Posted by Tomorrow I will be 45 years old. My twin brother and I have seen and done a lot in this lifetime so far and I am lucky to talk to him daily. I’ve always been a little indifferent about my birthday, not sure why, but searching for a reason is not going to change anything. Typically I enjoy a nice quiet meal with my wife and daughter and a cold beer. Simple is nice.
I’ve noticed over the years, I’ve come to trust some “Wes’ism’s” that I’ve said over and over to myself and others, mostly to keep myself from doing stupid stuff, but also to remind myself of my values and who I am. Most of these are cobbled together from lessons learned or wise words from friends and colleagues. They’ve guided me through some rough times, so I thought at this stage of my life they would make a great post.
(Note: Part two of Going All In On The Web, is coming. The post is very long, but I am looking forward to start posting regularly again. More soon!)
- Figure out who you are
- Being nice is a lot less maintenance than being mean
- Friend older people and listen for the gems
- Give your significant other a great life
- Immediate family comes first
- Be selfish with your time
- Gossiping will find its way back to you
- Eating crap, makes you feel and look like crap
- Pick exercises you like and do those
- Get rid of clothes, jobs and people in your life that don’t fit anymore
- You have a lot more acquaintances, than friends
- Don’t freak out, the result is worse
- People remember you how they saw you last
- If it feels weird, it’s weird
- Fear is why we don’t do things and why we do things
- Walking daily will help you solve all of the world’s problems
- How you imagine it, is not the same as real life
- Stay out of other people’s drama
- If you are running out of people to call, you probably complain too much
- Simplifying your life is a daily practice
- If someone hires you to do a job, do it
- Your significant other will change, but not how you think
- Buy the best quality you can afford
- Your parents don’t owe you anything and you don’t owe them anything
- Be alone with yourself
- Some people are jerks
- Stay out of the past, it’s not what you remember
- Things just happen sometimes. That’s it.
- When feeling compelled to retaliate, do the opposite
- Losing weight takes longer every year
- Quit your job for the better one, then do it again
- Love your pets and they will save you
- Achieve your goals, no matter how long it takes
- Fighting keeps your problems longer
- If you are looking for something wrong, you will find it
- Wait 24 hours before responding to an angry text or email
- Everyone is, should be and will be a consultant
- More than one person loses when you make fun of them
- Half your life is spent unlearning what your parents taught you
- Friendship takes maintenance
- Don’t let employers dumb down your achievements
- Stop trying to be all of these different people, pick the few that you like
- Make your own money
- Share what you’ve learned with others
- Get a flower guy, everyone loves flowers
- Be clean and dress nice, you’ll be surprised how your day changes
- Searching for someone to blame gets harder
- Take care of your body, it needs to last awhile
- Choose silence in times of saying something you’ll regret
- If not you, then who
Love these, Wes! I’m keeping your list AND sharing them!!
Thanks Wendy! It was fun and a nice reminder putting together the list. It’s been writing itself for years.
So glad you’re posting again. I share your lack of interest in making one’s own birthday a big deal. _Really_ liked the list of life lessons. Shows you’ve been paying attention the past 45 years, and accrued some wisdom along the way. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to reading Part II of ‘Going All In on the Web’ whenever you’re ready to post.
So great to hear from you Robert! I hope you are doing well and achieving your dreams.
Reblogged this on Norbert Haupt and commented:
I needed Wes’ 45 things plus 5. It helped. A lot.
Thanks Norb! Your posts help me a lot too!