Medium is full of people giving advice that amounts to ‘you can do it, and if you don’t you’re a loser.’
It’s a tough world out there. Not everything is in your control (though a lot is). Below are 20 things I think you need to know, and need to look at in your life. Once you are aware of these issues you can work on fixing them.
These are things I wish I’d figured out earlier, and have come from my 50+ years walking the planet.
- Most people are too drained by a society that values status and productivity to imagine anything more than their next raise, promotion, or hospital bill.
- No one cares about what you care about except for you. Don’t expect them to.
- Friends are relative to where you are in life. If you’re too uncomfortable talking about your ideas or emotions to discuss anything other than interest or circumstance then they might not be the friends you need.
- You reap the rewards of your potential as you get older, because potential is “the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.” You’re not too old to do anything.
- Are you living in some dystopian Groundhog’s day nightmare? Do you time your shower to the second? Relax and disrupt. Your response to your situation is of your own choosing.
- Remember outside? Go there for (at least) five minutes a day. It doesn’t have to be a big production, in a lovely park. Just go outside, close your eyes, and breathe.
- Most people don’t do what they love because when you assign monetary value to beloved hobbies, it tends to drain them off all enjoyment — especially when they find out that the money is a pittance. Instead, love what you do.
- Haven’t read a book in a while? Spend 10 minutes a day. Your brain will thank you later.
- Most people talk more than they listen. (They also write unhelpful self-help articles on Medium). Stop planning what you’ll say next while someone else is talking to you.
- Creativity takes authenticity. You don’t have to write (or whatever) what you know. Write who you are.
- Suc·cess. Noun. The accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Define your own purpose.
- People who are open-minded can continue to grow emotionally and intellectually throughout their lives. And you are never too old to improve.
- Your actions affect other people. Never forget that.
- Don’t lie about your feelings. Especially to yourself.
- Your potential is set by you, but it’s not your fault if you feel emotionally drained by a society that corners you into assumptions and expectations based on your looks and life circumstances. Step back as much as you can from these toxic expectations.
- Listen to valuable feedback, and know what feedback to trust. You’re not right just because you want to be, despite what your mom told you.
- Your beliefs and values are shaped by the people around you, so keep good people around.
- Think about what you want to do. Because… otherwise you’re not a sentient being.
- A “vice” is any action that harms yourself or those around you, regardless of frequency.
- Your purpose is to be you, so long as the “you” you think you are doesn’t deny the humanity of any other human on the planet.
