50 Life Lessons

"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:

1. Treat others as you would like to be treated
2. If it's really important to you, you'll make the time
3. You really don't need that much to be happy
4. The world always looks brighter and problems always seem easier to solve after a good long walk
5. Being of service to others and the wold at large should be at the heart of most, if not all, of what we do
6. Sometimes taking your own medicine is a hardest pill to swallow
7. Quality over quantity
8. Making time for regular exercise pays for itself many times over
9. Busy is mostly something we've created - there is another way
10. Always make space in your life for fun and a smile
11. Talking it and walking can be entirely different things
12. Excelling at anything takes real discipline and focus
13. We need to be our own best friend not harshest critic
14. More beyond a certain point is just waste
15. There's always something to be grateful for
16. Simplifying is always simple but not always easy
17. Measuring performance blows measuring hours out of the water
18. Multi-tasking never really works, single-tasking however can be powerful
19. There's always someone worse off than you
20. Doing most things well comes down to refining the fundamentals and basics and working on them relentlessly
21. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should
22. Just because someone says it can't done, it doesn't mean it can't be done
23. If you prioritise everything then nothing is the priority
24. We can learn so much from nature
25. If you don't know then don't be afraid to ask
26. Most things in life improve as you simplify them
27. Less can be more
28. Health is your real wealth so look after yourself and floss regularly
29. Listen more than you talk
30. Relationships, much like plants, need nurturing and attention
31. Some friends are here for a reason, some for a season and some for life
32. Be polite to everyone unless they give you good reason not to and then better to just avoid them
33. Whether the glass is half full or half empty is up to you
34. Money beyond a certain point isn't the best motivator and doesn't really add happiness to our lives
35. A smile and knowing a few basic words serves you well when travelling to far off lands
36. Chasing a secondhand version of 'success' will never make us happy - we need to define our own version of success and go after it
37. What you think is so and what is actually so are often not the same thing
38. 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
39. Personal heroes are still people so try not to be disappointed when they make the same mistakes as you
40. Travel really can broaden the mind but so can a trip to the library
41. Having a few people that are really there for you can make all the difference
42. Regret is a waste of time
43. Common sense isn't really that common
44. You have the power to choose - never forget that and never blame others for mistakes that you make
45. Some standards should never go out of fashion - manners and kindness are near the top of the list
46. Writing and creating is hard work but also rewarding
47. 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
48. The people we care about most won't be here forever so best we treat them well now
49. Giving gives back
50. 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.