42 Things I've Learned in 42 Years
I’m 42, and I’m still getting to know myself.
Language determines the way in which we perceive the world. Movement (in many forms) brings our perceptions into reality
Coffee can be friend or foe…quality and dose dependent.
Children are the truest mirror you’ll ever look into; most people punish what they don’t like seeing about themselves.
Striving for a Platonic ideal of being an ‘Athlete Scholar’ is still solid advice almost 2000 years later.
Writing is still an underappreciated superpower, and it may go away almost altogether.
Speaking of going away…we lose about 40 languages a year…each loss is an adios to a culture. We are currently losing thousands of animal species per year…sayonara to the world as we knew it.
English beer should actually be categorized as a vitamin.
Four decades later, and dinosaurs are still cool as fuck.
Evidence-based medicine is based upon the filter through which that evidence is passed…the filter needs to be examined, not just the data.
Dogs are still better than cats…yep.
Money fixes money problems; a little extra can make things a little more fun. That’s about it.
Imagination is a muscle to be flexed.
The word “fantasy” breaks down etymologically like this - Greek phantasia (imagination, appearance) via Latin and Old French, stemming from phantazesthai, meaning "to make visible," - let yourself think “fantastically.”
Get outside often… as if your life depends on it.
In five more years, it will be almost impossible to see the stars from anywhere in the U.S. due to light pollution. (My guestimate.)
Observation skills are useful in any scenario; these can be honed anywhere and everywhere…start by putting down your phone.
Running a road and running a trail are not the same; the trail is the clear winner.
Sunsets trump sunrises for photography. Catching sunrises trumps sunsets for promoting a productive day.
Movie soundtracks make the best deepwork playlists.
Most people worry about the small levers. The biggest levers of health will always be diet, exercise, rest, and connection.
Education is 80/20 - 80 = how you deliver content, 20 = what you deliver.
Productivity is usually in direct correlation to physical prowess; the longer this goes unbalanced, the more damage to both areas occurs.
Clichés like “the days are long but the years are short” are clichés for a reason.
Time seems to speed up as we age due to a lack of novelty, so mix it up, keep it interesting, and strive to be uncomfortable.
It’s still hard for me to listen to people whine about minor injuries, sometimes rubbing dirt on it, and getting on with it, actually, is the best advice.
Being by yourself, with no distractions, in nature, may be as rare or more than finding a diamond in the wild.
Travel often, and it will change how you view yourself and others.
Movement is not medicine, just as eating is not medicine. Movement, like food, is medicine when we look at variety, quality, and volume.
If you don’t have a creative outlet, you’re missing out on a large piece of the human journey.
This is normal: sock, shoe, sock, shoe. Ask anyone who has changed in a parking lot before or after a run.
Your spouse is one of, if not the biggest, life decision you will make. Choose wisely.
Take a long drive or road trip by yourself once per year, roll the windows down, crank the tunes or listen to the wind. This is like a Ctrl+alt+delete for the soul.
Photography is a great tool to teach observation and awareness; carrying an actual camera will always be different than shooting with your phone. Intent = Outcomes.
Never be afraid to reinvent yourself, but be terrified of clinging to an image or ideal of the past.
My childhood was great; the parts that weren’t were necessary. I’m trying to figure out how to ‘let’ that happen with my kids.
To teach is to truly understand.
Your hair will fall out and/or turn grey. Grow it out, rock that mustache…at least for a little while.
Good style is important. Fashion…not so much.
Hard work will always be a great attribute, just be careful where you focus your efforts in life.
I probably only have around 500 months left on Earth, reframing your life around your death can give great perspective.
I’ve realized I’ll never be content, but that I can still be happy along the way. I think that’s kind of the point.
I’m 42, and I’m still getting to know myself.
