I once met a gentleman around his 60’s on the bus traveling to Nairobi, we happened to have a deep conversation about life and I asked him, what he would have done if he could turn back the clock and he told many things and this is what he said;
1. Saving a little money out of every paycheck is a RIDICULOUSLY GOOD idea. – If I’d saved a dime out of every dollar that I’d ever earned, and if I’d just put those dimes into buying safe low-yield bonds, I would have been able to retire when I hit 50. If I’d saved a nickel out of every dollar, I’d be pretty well off. SAVE MORE, SPEND LESS.
2. FASHION IS A WASTE OF TIME, especially when it ignores common sense – Today’s hottest look is tomorrow’s “OMG, how could they have worn that ____?” Wear what you like, wear what makes you feel good, but wear stuff that makes sense for your climate.
3. DAMAGE IS CUMULATIVE – Smoking, eating too much, experimenting with lots of drugs, drinking too much, listening to really loud music, tanning every month, participating in violent contact sports, failing to exercise… it all catches up with you. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY, it is really fun to still be active when the majority of older people are waddling from doctor’s office to doctor’s office.
4. Don’t waste time in bad relationships, self-pity, heartbreak or heartache; move on! Take Winston Churchill’s advice: WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH HELL, KEEP GOING. Time will pass, the hurt will get smaller, you’ll meet other people, your world will move on.
5. Don’t be too worried if you don’t know what you want to do, you’ll figure it out if you keep your eyes and mind open. However… don’t wait too long to figure out what career is your best fit – YOU SHOULD ACTIVELY WORK ON IDENTIFYING WHAT JOB WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON’T ACTUALLY HAVE A JOB, and then pursue that with all of the energy you can manage. If I’d figured out that teaching is my passion back when I was 20, I’d have retired this year after 30 years of doing something that I love.
6. FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY– If you think you might like to pursue something, go ahead and do it. Be bold. Ask that girl/guy if he or she would like to dance. Skydive. Travel to a place you like. Open that business that you think will make you happy. Step up on that stage and sing. If nothing else, you will have good stories to tell when you’re sitting in that rocking chair.
7. Humans make mistakes, so BE FORGIVING… even of your own mistakes. Give yourself three boneheaded plays a day before you even begin to feel bad about doing something stupid.
8. GRUDGES ARE NOT WORTH KEEPING. Let it go. Move on. Life is too short to twist your life around wrongs that are long gone.
9. STUFF IS JUST STUFF. It breaks. It gets stolen. It gets lost. It wears out. It does not matter… people matter. Friends matter. Family matters. Do not put stuff above people in your priority lists.
10. KARMA IN, KARMA OUT. Most of the time, you really do get out of this world exactly what you put into it. If you are a mean, angry, miserable person, the world will be a mean, angry, miserable place to you. If you believe people are generally good and treat everyone with respect, then the world will usually treat you well and give you respect right back. My best example, dealing with the people at the DMV… the Division of Motor Vehicles, the most dreaded of all US state bureaucratic offices, regardless of the state. I have always had good experiences there, regardless of the reasons I have had to go there. I smile, they smile; I ask calm and polite questions, they answer me politely, we joke a little, they do their job, and I leave after taking care of business… no stress, no fuss, no blood. The person behind me comes in with a chip on their shoulder and snaps at the same DMV worker, they each bare their fangs, and then the fur flies.
11. Stress happens to everyone, but your attitude about stress can kill you. EACH STRESSFUL SITUATION IS A CHANCE TO OVERCOME AN OBSTACLE. Take a breath, try your best, and don’t worry about it if things don’t go exactly the way you want. This too shall pass. Be the eye of the storm and let all that stuff swirl around you.
12. THE WORLD IS EASIER WHEN YOU ADMIT TO YOUR SHORTCOMINGS. Be willing to say the following phrases whenever necessary: “I don’t know.” “I was wrong.””I am sorry that I did that.” Knowing your limitations makes room for growth. Relationships of all sorts get easier if you have the guts to admit to being less than perfect.
Image source: isha.sadhguru.org
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