45 Things + 5

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!)

1. Figure out who you are
2. Being nice is a lot less maintenance than being mean
3. Friend older people and listen for the gems
4. Give your significant other a great life
5. Immediate family comes first
6. Be selfish with your time
7. Gossiping will find its way back to you
8. Eating crap, makes you feel and look like crap
9. Pick exercises you like and do those
10. Get rid of clothes, jobs and people in your life that don’t fit anymore
11. You have a lot more acquaintances, than friends
12. Don’t freak out, the result is worse
13. People remember you how they saw you last
14. If it feels weird, it’s weird
15. Fear is why we don’t do things and why we do things
16. Walking daily will help you solve all of the world’s problems
17. How you imagine it, is not the same as real life
18. Stay out of other people’s drama
19. If you are running out of people to call, you probably complain too much
20. Simplifying your life is a daily practice
21. If someone hires you to do a job, do it
22. Your significant other will change, but not how you think
23. Buy the best quality you can afford
24. Your parents don’t owe you anything and you don’t owe them anything
25. Be alone with yourself
26. Some people are jerks
27. Stay out of the past, it’s not what you remember
28. Things just happen sometimes. That’s it.
29. When feeling compelled to retaliate, do the opposite
30. Losing weight takes longer every year
31. Quit your job for the better one, then do it again
32. Love your pets and they will save you
33. Achieve your goals, no matter how long it takes
34. Fighting keeps your problems longer
35. If you are looking for something wrong, you will find it
36. Wait 24 hours before responding to an angry text or email
37. Everyone is, should be and will be a consultant
38. More than one person loses when you make fun of them
39. Half your life is spent unlearning what your parents taught you
40. Friendship takes maintenance
41. Don’t let employers dumb down your achievements
42. Stop trying to be all of these different people, pick the few that you like
43. Make your own money
44. Share what you’ve learned with others
45. Get a flower guy, everyone loves flowers
46. Be clean and dress nice, you’ll be surprised how your day changes
47. Searching for someone to blame gets harder
48. Take care of your body, it needs to last awhile
49. Choose silence in times of saying something you’ll regret
50. If not you, then who