Month: July 2020

To My Younger Self,

On July 20 2020, you will turn 35 Years Old. I’ve compiled some pieces of advice over my years of experiences to help you navigate through life and be true to who you are. Some of these you discovered along the way, some more recently. All of this advice however, is how you truly, authentically and genuinely feel after 35 years of life on this planet…..

~ You are what you do. Not what you say, not what you believe, not how you vote, but what you spend your time on.

~ Be kind to people who are different than you.

~ Life’s never too busy to go for a walk, put on headphones and feel the breeze.

~ You can’t change anyone.

~ Listening is the most important thing you can do in life. If you think someone’s done sharing, always ask yourself: “is there more?”

~ The stars in the sky are the most amazing evidence of God.

~ Be gentle towards animals, they feel pain too.

~ 99.9% of the time in life things are not black-and-white. Life is filled with shades of gray.

~ If you want seconds, wait five minutes and reanalyze. Never get thirds unless you’re eating New Haven pizza.

~ When an object is lost, 95% of the time it is hiding within arm’s reach of where it was last seen. Search in all possible locations in that radius and you’ll find it.

~ Time and reflection are the two most important things in the world.

~ Apologize as quickly, as honestly and as sincerely as possible.

~ There really is no such thing as a dumb question. Odds are someone around you has the same question.

~ Tell the people you love how you feel about them more often than they tell you.

~ Encouraging people will never get old.

~ Thinking differently than others will make you feel alone. But that’s not a reason to conform.

~ The burden of persuading people on political topics or conspiracy theories is too heavy and ultimately not worth it.

~ Be a parent w/ guidelines and rules, but treat your kids with respect.

~ Don’t take things too personal.

~ Keep your phone in your pocket.

~ Spend your attention and energy on people, not things.

~ Learn to appreciate selfless acts and gentle people.

~ Take care of the planet you live on. Your grandkids will live here soon.

~ Documenting will become amazingly valuable. Whether it’s video, pictures, journaling or blog posts. Capturing memories is worth all your time and energy.

~ Be interested, not interesting.

~ Reflecting on your past helps remind you who you are.

~ When Lindsey asks what’s wrong, tell her. She wants to help and cares about you.

~ Personal mental health is priority number one. You can’t be good for anyone in your life if you’re not taking care of yourself.

~ Watching films and listening to music from your childhood will give you tremendous comfort.

~ Sometimes church is going to be difficult to go to, but its always worth it.

~ Social Media and the news will have no profitable value on your life and pull you to the brink of depression.

~ Acquiring things will rarely bring you deep satisfaction. But acquiring experiences will.

~ Don’t be the smartest person in the room. Hangout with, and learn from, people smarter than yourself. Even better, find smart people who will disagree with you.

~ If you find yourself at a funeral be quiet and listen. Nobody talks about the departed’s achievements. The only thing people will remember is what kind of person you were while you were achieving.

~ Live and let live.

And here’s some extra special bonus advice:

~ When life gets heavy, listen to Suitcase Full of Sparks on a breezy, starry night.