“Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.” – Bruce Lee

 

As I celebrate my 42nd year in this world it seemed like a fun post idea to come up with 42 lessons learned from those years. Admittedly, some of these are lessons I’m learning again and again and have to work at. In no particular order here is that list:

 

1) Treat others as you would like to be treated
2) If it’s really important you’ll make the time
3) The world always looks brighter and problems always seem easier to solve after a good long walk
4) You really don’t need that much to be happy
5) Sometimes taking your own medicine is a hardest pill to swallow
6) Making time for regular exercise pays for itself many times over
7) Always make space in your life for fun and a smile
8) Talking it and walking can be entirely different things
9) We need to be our own best friend not harshest critic
10) More beyond a certain point is just waste
11) There’s always something to be grateful for
12) Simplifying is always simple but not always easy
13) Measuring performance blows measuring hours out of the water
14) Multi-tasking never really works
15) There’s always someone worse off than you
16) Doing most things well comes down to drilling the fundamentals and returning to them often
17) Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should
18) Just because someone says it can’t done, it doesn’t mean it can’t be done
19) If you prioritise everything then nothing is the priority
20) We can learn so much from nature
21) If you don’t know then don’t be afraid to ask
22) Floss regularly
23) Listen more than you talk
24) Relationships, much like plants, need nurturing and attention
25) Some friends are here for a reason, some for a season and some for life
26) Be polite to everyone unless they give you good reason not to and then better to just avoid them
27) Whether the glass is half full or half empty is up to you
28) A smile and knowing a few basic words serves you well when travelling to far off lands
29) Look both ways before you cross the road (I even do this at one ways!)
30) Travel really can broaden the mind if you are open to it
31) What you think is so and what is actually so are often not the same thing
32) There’s something very magical about the sun rising so make time to get up occasionally with the birds and enjoy the start of a new day
33) Personal heroes are people to so try not to be disappointed when they make the same mistakes as you
34) Having a few people that are really there for you can make all the difference
35) Common sense isn’t really that common
36) Some standards should never go out of fashion – manners and kindness are near the top of the list
37) Writing is hard work but also rewarding
38) Excelling at anything takes real discipline and focus
39) Regret is a waste of time
40) The people we care about most won’t be here forever so best we treat them well now
41) Giving gives back
42) Each day and experience is a chance to learn

 

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I also write regularly for the Huffington Post and Medium