"Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it."
- Bruce Lee
As this post celebrates my 50th piece for the Huffington Post (where does the time go?) it seemed an opportune time to share 50 life lessons learned over the years.
By no means is this list comprehensive but 50 seemed to make sense. 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:
- Treat others as you would like to be treated
- If it's really important to you, you'll make the time
- You really don't need that much to be happy
- The world always looks brighter and problems always seem easier to solve after a good long walk
- Being of service to others and the wold at large should be at the heart of most, if not all, of what we do
- Sometimes taking your own medicine is a hardest pill to swallow
- Quality over quantity
- Making time for regular exercise pays for itself many times over
- Busy is mostly something we've created - there is another way
- Always make space in your life for fun and a smile
- Talking it and walking can be entirely different things
- Excelling at anything takes real discipline and focus
- We need to be our own best friend not harshest critic
- More beyond a certain point is just waste
- There's always something to be grateful for
- Simplifying is always simple but not always easy
- Measuring performance blows measuring hours out of the water
- Multi-tasking never really works, single-tasking however can be powerful
- There's always someone worse off than you
- Doing most things well comes down to refining the fundamentals and basics and working on them relentlessly
- Just because you can, doesn't mean you should
- Just because someone says it can't done, it doesn't mean it can't be done
- If you prioritise everything then nothing is the priority
- We can learn so much from nature
- If you don't know then don't be afraid to ask
- Most things in life improve as you simplify them
- Less can be more
- Health is your real wealth so look after yourself and floss regularly
- Listen more than you talk
- Relationships, much like plants, need nurturing and attention
- Some friends are here for a reason, some for a season and some for life
- Be polite to everyone unless they give you good reason not to and then better to just avoid them
- Whether the glass is half full or half empty is up to you
- Money beyond a certain point isn't the best motivator and doesn't really add happiness to our lives
- A smile and knowing a few basic words serves you well when travelling to far off lands
- Chasing a secondhand version of 'success' will never make us happy - we need to define our own version of success and go after it
- What you think is so and what is actually so are often not the same thing
- 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
- Personal heroes are still people so try not to be disappointed when they make the same mistakes as you
- Travel really can broaden the mind but so can a trip to the library
- Having a few people that are really there for you can make all the difference
- Regret is a waste of time
- Common sense isn't really that common
- You have the power to choose - never forget that and never blame others for mistakes that you make
- Some standards should never go out of fashion - manners and kindness are near the top of the list
- Writing and creating is hard work but also rewarding
- Taking part in or being effected negatively by gossip is a waste of your precious time and energy - time and energy that could be put to good
- The people we care about most won't be here forever so best we treat them well now
- Giving gives back
- Each day and experience is a chance to learn
Taking no 15 on this list to heart - I am very grateful for the opportunity to have written 50 posts here on the Huff. I'm especially thankful to @JessicaRotondi and @alenashane for tracking me down initially and thinking I might have something useful to share. I look forward to working on the next 50 articles!
Carl is a writer. He writes short books full of big ideas. He is also the proud owner of Frictionless Living which is focused on helping readers find and live their own version of a simpler, good life.