04/25/2022
Today, I happily turned 40!!! 🙂
And if I could give my 20-year old self some advice, then there are 12 valuable things I would share with him…or me.. 😉
1. Read. Read. Read. Time is short, read books, learn from others’ mistakes. You’ll find special interest in self-help books. For you to stay happy, you need to keep growing, keep learning, & apply the lessons learned. Continuous improvements will lift you up towards new understanding & living. Growth is not automatic, you have to put on the work to get better. Commit to it. What you lack in talent you’ll make up with pure determination and relentless desire to be the best version of yourself.
2. Consistency compounds. You need a morning routine to set you up for the day. Take control of the morning so you control your day. To be mentally healthy, you need a routine. Exercise daily. Also, plan your day. If you don’t plan your time, some else will help waste it. Have a healthy sleep habit.
3. What you eat becomes what you look like. Have clean water as your drink of choice. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Stay away from sugar. Combine proper nutrition with daily exercise. Let food & exercise be your medicine. Be proactive.
4. Start developing financial discipline as early as you can. Make a plan. You’ll learn that having a wealth mindset solves a lot of problems money can’t buy. Small steps can get bigger really fast.
5. Prioritize & spend time with people you care & love the most. You’ll have hundreds of friends for sure. As you meet people, try to build strong meaningful relationships, observe your emotions, & create a community around your values. Focus on improving your attitude and behavior towards others. Stay away from toxic people, instead you should surround yourself with happy individuals who motivate you to become better & to believe in the importance of positivity.
6. Widen your imagination & be creative. You’ll be dancing on the streets of New York. This would be one of your creative outputs which would bring you so much fun, joy, and excitement. Everything is created twice, first in the mind, then in reality. You become what you think about.
7. You’ll experience a lot of challenges, some of them beyond your control, and it’s okay to sometimes fail. Keep in mind that these mistakes will be your guide and are only speed bumps to your success. Evaluating your experience is going to be your best teacher.
8. Feed the leader inside you and practice it in every opportunity you can. Use your head to lead yourself, use your heart to lead others. You chose the right profession. Keep helping people and live a life in service. Influence and inspire others who shares your vision. This is your ‘Why’.
9. Always seek help when needed and identify the demands of life’s 4 dimensions: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. You’ll find experts who will teach you to keep your balance. If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you. Strengthen your strengths, amplify them, your natural strengths will give you energy back. Delegate the rest.
10. Your behavior is a function of your decisions, not your condition. You can subordinate your feelings to your values. Do not take things personally. You have the initiative and responsibility to make things happen.
11. Improve your communication skills. Words are powerful, be impeccable with them. Learn how to articulate your thoughts to the best of your ability. If you want the right answers, you must ask the right questions. You can start with “What would your greatest life look like?”
12. Change is a good thing, and it’s best when it’s inside out. Change how you look at things and the things that you look at change. There are 2 ways to see the world. Some people see the thing that they want, and some people see the thing that prevents them from getting the thing that they want. You can go after whatever you want, you just cannot deny anyone else to go after whatever they want. The lenses you see the world will help you make sound judgement and better decisions.
Bonus tip: 20 years from now, you’ll look exactly the same. The secret is..
keep smiling! 😉
Cheers!