, and present a list of 64 things I've come to understand in the last 64 years. Despite my grandma's quip that free advice is worth what you paid for it, I hope you'll find some of them worthwhile.
1) Make a habit of being genuine. Deception, even of yourself, can't be maintained forever.
2) If you want to find out whether someone is actually nice or not, watch how they treat dogs, cats, children, restaurant wait staff, and salespeople.
3) Live life with passion.
4) Don't take everything so damned seriously. Most of the things that happen are, in the long run, irrelevant.
5) Don't overeat, but eat food you like. Vegan raw-food enthusiasts who drink only wheat grass juice will still eventually die.
6) It's just as lazy -- and, in the end, just as damaging -- to distrust everyone automatically as it is to trust everyone automatically.
7) Complaining a lot pisses people off and solves essentially nothing.
8) Don't be ashamed of your tastes in art, music, books, and so on. Anyone who ridicules you because of something that is a simple matter of opinion is an asshole.
9) There is nothing shameful about crying in public. Yes, that includes men.
10) Relaxing and wasting time are not the same thing.
11) There are some people in this world who will be determined to see you as a different person than who you really are. Fighting this is probably a waste of time.
12) Changing things from the top down seldom works. The only real way to change things is from the bottom up.
13) People are always in love with their own delusions, and we all have them.
14) Spending more time outside is usually a good thing.
15) A lot of unhappiness can be averted by speaking what is truly in your heart, and then living by it.
16) Don't be afraid to get undressed in a gym locker room. We're all naked under our clothes.
17) Take more chances. Regrets about what we should have done and didn't are just as painful as regrets about what we did and wish we hadn't.
18) Find some way to be creative. Everyone is creative if they allow themselves to be.
19) You can't be unhappy for long if you have a snoring dog at your feet or a purring cat in your lap.
20) If you can, travel. It is the most mind-expanding thing you can do.
21) Most of us could do with having fewer opinions and asking more questions.
22) If you put only half of yourself into an endeavor, it will be a waste of time for everyone involved.
23) There is very little that you will not be able to deal with better after a good night's sleep.
24) No matter how good you are at something, there will always be people who are better and worse than you are. Be inspired by the ones who are better and be courteous and helpful to the ones who are worse.
25) Don't be afraid to say no to people.
26) Don't be afraid to say yes to people.
27) Get out on the dance floor. You're more conspicuous just standing there than you would be if you were out dancing with the rest of us.
28) If life hands you lemons, fuck lemonade. Make lemon meringue pie.
29) If you go to another country, eat what they eat. You can get Big Macs at home.
30) Cultivate tolerance.
31) Be willing to laugh at your own quirks.
32) Stay hydrated.
33) Always keep in mind that much of what is on the internet is complete bullshit.
34) Cruelty is never justified.
35) Be unpredictable sometimes.
36) Don't talk once the movie has started.
1) Make a habit of being genuine. Deception, even of yourself, can't be maintained forever.
2) If you want to find out whether someone is actually nice or not, watch how they treat dogs, cats, children, restaurant wait staff, and salespeople.
3) Live life with passion.
4) Don't take everything so damned seriously. Most of the things that happen are, in the long run, irrelevant.
5) Don't overeat, but eat food you like. Vegan raw-food enthusiasts who drink only wheat grass juice will still eventually die.
6) It's just as lazy -- and, in the end, just as damaging -- to distrust everyone automatically as it is to trust everyone automatically.
7) Complaining a lot pisses people off and solves essentially nothing.
8) Don't be ashamed of your tastes in art, music, books, and so on. Anyone who ridicules you because of something that is a simple matter of opinion is an asshole.
9) There is nothing shameful about crying in public. Yes, that includes men.
10) Relaxing and wasting time are not the same thing.
11) There are some people in this world who will be determined to see you as a different person than who you really are. Fighting this is probably a waste of time.
12) Changing things from the top down seldom works. The only real way to change things is from the bottom up.
13) People are always in love with their own delusions, and we all have them.
14) Spending more time outside is usually a good thing.
15) A lot of unhappiness can be averted by speaking what is truly in your heart, and then living by it.
16) Don't be afraid to get undressed in a gym locker room. We're all naked under our clothes.
17) Take more chances. Regrets about what we should have done and didn't are just as painful as regrets about what we did and wish we hadn't.
18) Find some way to be creative. Everyone is creative if they allow themselves to be.
19) You can't be unhappy for long if you have a snoring dog at your feet or a purring cat in your lap.
20) If you can, travel. It is the most mind-expanding thing you can do.
21) Most of us could do with having fewer opinions and asking more questions.
22) If you put only half of yourself into an endeavor, it will be a waste of time for everyone involved.
23) There is very little that you will not be able to deal with better after a good night's sleep.
24) No matter how good you are at something, there will always be people who are better and worse than you are. Be inspired by the ones who are better and be courteous and helpful to the ones who are worse.
25) Don't be afraid to say no to people.
26) Don't be afraid to say yes to people.
27) Get out on the dance floor. You're more conspicuous just standing there than you would be if you were out dancing with the rest of us.
28) If life hands you lemons, fuck lemonade. Make lemon meringue pie.
29) If you go to another country, eat what they eat. You can get Big Macs at home.
30) Cultivate tolerance.
31) Be willing to laugh at your own quirks.
32) Stay hydrated.
33) Always keep in mind that much of what is on the internet is complete bullshit.
34) Cruelty is never justified.
35) Be unpredictable sometimes.
36) Don't talk once the movie has started.
37) The universe is endlessly interesting. Cultivate curiosity about how it all works.
38) Pay attention when children talk to you. It may not be interesting to listen to, but it's still important.
39) If you're still alive, you're not too old to pursue your dreams. (If you're not still alive, and are nevertheless reading this, we should talk.)
40) You are not in competition with everyone. All conversations aren't battles for superiority.
41) Sarcasm can be funny, but use it with caution. Real ridicule can leave permanent scars.
42) Life is too short to drink bad beer.
43) Fundamentally, gullibility and cynicism come from the same place; an unwillingness to commit oneself to the hard work of thinking.
44) Every once in a while, go out at night and spend some time looking up at the stars. It’s worthwhile being reminded how small we are.
45) Listen to your friends as much as you talk.
38) Pay attention when children talk to you. It may not be interesting to listen to, but it's still important.
39) If you're still alive, you're not too old to pursue your dreams. (If you're not still alive, and are nevertheless reading this, we should talk.)
40) You are not in competition with everyone. All conversations aren't battles for superiority.
41) Sarcasm can be funny, but use it with caution. Real ridicule can leave permanent scars.
42) Life is too short to drink bad beer.
43) Fundamentally, gullibility and cynicism come from the same place; an unwillingness to commit oneself to the hard work of thinking.
44) Every once in a while, go out at night and spend some time looking up at the stars. It’s worthwhile being reminded how small we are.
45) Listen to your friends as much as you talk.
46) Take care of the planet we live on. It's the only one we've got.
47) Be suspicious of any stranger who comes to your door trying to sell you a political ideology or a religious belief system.
47) Be suspicious of any stranger who comes to your door trying to sell you a political ideology or a religious belief system.
48) Remember my friend Alex's motto: Semper alia via. There's always another way.
49) Exercise more.
50) Understand that most people really are trying their best.
51) Never take the last cookie unless you've been given explicit permission, and even then offer to split it.
52) Never let yourself be the one who caused another person to give up on reaching for their dreams or doing what they love.
53) A sincere apology goes a long, long way.
54) Stop at least once a day and be grateful for what you have. There are many people in the world who would be thrilled to be where you are.
55) Find ways to give back to your community.
56) Some causes are worth fighting -- even dying -- for.
57) Make a point of learning new stuff. Minds are like muscles -- if you don't work them, they atrophy. And it's a healthy experience to be an absolute beginner at something every so often.
58) Be willing to lose an argument once in a while.
59) Play more.
60) Waste less.
61) Remember that most of the things we worry about won't come to pass.
62) There are times when things look hopeless, and the world seems bleak. Hope anyway.
63) You will sometimes fail at things you desperately want to succeed at. Try anyway.
64) You will sometimes get your heart broken. Love anyway.
59) Play more.
60) Waste less.
61) Remember that most of the things we worry about won't come to pass.
62) There are times when things look hopeless, and the world seems bleak. Hope anyway.
63) You will sometimes fail at things you desperately want to succeed at. Try anyway.
64) You will sometimes get your heart broken. Love anyway.
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This is so inspirational and heartfelt! Thank you for tagging me so I didn't miss it! Happy birthday my dear friend! You are an incredible human being and I am so very grateful to have you in my life.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! And compared to me, you're still just a kid.
ReplyDelete