Things I’ve learned
My 43rd birthday was back in October, and I had planned on doing one of those inspirational “Things I’ve Learned” posts to share what little wisdom I bring to the table. So it’s taken a few months, but here are things 43 years of living have taught me.
- There is no better feeling in the world than returning home to be greeted by a happy dog, except being greeted by happy children.
- You will never regret hard work. If you work hard at something, it means more.
- Do not be afraid to fail at new experiences. Failing = Learning. In addition, you just may find yourself enjoying something you’ve never tried.
- You’ll regret the things you were afraid to try much more than the things you did try.
- Be nice to your ex-loves. You loved them for a reason, just because it didn’t work out doesn’t mean you need to hate them or tear them down.
- Tip well in every situation, it can only benefit you.
- If someone is mean to the waiter or waitress, that person is not someone you want to associate with
- Don’t trust people who don’t like dogs.
- If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
- Try new foods whenever you have a chance, your palate will surprise you.
- The only truly healthy way to lose weight is to eat healthier, consume less, and exercise some. You just need willpower, not drugs or a system.
- Hug your family every single day. You’ll miss it terribly when you no longer can.
- Keep your word. If you promise something, come through.
- Don’t promise too much. Always under-promise, then over-deliver.
- Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself. It’s good to decompress.
- If your car costs as much as my house, you can wait to merge into traffic.
- Be kind to the planet. It’s the only one we have.
- I don’t care what your belief system is. If it brings you peace, that makes me happy.
- You shouldn’t care about my belief system. It brings me peace, and I am happy.
- Music should be part of every day
- Take lots of photos. They are the best way to document the life you live.
- Don’t worry about things you cannot change. The sooner you can “let go” of that stress, the happier you will be.
- There’s nothing wrong with nudity. The human body is beautiful, and people who can’t handle seeing a nipple or a woman breast feeding are idiots.
- Cursing is not inherently evil. Words are simply words. Know when to fucking use them as punctuation.
- You should live with someone before marrying them. Loving someone does not equal the ability to live with someone.
- You’re never too old to play games
- Be an individual, never be afraid to be YOU.
- Statistically, half the world are idiots. If you run across one, don’t bother trying to figure out their motivations. They are just idiots.
- Life is too short to hate your job. If you hate what you do, change what you do. You have the ability to make that leap.
- I don’t care what you do behind closed doors as long as you aren’t hurting anyone.
- Everyone deserves to be happy
I wish I would have known some of these things back when I was a kid. All I can do now is help others. Hopefully this does help in some small way. Have a great weekend everyone.
Tom Duff
November 22, 2013 @ 5:11 pm
Great post, John… a couple reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from the TV show Justified:
“You ever hear the saying “you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole; you run into assholes all day, you’re the asshole.”” – Raylan to Jody Adair in the episode “Hole in the Wall”.
John Roling
November 22, 2013 @ 5:38 pm
Wait, did you just call me an asshole? 😀 Thanks sir…
Tom Duff
November 23, 2013 @ 6:58 pm
Um… uh…. SQUIRREL!
Sam Bridegroom
November 22, 2013 @ 5:14 pm
Well done, sir.
John Roling
November 22, 2013 @ 5:38 pm
Thanks Sam!
raybilyk
November 22, 2013 @ 5:55 pm
And WEAR SUNSCREEN!
Giulio Campobassi
November 24, 2013 @ 4:08 am
Best quote is
“If your car costs as much as my house, you can wait to merge into traffic.” and the bit about punctuation.
LOL.. actually it’s all pretty good..
John Roling
November 24, 2013 @ 3:03 pm
Thanks Giulio. I’ve thought that one for a long time, I’m glad someone else liked it too 🙂
Nathan Freeman
November 24, 2013 @ 5:32 am
“I don’t care what your belief system is. If it brings you peace, that makes me happy.
You shouldn’t care about my belief system. It brings me peace, and I am happy.”
Just curious, John: are you able to apply these principles universally? I mean, these two statements together imply HUGE consequences that could impact almost every area of your life. So I’m curious whether you think you apply them consistently, and if so, whether you think they have big consequences on your relationships.
John Roling
November 24, 2013 @ 3:03 pm
It’s primarily about religious belief. It’s harder to do when it comes to something like politics, but I’ve been trying. I’ve disengaged somewhat in the political talk on Facebook and have tried to let people just be who they are. I’m friends with everyone from staunch conservatives to people who think the earth is only 9000 years old. So it’s not absolute, but I’m trying.