32 lessons from 32 years of life
One good novel inspires you more than a year of social scrolling.
You will enjoy your day to the exact degree you allow yourself to enjoy it.
Creativity is justified if it increases the quality of your life. Everything else is extra.
It’s okay to take two showers in one day.
A messy desk takes less than five minutes to clean but it costs you hours of focus each week.
Joy lies not in optimization but in acceptance.
Listening is leverage.
You don’t need to be good at something to enjoy it.
This isn’t always true, but if you pretend it is, you’ll save yourself a lot of pain: noisy, overconfident people are trying to distract you from something bad.
The barking dog eventually gets tired. Wait them out.
Public speaking is public service. Be wary of anyone who treats it differently.
Once per year, genuinely ask if God is real.
I’ve reached some financial goals this year, but I’d pay every dollar in my bank account right now to play golf with my Dad for one more afternoon.
Never underestimate the power of honesty to break down the walls between us.
Some days you don’t feel like what you are.
Gratitude douses stress.
Others have said this, and I’ll repeat it here: it’s not a principle unless it costs you money.
The freest person in the world is the person who can’t be bought.
The only way to feel rich is to live within your means.
Expensive meals are worth it because they teach you to enjoy the moment.
The weight of creativity never leaves you.
Small things add up.
Every artist has to make their money—there’s no shame in working—not ever.
When your favorite restaurant closes, it’s like if your favorite band broke up and deleted all their music. Go eat at a local restaurant this week.
You can only win what you’re willing to lose.
Only the painful laps help you grow.
Consistency is its own art form.
Dreaming about _______ is the very thing keeping you from ________. (Fill in the blanks with the same thing: “being rich,” “enjoying life,” “falling in love,” etc.)
Trust is the secret sauce. There are no shortcuts to grow it.
People don’t love you in spite of your need for self-care. Your commitment to self-care is the reason they love you.
If you think baseball is boring, you’re not paying attention (substitute “baseball” with “conversations”).
You can do it.
