30 Lessons Learned In 30 Years
As my 30th birthday quickly approaches I thought it would be an original idea (sarcasm) to write 30 lessons I’ve learned in 30 years living on this Earth.
In no particular order:
1) Don’t take life too seriously, it’s not like you’re getting out alive.
Learn to laugh at yourself. It’s ok! You’re not as perfect as you think. Don’t see this as a bad thing. It should be positive. It means it’s ok to make mistakes!
2) Question everything you have been taught.
The only way to truly be open-minded is to question everything you think you know. Question your religion, your education, your parents, and your government.
3) Self-educate.
Similar to number 2, it is important to remember that education doesn’t stop just because you’re out of school. I have learned more in years out of school than I ever did in school.
4) Take risks.
I had no idea what I wanted to do after I graduated college. If you don’t know and are still in school, or if you’ve been out of school for 20 years, it’s ok! Find a passion you love, keep the shitty job you currently have, but work at your passion every chance you get. Sure, this means less free time, but if you can master your passion, then you can find a way to make money at it.
I worked 3 jobs for nearly 5 years, one of the jobs was my main source of income, but I hated it. The other 2 were passions, but they weren’t paying the bills. Eventually I learned to monetized my 2 passions, photography and writing, and that is my life today.
5) Keep life in perspective.
Life’s not easy. Well…no one said it was going to be easy, but I bet your problems aren’t as big as you’re making them out to be. Stop, breathe, and realize things are never as bad as they seem.
6) Count your blessings.
When life isn’t easy, remember to count all the blessings you have in your life. There are people in the world who have less than you and are still happy.
7) Do with less.
De-clutter your life. Get rid of useless shit, and realize you are not your possessions. Having more stuff does not equate to having more happiness.
8) Keep your childish ways.
No, this doesn’t mean you should pick your nose in public, or cry when you don’t get your way. But you also shouldn’t forget what it’s like to be a child. See the world anew and start a hobby you’ve always wanted to. I didn’t start long boarding (downhill skate boarding) until I was 23, and now, it is a daily love and escape for me. Sure, I fell a couple of times and even spent some time in the hospital, but it was worth it.
9) Learn to meditate.
Meditation has more health and spiritual benefits than anything else you might learn. Meditation has been scientifically proven to help with anxiety, PTSD, depression, and stress, just to name a few. Most people who are not familiar with meditation think it is just sitting in silence. While this is one form of meditation there are multiple ways to meditate, find which one works best for you.
10) Learn to research on your own.
Stop asking people for information and seek it out on your own. Google is an amazing resource, just make sure that the information you read is valid, research the research, question everything you read and go down the “rabbit hole”.
11) Stop giving a shit what others think.
I rarely take offense to anything these days, mostly because I stopped giving a shit what others think of me. Don’t get me wrong, I consider what people say, but I’m not going to attach my well-being to what someone else thinks of me.
12) Give a shit.
When you start researching the ways of the world it can be a bit depressing. From corporations running the government, to false flag attacks, to realizing the Amazon Rain Forest is being ruined at an alarming rate…life can be a lot to handle. Many people feel disempowered by these notions, but I feel empowered. I understand the only way to change the world is to change myself and take action. I left my job in 2008 and went to Ecuador for 2 months. I worked in the jungle helping children learn life skills they could pass on to their villages. In addition, I also worked at an animal rescue center. Both of these experiences changed my life.
13) Travel alone.
I don’t care if you have no money. I don’t care if you have a family. I don’t care if you have a job. Where there is a will there IS a way. When I traveled Ecuador for 2 months alone I had little to no personal money. My family thought I was crazy. I couldn’t speak Spanish and I had just quit my job.
So, I sent out hand written letters to as many people as I knew in this world asking for their financial support in what I was doing. Instead of just traveling to sight see, I wanted to make an impact. No one wants to give you money to go get drunk in the Bahamas, but I bet some of your loved ones would donate money if it meant you were helping animals in need. Combine your love of traveling with making a positive difference. People dig that shit, and I promise you will learn more about life in your time traveling than you ever could have imagined. 5 Life Lessons I Learned Living Alone
14) Understand consciousness as much as possible.
There was a time in my life where I couldn’t stop the thoughts in my head. It felt like I was going a bit insane. I was lost. Then, a friend of mine recommended me a book, The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. WOW! Just understanding the fact that you are not your mind was trippy. Read as many books about the mind and consciousness as you can, and I promise it will lead to a more fulfilling life.
15) Stay present.
It’s impossible to explain just how important this lesson is in words, you really have to live it. By practicing meditation and studying consciousness you should come to the conclusion that the present moment is all you ever have. You can’t change the past and you can’t live the future…but, you can learn from your past, NOW, and you can work for a better future, NOW. All that exists in the world exists NOW.
16) Love yourself first.
No one wants to have their heart broken, but until you risk putting yourself out there you will never grow to your full potential. I have had my heart broken multiple times in life. I have given up on love altogether. I have felt worthless. And it was only when I was single that I realized I don’t need anyone else to be happy. Once I realized this I was empowered because I didn’t NEED another to define me, I defined myself.
Think of it this way…when you are getting ready to take off in a plane the flight attendant tells you, “make sure to put your oxygen mask on FIRST before helping the person next to you.” This might sound a bit selfish, but if you can’t breathe how are you going to help anyone else? The same is true with love. You need to love yourself first. If you do, you will open yourself up to others loving you.
17) Love others.
Do not love for the sake of being loved, love for the sake of spreading love. Whether the love you give is returned or not shouldn’t matter. You never know if the love you give someone else might be passed on to someone in need, so keep loving. Side note– love as much as you can, but don’t be a door mat.
18) Spend as much time as possible in nature.
Nature, to me, is the best therapist. My time in nature has allowed me to feel more connected to everything and everyone around me. When I feel depressed or overwhelmed with life I try to make a special effort to observe the natural beauty around me. This has allowed me to stay focused on what truly matters in my life. Too often the world around us is buildings, roads, and advertisements. But these are human constructs, the REAL WORLD lies beyond manmade features. Go to nature.
19) Spend time with your family.
You never know how much time you have to spend with your loved ones, make the most of it!
20) Money isn’t everything.
What is money? It’s a piece of paper that only has value because we as a people BELIEVE it has value, that’s it! Money used to be redeemable for gold. In fact, money actually had this printed on it, “Redeemable in gold on demand at the United States Treasury, or in gold or lawful money at any Federal Reserve Bank.” Once the Federal Reserve was created, no more gold redemption. Now money is only numbers being pushed around on a computer. Yes, I understand you need money to survive, just don’t make it out to be the most important thing in your life. It is also important to note this…whatever you spend money on you vote to keep in existence.
21) I am NOT my religion.
You can read more about this lesson in an article I previously wrote, 3 Lessons I Learned from Denouncing My Religion.
22) Realize you are on a tiny rock, floating in an infinite universe.
Earth is big, to us, but in the grand scheme of things it is actually quite small. We are one speck among trillions of stars, planets, and universes. Yet, we put time and energy into caring about some family called the Kardashians, or we spend countless hours watching some sports team. For what?!
I’m not saying sports are worthless, just that if we put half as much time into creating positive change in this world as we did drinking beer and watching sports, perhaps the world would be a bit healthier.
23) Understand your body and nutrition.
This should be a no brainer, you are what you eat. The moment you stop caring about what you eat is the moment your body stops caring about you. Instead of getting to the point where you are sick and need help, why not prevent illness by understanding your body, and what you put into it?
24) No one is coming to save you.
No one but you can change your life. Sure, others can make life appear better for you or help you to realize certain lessons, but only you can choose to apply those lessons. Remember, you can lead a person to knowledge, but you can’t make them think. Instead of relying on someone else to save you, empower yourself to save YOU!
25) Stop saying this phrase.
That’s easier said than done.
No shit! Literally everything is easier said than done.
Talking about writing this article was MUCH easier than actually doing it.
Talking about creating a passionate life is MUCH easier than actually doing.
So stop saying this phrase. It’s worthless. It has no meaning, and it provides nothing for you! If you want to do something, do it! Stop talking and work towards achieving it.
26) Be your own best friend.
If you can’t love your Self you will never be able to accept love from someone else. Be kind to your Self, encourage your Self, don’t beat your Self up with every mistake.
27) Mean what you say, and say what you mean.
Ask a total stranger how they are doing, and mean it. It amazes me how many strangers have opened up to me just because I was genuine in what I say. Get off of autopilot and look at the person bagging your groceries. He or she is a person, just like you, striving to be happy. Don’t just send fluffy shit words out into the universe. Words have power, use them wisely. Learn more about the power of words in this article, Words Can Change Your Brain.
28) Put your damn phone down and listen.
Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. -Stephen R. Covey
I admit it, I still struggle with this, but at least I’m conscious of it. There is nothing more inconsiderate than checking your phone when you are with someone else. It shouldn’t matter if it’s a random stranger, your mother, or the grocer. Put your phone away; look that person in the eyes, and give them your attention.
Listening isn’t just a passive thing you do, truly listening means to actively take the time to hear each word and meaning. A wise person only learns when they are an active listener.
29) Be weird.
There is no ONE way to live this life. Anyone who says there is has confused themselves. You weren’t made into a mold to regurgitate what everyone else around you is doing. You were blessed with a free mind, and you need only find the key if it is locked.
Be weird. Be random. Be you. Those who truly love you will love you no matter what, and those that stop loving you never truly loved you anyway. If you feel alone, find the others, we are out there.
30) Stop living your life through listicles like this.
I’ll be completely honest, I loathe listicles, but I love irony. Hopefully you found some inspiration in this article, but that doesn’t mean this is a guide for YOUR life. You have to make your own way. No priest, teacher, parent, friend, husband, or wife can tell you how to live something that is uniquely yours. Now stop looking at this screen and go outside!
PS. Age is just a number, don’t let it stop from achieving what you are truly passionate about in life.
Much love.
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