35 Cliches I Value at 35 (and I think might be true by the time I’m 40…)

1. Nothing beats a long, quiet walk in nature. There’s a special place in hell for people who bring bluetooth speakers and blast their music without headphones on a hike!
2. The temporary cure for anxiety is closing your laptop and putting away your phone.

3. The small mundane moments in life (what Jerry Seinfeld calls “garbage time”) often become our favorite memories.

4. I’ve never regretted calling or texting a friend just to check up on them…even if I don’t get a response back.

5. You can never eliminate or defeat your ego, but being aware of it drains the majority of its power.

6. I’m so much happier (and more “successful”) when I stop rushing. There are so many things I quit ten years ago because I thought they were taking too long…I would have finished all of them by now if I’d had one iota of patience!

7. Parenthood is more enjoyable and just as tough as I imagined.

8. The value of money is independence & freedom, NOT fancy things. To paraphrase Morgan Hausel: what people actually want is admiration and respect, and we often buy things as a replacement for that void.

9. The best pairings in life are chocolate croissants and whole milk lattes, and anything with chocolate and peanut butter smashed together. Pretty much anything paired with chocolate now that I think about it…

10. A drive around the neighborhood with no destination is a shortcut to calm, peace, and creativity.

11. Doing something “athletic” everyday keeps the body, mind, and soul in tune. So many of us skip workouts because our time gets squeezed and we can’t make a scheduled workout class or make it all the way to the gym — my suggestion is to find at least one workout routine that you can do in 15–20 minutes at or near your home…don’t let optimal be the enemy of simply moving and doing SOMETHING.

12. You can never read too much, and fiction is just as valuable as nonfiction & educational reading.

13. Learning to spin a good yarn and tell a tall tale is an essential skill no matter what business you are in.

14. Joy, happiness, and peace is not a destination but a daily practice. The harder you “try” to reach “happiness island”, the further away the current takes you.

15. Whichever story you craft for your life is technically true — whether you think life has purpose and value is completely up to you. We are all failures or successes depending on which version of your story you tell yourself.

16. There is no prescribed meaning to life — it’s a different discovery for every person.

17. I’ve never regretted listening someone in need.

18. Don’t give unsolicited advice, or if you do…at least acknowledge that you are offering it without permission.

19. You can love yourself and be proud of your achievements without being insufferable. I used to think self-esteem was a negative, hubristic thing! As long as you stick to the facts be proud. “I trained hard and won the race” is much different than “I’m the best and everyone else sucks”.

20. Be humble but don’t be a doormat: let people know your calm and quiet nature is not an invitation to steamroll you.

21. It’s important to be informed, but news addiction is a serious illness. The news doubles as entertainment & there is always something selling you something. Your quick emotional responses are often a shortcut to your wallet for someone else.

22. Take a break before you do retail or food therapy when you’re feeling down…I’ve almost always regretted doing both!

23. Not communicating your boundaries and principles leads to resentment — if you don’t give people a user’s manual for yourself, it’s not necessarily right to blame them when they piss you off.

24. I regret almost every decision I’ve made out of fear and a desire for safety.

25. There is nothing more entertaining than watching a six-month to year-old baby crawl around. It’s a simple pleasure that blows reality TV out of the water.

26. Train your dog or they will end up becoming your owner — dogs are the world’s greatest blessing but left untrained they can make fill your life with anxiety and suffering.

27. Almost no activity done outdoors is a waste of time — being out in the world is what we are designed for.

28. Your company/workplace is not your “family” even if they say so — do your best but don’t give them your soul. Your dedication to them can be leveraged to underpay you if you’re not aware!

29. Marriage is the longest negotiation you will ever enter, but it’s so worth it if you learn how to play the game (& play it kindly).

30. Drinking daily and absent-mindedly is overrated — drink (if you want) to celebrate & commemorate. Those are the cocktails you will appreciate and remember.

31. There is nothing wrong with experimenting/fumbling/exploring/improv-ing your way through your 20s…just don’t be mad when no one randomly hands you a big check when you turn 30.

32. Handwritten cards are the best — they still mean something in our modern times.

33. Use your vacation days — even if you think your boss will be mad. You don’t get those days back and you LITERALLY earned them. An asteroid could hit Earth tomorrow. You could get laid off at the first sign of corporate turbulence. Go to Hawaii, Thailand, Spain, Iowa, wherever and don’t feel guilty.

34. As the Buddhists say: holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. As the Stoics say: the best revenge is becoming completely unlike your enemy. I can’t beat either of these two quotes — life is too short and fragile to hold onto some petty, dark shit.

35. There is nothing wrong with trying to change the world in small ways. Not all of us are Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg (& maybe one Elon and Mark Z is already too many…). Make the people in your orbit’s lives better. Be friendly. Be kind. Tip well (if you can). Say thank you. Help the old lady put her bag up in an airplane. Spread small joys that are infectious and contagious, and that’s the way you will actually change the world for the better.