it's my 32nd birthday today 🥳. here are 32 life lessons i've learned over my years around the sun.
🏃♂️ Body
1. the older you get the easier it gets to stop actively taking care of your body even though it should be more of a priority the older you get
2. a good night's sleep makes life 50% easier
3. just keep it simple. simple foods, simple exercise, sleep. the rest are a bonus
🧠 Mind
4. curiosity keeps the brain engaged & excited about life
5. mental rest is a real thing. you can overwork your mind
6. over stimulation is a thing. burn out comes from too much mental stress
🙏 Spirit
7. the better i take care of myself & live a life i love the more connected to people & places i feel
8. I hear myself when i get quietness
9. spend everyday listening to your thoughts & feelings to see what comes up - walking, reflecting, writing
🤝 Friends
10. time spent with friends gets less casual & more organised if you don't mindfully plan time in to spend with friends - weeks, months and years can go by
11. age doesn't change that feeling you have with old friends - you are still the same dopey teenagers, uni mates no matter what the birthday candles say
❤️ Love
12. love is a journey of 2 people living their own lives but choosing daily if they want to be with a person
13. it takes constant communication to be in a healthy relationship
14. a love relationship a family you choose to create
🏠 Family
15. every moment becomes more precious with age. there are only so many birthdays, christmas and family events that you get to have with some people - make them count
16. time well spent is better than amount of time. long chats, long calls, staying with family for a few days is how to get deeply connected with people you love
17. everyone goes off into their own bubbles eventually. the relationship bonds change over time whenever people start having families of their own
💰 Money
18. money can be the best and worst thing. if you don't have enough to get by this will make everyday life super stressful.
19. if you make more than you need for everyday life but haven't spent time working on other areas of your life - things will feel pretty empty and meaningless
20. money isn't bad. it's great & amazing. just don't think it will solve all the problems. once you get the money you'll still have the body, relationship, emotional issues if you didn't work on them at the same time
🧑🚀 Work
21. there is so many different ways to work - if you find a way to love what you do it can unlock a life that feels overall better
22. work isn't always fair. just because you work hard doesn't mean you will get paid. people can barely work and get paid a lot. it's better to focus on how to get paid on value rather than how hard you work.
23. work is more important that you realise. if you don't like the work you do it will affect all the other areas of your life. be honest with yourself and try to enjoy the work
😊 Emotions
24. it's not about good or bad emotions. it's about learning how to deal with both of them. it's okay to have tough emotions - anger, sadness, pain. learning how to go through them is a free skill that is the best investment into living a good life
25. you can't run away from difficult feelings. they will come up in some way or another. suppress it now you'll see the affects years down the line. it's better to process things as and when they come up no matter how tough it feels at the time.
26. happiness, joy and fulfilment is a choice it is not something that is magically there or not. you can design these feelings into life. this becomes a personal responsibility. taking ownership of your emotions is one of the best things you can do in your life & it has the knock on affect of helping other people you are around too.
🌟 Character
27. authenticity & integrity are less common than you realise. most people try to please other people and fit in - it's the safer and easier path. but this eats up at your soul and you pay the price a bit more each day you don't choose to be you
28. the bits that you are most scared of showing is the bits people will connect to most. everyone is scared to be themselves - it's refreshing to see or be around someone who is ok showing their weird side
29. your character is what people will remember you by. it will go beyond the words you say, or the things you do. it's the feeling that you leave people with. leave people feeling good, happy, comfortable and relaxed when they are around you. by being you - you allow other people to feel comfortable with being them. this is a feeling people remember.
🏝️ Lifestyle
30. your environment plays an incredibly important role in lifting up all areas of your life. creating or moving to a better environment can be the easiest way to upgrade all areas of life
31. it doesn't cost millions to live like a millionaire. it's the feeling that you want to feel not necessarily the things. but that feeling can be mindfully designed over time
32. choose experience and memories over things every time. these are the memories that will last a life time. they don't even have to cost much but it's worth it.
Bonus 4 extra 👀
✨ Dream Life
33. a dream without a plan is a nightmare. if you aren't actively working towards your dream every day will feel miserable - it's better to not have a dream at all then.
34. dreams do come true - this is a crazy thing
35. what you dreamed of will always lead to more questions that need answered. they will often lead to new dreams as well.
36. life is a game that is most fun when it is being played with dreams. without a dreams everything life can feel directionless
well that's it for this week folks
i’ll catch you on the next one
stay awesome
Matt
🫶