Thirty Things

Six years ago, I wrote a blog post on all of the great nuggets of knowledge and wisdom I’d gathered over the years.

Little did I know, I’d continue learning things along the way, even after age 24 (Who knew?). Since that post, a lot has changed. I’ve gotten a masters degree, I’ve moved six times, I’ve held six different jobs since then, I’ve dated a girl for 6 months, was engaged to that same girl for 6 months, and then we got married, we even bought a house and had two kids. So yeah…life’s a little different here in Mount Shasta than it was as a recent APU graduate bachelor living in LA trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

And while the twenty-four things I wrote six years ago still hold weight, and are still relevant, wise words (or so I’d like to think–liked to think?), there are still a few more tidbits of info I’ve picked up since then that I’d like to tack onto that list.

So without further, further ado, in my thirtieth year, here are thirty more things I’ve learned over the past thirty years…

(Again, these are things that I’VE learned and have become rules for ME. Take them with grain of salt. Your mileage may vary.)

1. Your career is your career. Your life is your life. They are not the same, and no matter how much of your time your career takes up, never take the rest for granted.

2. Trite and cliched phrases are usually that way for a reason: because they carry truth.

3. Care less about what other people are doing, saying, caring about.

4. Fatherhood is the greatest gift I’ve ever received, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to pay it back.

5. Find ways to constantly and incrementally get better at the things you love doing.

6. When it comes to choosing a career path, do what you love. Hard to regret working in a job you love, as opposed to getting paid more or having more security while working in a job that drains your soul.

7. In the words of Janie Reed, “Be life giving.” I know she probably didn’t create this saying, but she’s definitely popularized it.

8. That whole “Count to 10” thing when you’re really angry actually works really well. Try it next time you feel overwhelmed.

9. That thing that’s been on your to-do list for a few months? Do it. No, really. Carve out the time, get an accountabilibuddy, whatever it takes. If not, soon it’ll be on your to-do list for years. Get on it.

10. Without Steph Curry on the Warriors, Klay Thompson would be the best shooter in the NBA.

11. The best gifts are items that the recipient would never buy for him/herself, but has been wanting for a long time.

12. Watch more movies, but do it with people you love. Life’s too fun to keep it to yourself.

13. Web development, graphic design, photography, music, and any other artistic endeavors can easily be distractions from the relationships that matter most. Keep them in perspective.

14. Eat when you’re hungry, not when you’re bored. #merica

15. While the snare shouldn’t always be on 2 and 4, it shouldn’t always not be on 2 and 4. #whoa

16. If you own it, take care of it. Whether you own it for years or end up selling it, you’ll be glad it’s still in one piece.

17. While it’s easy to say you don’t care about politics, it’s a lot harder to not care about politics.

18. Keep in touch with your oldest friends, because you’ll never have a friend as old as them.

19. Sports should be an occasional distraction from the real world, an entertaining pastime that provides amusement and relaxation. Sports should not be the reason you wake up in the morning, or a consistent distraction that pulls you away from relationship with others.

20. Don’t push your passions on your kids, but try to instill in them a passion for the things they already enjoy.

21. No matter what you used to say, or what Olivia thinks, cats really are inferior to dogs.

22. Another Janie Reed-ism: “Always apologize first.” You won’t always do this, but the more you do, the better you get at it. And the better you get at it, the more you get to reap the positive rewards of it.

23. The latest and greatest is usually just the latest.

24. Being slow to act is good if you’re practicing patience, but bad if you’re just too scared of what people will think of those actions.

25. If it’s worth buying, then it’s worth saving up for, and if you can’t wait that long to buy it, then it’s probably not worth it.

26. You Should Never Wake A Sleeping Baby. Again, cliche because it’s true.

27. Never root for the Dodgers or Yankees. Period.

28. If being 30 years old is a bad thing, then how come this 30-year-old bottle of Macallan costs $3,000? I rest my overly-defensive case.

29. Try to remember that people are more important than any of the issues that arise from their actions. (People > Their Actions)

aaaannndd…. 30! Enjoy the mundane as often as humanly possible. Changing Talia’s diaper, getting Olivia dressed, making coffee with Hannah. That green mushroom isn’t coming, so make sure enjoy your life as it comes at you. It only happens once.