25 Things I've Learned in 25 Years

I turn 25 today.

Since this is only going to happen once, I decided to compile a list of things I’ve learned in the past quarter of a century.

So, without further ado…

  1. There are only three rules: self-discipline, self-control, and respect.

  2. I tend to be least interested in things that (and people who) lack depth.

  3. I feel better having written.

  4. “If you sit on, sleep on, stare at, or touch something for more than an hour a day, spend whatever it takes to get the best.”

  5. Manage your expectations. Seriously.

  6. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

  7. Eliminate unnecessary things. This includes people and thoughts.

  8. Be free of attachments. Do not allow your happiness to be dependent on anything other than love for yourself.

  9. “Everything around you that you call ‘life’ was made up by people that were no smarter than you.”

  10. Patience. Breathe.

  11. The Universe is incomprehensibly big. We are tiny infinitesimal specks on a minuscule little planet in a solar system that’s just a small part of one of thousands of galaxies and stars and space. This is liberating. We are wonderfully irrelevant.

  12. Be mindful. Self-awareness is invaluable.

  13. You can’t help someone until they want to be helped.

  14. Always ask yourself, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Chances are it’s not that bad, and chances are the damage won’t be permanent. Don’t worry; they can’t eat you. You’re not going to die.

  15. Introverts do it better.

  16. “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

  17. The amount of drama in your life is inversely proportional to your ability to handle that drama.

  18. In any situation, you can either be the water, or you can be the rock.

  19. “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”

  20. Pain heals with time, and time never stops moving. Take comfort in knowing the worst is right now. Every second, minute, hour, and day that goes by brings you a tiny bit closer to being OK. It’s literally only a matter of time.

  21. This planet is run by human beings. We are responsible for everything that goes on here. Subsequently, everything that disturbs our happiness is a manmade construction. Money is a made-up thing, as is working from 9ā€“5, or getting a college degree. We cannot allow ourselves to be troubled by things that are only important because the human race decided they were important. The Universe probably thinks we’re silly.

  22. Negative emotions do not exist unless we create them. Hatred exists because we allow it to exist. Do not be a source for negativity by projecting negative energy out into the universe. Let go.

  23. You cannot control 95% of the things that happen to you. The only thing you can control is your mind and how it deals with those things. Perspective is everything.

  24. “You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy.”

  25. All is one, and all is well.

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