We’re all different, and that’s great, I thrive in diversity! Not all the lessons I’ve chosen to share with you are a good fit for each and every one of you, but if you find yourself remembering at least one of them at some point in your life, this list has reached its goal.
Even though you’ve heard most of them before, it took me 30 years to learn and understand each one of them and I still feel like I’m just starting. There were many more, and possibly some of them even better, so before I start the list, here’s an extra lesson – write down your ideas!
I’m Bogdan, Editor-in-Chief of HisPotion.com, and today I turn 30.
1. Be a man. No, really! Be a man! Be courageous and fearless, be truthful, take risks, be generous and kind, show respect, never forget to show love!
2. Be passionate about what you’re doing or don’t do it! Follow your passion, don’t forget to follow your dreams and never give them up.
3. Give! Make your loved ones dreams come true! Don’t be afraid to show and express your feelings. Give without expecting anything back, it’s one of the purest joys in life.
4. Say “I’m sorry” when you make a mistake! Don’t make too many mistakes!
5. Take decisions! Don’t wait for things to happen. But remember that sometimes the best decision you can make is to wait.
6. Be yourself! Be unapologetically yourself! Some people will be disappointed once they get to know the real you, but those who will enjoy your company are the ones that really matter!
7. Try new things. Build something. Ruin a thing when you try to fix it – as long as you learn from it, you can write that down under “life experience“.
8. Explore yourself – put yourself to the limits – get to know YOU. Once you know your limits, your weaknesses and your strenghts, you will be a better man!
9. Play! Yes, play like a child! Never give up on your childish thoughts – don’t let adulthood kill the kid within! Yeah, it’s cool to be an adult, you get to eat sweets whenever you want, drink, smoke and so on. But these things are overrated, and they’ll eventually kill you. As long as you’re still a kid deep inside, the world will be your playground.
10. Learn! Learn from your mistakes, learn from other people’s mistakes – this one is really hard – you’ll have to do it yourself to really learn from it, so push yourself to understand what they did wrong so you won’t rehash their faults.
11. It’s a question of perspective. Always try to put things in a good light – see what/if you can get anything from them.
It’s tough, life is though! You will go through some rough times, nobody smiles every single day. Deal with it, be strong – think about it and see if there’s anything good you can use or learn from.
12. Everything has a price! I’m not talking about money. Every action, every step, every decision you take has a price! Think about it, and then think about it again – you might solve a problem with your action or decision, but what’s the price? – Is it worth paying it?
13. Contemplate. Take time for yourself. Go for a walk. Putting order in your thoughts is not only an expression. You can’t just live – that’s not how it works! Things happen each day, try not to stress too much about it, but every now and then take your time to think about your life, your loved ones, the things that matter. Where are you going? What do you want to achieve? Where are you on that road? Ask yourself the toughest questions and try to find an answer to all of them.
14. Ask for help. Don’t throw yourself in anyone’s arms, giving up. Just ask for an opinion, a solution, advice. Start with your closest friends or family. Don’t overdo it and don’t let anyone else decide what’s best for you.
15. Do not label people. Instead, get to know them first, let them unfold the mystery. Some of the most interesting people I’ve met were just average Joes at first sight.
16. Embrace change! Tastes change, whether it’s food, music or hobbies we’re talking about. These are changes that come from within.
The other change is the harder one, the one you must make once you’re unhappy or unsatisfied. It won’t be easy, that’s for sure, but trust me on this one – it will get better! Just take that big step and make the change!
17. Live abroad once. As simple as that – be a total stranger and make new friends, walk paths you haven’t walked before. You’ll have a lot to learn! Don’t forget about your old friends and family and do come back at some point – wherever you feel home is.
[adsense300gray]18. Ditch that TV! Seriously, try to live without television for a couple of weeks. I’ve done months, totally doable and actually enjoyable! You’ll have time to focus on better things in life. And don’t worry, if something big happens you will find out about it even if you don’t watch the evening news!
19. Music! Personally, I’m addicted to music. A day without music is a sad day. Music helps you go through tough times and it makes happy times happier. Celebrate with music, travel with music, love on music and so on. You know that awesome feeling when you hear a long-forgotten song and it suddenly reminds you of a place, a trip, a person? I’m pretty sure you do, so press play, wherever you are!
20. Balance. Feel free to try anything in your 20’s but don’t overdo it!
21. Do it your way! It will sometimes suck, but you’ll get better at it. So whatever you do, do it your way.
22. Nature. Spend time in it. Get out of that city, it’s slowly but surely driving you mad. So take a break and go explore mother nature – she’ll be glad to see you.
23. Travel! You don’t have to spend fortunes on trans-Atlantic flights or shopping sprees in Dubai to broaden your horizons!
24. Don’t let people dictate how you should live your life. But take time to consider points of view!
25. Most things happen for a reason. Bad things that is, most bad things happen for a reason. Only try to move on with your life once you’ve figured what that reason is!
26. Material things are just that – material things! “You are not your bank account, you are not the clothes you wear, you are not the car you drive!” Spending your entire savings on a car won’t make you happy long-term. The car will eventually own you, not the other way around.
27. Save money. Spend less than you earn! Don’t be a cheap fuc*, but make sure you have a safety net in place. You never know when your awesomely growing business will suddenly change its course. It’s always nice to have some savings, you’ll sleep better at night.
28. Go see your favorite band live! Yeah, I know, it’s crowded and far and you’ll probably spend a little fortune going to a concert/festival some thousand miles away from you, but believe me it is worth every single penny! You’ll know it once you’re there and shivers run down your spine while Coldplay is playing Fix You.
29. Be your own hero! Like Matthew McConaughey said in his Oscar acceptance speech (first video here), and he couldn’t have said it any better. You in 10 years, that should be your hero – you’re never gonna beat that hero, but that’s ok, you’ll always have somebody to keep on chasing.
30. And probably the best advice I have after all these years of living is this: Never cease to inspire people! Give them reason, hope, love, trust, support and not lastly, time. Show them the world through your eyes and inspire them through your actions, thoughts and feelings.
You know what, it doesn’t always have to be that deep – that favorite band of yours no one has ever heard of, don’t keep it for yourself!
I haven’t actually won an award to start thanking people, but I did win a beautiful life and I keep on winning it! So for all these 30 wonderful years, I want to thank my family for raising the great man I always aspired to be, I’m getting better and better at it thanks to you!
My friends, for putting this big smile on my face every day and giving me more joy and happiness than I deserve. Friends from my childhood, high school friends, long time friends, some friends that unfortunately aren’t here anymore, thank you! You have shaped me into what I am today, and I thank you for that! And why not, future friends, I look forward to getting to know you!
And to the most beautiful woman in the world, the person that inspires me the most and gives me all the power I need to believe tomorrow is going to be a much better day than the perfect day today was. A sentence can not sum up or express how grateful I am for all the happiness, thrill and peace of mind you have given me! I do believe some people are blessed, I was blessed with you, thank you D. !
