Hmmm… “35 Lessons on the Way to 35 Years Old.”
Well, that was a while ago!
When I read a headline like that, I can’t help but roll my eyes—at least a little. The problem with an eye roll here is that writer and media strategist, Ryan Holiday wrote it.
I had to hit the brakes mid-eye-roll hoping nobody noticed.
I would have guessed that Ryan was at least forty-five or even older, so I was surprised to read the 35 Lessons on the Way to 35 headline. The guy is wicked smart. For starters, he’s written ten books that have sold over two million copies.
What about you? Have you ever sat down to capture your lessons learned in this lifetime on a particular milestone birthday? I think it’s a good and kind of fun thing to do on a rainy afternoon when the cable is out. Reflecting on what we’ve learned seems to be in our DNA.
Although I haven’t tried to tackle my list of lifelong lessons, I do have an affection for sage advice from others. Here’s a LifeUntucked® post that lists eight lessons from some of my favorite accidental teachers. Or you might be amused by the all-time most-read post on LikfeUntucked® “Simple, but Powerful Life Lessons from Captain Jack Sparrow (Yes, the Pirate!).”
Back to Ryan, he has some real winners on his list.
Here are some of my favorites—
You don’t have to be anywhere. You don’t have to do anything. All that pressure is in your head. It’s all made up.”
Think about it and tell me there’s not a lot of truth there. You may have to drill down a bit to realize that 90% of the pressure we experience is self-induced. A good place to start is by learning to say no more often.
Always remember, you get to decide.
Lengthen your timeline… it always takes longer than you think it’s going to take. That’s Hofstadter’s law. And even when you take the law into account, you’re still surprised.”
Remember, this guy has written ten books before turning thirty-five. Five of the most painful words we like to attach to our aspirations are simply, “By now, I should have…” Lengthen your timeline and cut yourself some slack. Then keep doing the work.
Despair and cynicism only contribute to the problem. Hope, good faith, a belief in your own agency? These are the traits that drive the change that everyone else has declared to be impossible.”
One way or the other, to wallow in despair and cynicism takes about the same amount of energy (or even more) than living with hope and good faith. And only one leaves you feeling better about your life and the world in general. Sounds like a slam-dunk to me.
That’s only three, there are thirty-two more that are also winners. I think I picked these because they felt kind of untucked to me.
You can read Ryan Holiday’s complete list of 35 Lessons on the Way to 35 Years Old here.
Can you imagine what he’ll be offering to the world with another twenty to add to his thirty-five young, but accomplished years?
He’ll probably be even more untucked. What do you think?
Thank you for reading LifeUntucked today. It really means a lot considering you have over 31 million other choices. I strive to make it one of the most helpful blogs in cyberspace. Your thoughts and comments are always welcome!
p.s. Be untucked.
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