Blog Archives

32 Lessons on the Way to 32

7/26/2022

I turned 32 two days ago and I wanted to do what Ryan Holiday does on his birthday and share whatever bits of wisdom I have accumulated in my brief time on this planet.

Boundaries are hard.

Everything takes even longer than you think.

Healing happens in unexpected ways and places.

Images and visualization enhance the outcome but do not create the outcome.

“How am I complicit in this?” is a great question.

My favorite genre of books is Young Adult fiction. Particularly fantasy. Don’t let the intended age deter you from wonderful adventures.

Never tell someone “but they’re your family.” Their family may be incredibly harmful to them.

Even when I think I know someone’s circumstances, I don’t KNOW their circumstances because I am not them.

The less you judge others the happier you will become.

The first time you do anything is the toughest. It gets easier the more you do it. Be it the gym, saying no, posting something for people to see - the first time is the hardest. If you do it once you can do it again.

Inner work may never be recognized or acknowledged by those around you. And that’s okay - it’s inner work, not outer work. It will undoubtedly benefit your outer world but whether someone notices or not doesn’t matter.

Sleep is the foundation for good health.

Everyone needs help. The greatest athletes in the world have coaches. Why are we any different?

Your work will not always speak for itself. You have to speak for it. At least in the beginning. (Thanks, Austin Kleon, for that pro tip.)

There is a difference between being selfish and self-protective. Conflating the two is easy. Undoing that knot requires compassion and trust. (And a great therapist.)

Your dreams will change, and that’s okay. I used to take umbrage with Springsteen’s line from "Two Hearts,"

Someday these childish dreams must end
To become a man and grow up to dream again

It is childish for us to think that we won’t evolve and that our desires won’t evolve with us.

No one can tell you how to grieve.

It really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you aren’t hurting people because 99% of people aren’t paying attention to you 99% of the time.

Nothing is worth losing your enthusiasm.

For the motorcycle riders out there: if you misjudge a corner, you will die.

You can say no. You probably should say no to most things.

Find people who embrace your weirdness. You will carry each other through.

Life is so much more fragile than we realize. Do it now. You might not get the chance later. I told a friend I would take his mom to a Red Sox game sometime. She suddenly passed away and I never took her to a game. I regret that.

If you want to do something, do it. You don’t need to find someone to go on that trip with you. You have yourself. Go.

Water is the elixir of the gods.

When talking to kids, do your best to get on their level. It makes a difference.

You don’t ever have to “outgrow” something you love because it’s “too young” for you.

Tip your barista.

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. That doesn’t mean we can’t be kind.

You cannot have an informed opinion on everything and acting like you do is a disservice to yourself because you will learn something if you say, “I don’t know about that, can you tell me more?”

You’re gonna be afraid. Might as well do it anyway.

Things will not work out exactly as you planned so you better enjoy the ride

Thanks for reading! Here's to 32 being the best one yet

0 Comments

Every skill or habit can be trained.
It’s practice. It’s intention.
It’s doing the work.
There are no shortcuts. There are no backroads.
If you want to become an expert archer you need to go practice archery.
If you want to become a great cook you need to cook.
Any skill is attainable if you’re willing to do the work.
The time we spend looking for shortcuts and backroads is time we could spend on doing the work.
And that’s a better investment.

0 Comments

32 Lessons on the Way to 32

Everything Is A Muscle

Author

Archives

Categories