Life-Changing Advice That Will Change Your Life
From an old guy who learned it the hard way
I’m not going to put self-help, motivational, or productivity writers out of work. But I am going to share some of the life wisdom I have learned. Things that might genuinely make your life better. They could even save you a couple of years worth of life-hack reading. (We didn’t have life-hacking in my formative years. Only cats, or sick people, or smokers, or axes hacked back then.)
Ready?
Be kind. Mean people are the worst. Civility seems to be in decline, and we are worse off for it. You don’t have to agree with someone to be civil to them. (Punching people in the stomach is just rude.)
Take risks. You can take risks and truly live, or you can avoid risk and safely wait to die. (I’m not talking about life-threatening risks like playing chicken with a train on a tricycle, or tight-rope walking without a net over the Grand Canyon, or trying to jump over 16 double decker buses on a motorcycle. But reasonable risks like telling someone how you feel about them, getting up and singing on karaoke night, or starting a new career.)
Don’t bottle up your feelings. And the flip-side: don’t lose your temper and throw bottles.
Shower the people you love with love. (Thanks, JT, for placing that crucial nugget of wisdom in a song and making it easy to remember.) Tell them. Show them. Love them.
Work hard. Or marry wealth (which is not easy, and you probably won’t enjoy it without love.) Do your work to the best of your ability. This builds character.
Help others. It’s medicine for your soul.
Don’t be lazy. Except on days off and vacation and other appropriate times.
Exercise and eat healthy. Except on vacation or days off or when entertaining or other appropriate times.
Don’t hate people. Even if they are a member of a different political party. Even if they don’t share your belief system (or lack of.) Even if they don’t share your values. Even if they don’t look like you. Hate is heart cancer. Don’t harbor it in your heart. Let it go. Spend your energy on loving and helping people instead. See “Be kind” and “Help others.”
