A 72 y/o went viral with these ‘32 things to help you with your journey’ and it’s a minute or two very well spent
Over in the corner of Reddit called ‘life hacks’ – ‘Uncommon solutions to common problems’ – a guy called Louie went wildly viral when he used his 72nd birthday to share some of the life lessons he learned along the way.
And a fascinating (and encouraging) read it is too.
Just in case that’s tricky to read in full, here’s the post all over again.
I turned 72 today
Here’s 32 things I’ve learned that I hope help you in your journey:
1. It’s usually better to be nice than right.
2. Nothing worthwhile comes easy.
3. Work on a passion project, even just 30 minutes a day. It compounds.
4. Become a lifelong learner (best tip).
5. Working from 7am to 7pm isn’t productivity. It’s guilt.
6. To be really successful become useful.
7. Like houses in need of repair, problems usually don’t fix themselves.
8. Envy is like drinking poison expecting the other person to die.
9. Don’t hold onto your “great idea” until it’s too late.
10. People aren’t thinking about you as much as you think.
11. Being grateful is a cheat sheet for happiness. (Especially today.)
12. Write your life plan with a pencil that has an eraser.
13. Choose your own path or someone will choose it for you.
14. Never say, I’ll never…
15. Not all advice is created equal.
16. Be the first one to smile.
17. The expense of something special is forgotten quickly. The experience lasts a lifetime. Do it.
18. Don’t say something to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else.
19. It’s not how much money you make. It’s how much you take home.
20. Feeling good is better than that “third” slice of pizza.
21. Who you become is more important than what you accomplish.
22. Nobody gets to their death bed and says, I’m sorry for trying so many things.
23. There are always going to be obstacles in your life. Especially if you go after big things.
24. The emptiest head rattles the loudest.
25. If you don’t let some things go, they eat you alive.
26. Try to spend 12 minutes a day in quiet reflection, meditation, or prayer.
27. Try new things. If it doesn’t work out, stop. At least you tried.
28. NEVER criticize, blame, or complain.
29. You can’t control everything. Focus on what you can control.
30. If you think you have it tough, look around.
31. It’s only over when you say it is.
32. One hand washes the other and together they get clean. Help someone else.
If you’re lucky enough to get up to my age, the view becomes more clear. It may seem like nothing good is happening to you, or just the opposite. Both will probably change over time.
I’m still working (fractionally), and posting here, because business and people are my mojo. I hope you find yours.
Onward!
Louie
Please add something you know to be true. We learn together.
Amen to all of that. And here are just a few of the many comments it prompted.
‘At 47 I’ve learned that being kind is a bit of a super power. It’s always good to make someone else feel seen and heard.
‘Happy birthday Louie! I hope it’s a great one.’
MissSassifras1977‘I’m 60. And I would only add two things to this list.
‘1 – Learn to control your expectations. Misplaced expectations cause more problems than people think.
‘2 – Learn to control your emotions. If you don’t, someone else always will.
‘Thank you Lou. Your effort on this list is a thing of beauty.’
furcryingoutloud“The emptiest head rattles the loudest.”
‘Love it.’
Abundance144‘Happy birthday op. #18 really hit me hard, i’ve never heard that one before.
‘I’d like to add to the list and say that it’s impossible to please everyone so don’t get too upset if someone doesn’t like you.’
ridnthewave‘I am immensely grateful for this post. Some of these are words of wisdom that I never considered before, like #18. I say all kinds of horrific things to myself that I would never say to anyone else. At age 63 I’m only just learning #6.’
Pongpianskul‘As a late 20s man hoping to better his life, thank you!’
TeakForest‘Choose your peace no matter how difficult it is or how much courage it requires.’
Scribbler-101
Source Reddit u/DaCmanLou