Here are some things I really, really wish I knew when I was twenty.
->Love hurts, but not as much as not loving.
->The friendships you nurture will have a greater effect on your life than where you work or what you earn.
->You are not your job. You are not your bankroll. You are not the sum of your possessions.
->The company does not love you. It has no heart. You are replaceable. Keep your parachute handy.
->Few decisions will ever shape your future life more than who you choose to marry.
->To marry well, you must choose well.
->Love is a commitment.
->Believe it or not, passions grow out of your values. Make early, wise choices to value what (and who) is good, trustworthy, and praiseworthy.
->Integrity preserved is honor won.
->Rejoice in your health. It fades fast.
->Find a passion. Pick a hobby, own it: photography, juggling—whatever. Get your 10K hours of perfect practice in early and change your life.
->Don’t bother comparing yourself to others—this only leads to heartbreak, anger, and disappointment.
->Most disappointments grow from unmet expectations.
->Set realistic expectations for yourself, based on your strengths, then strive to exceed them.
->Don’t drive others to meet expectations they’ve committed to —lead, inspire, and help them do it.
->Don’t set expectations for others when they haven't or cannot commit to them.
->Don’t complain. Either change your situation, learn to cope, or change your perspective.
->Don’t worry about making big bucks out of the gate, worry first about doing whatever you have to do excellently.
->Little stuff matters—even in lowly jobs. The boss notices and even if not, your peers and colleagues do.
->Ultimately, privacy is a myth: God sees everything. The cloud records everything. NSA files everything. So, live transparently and don't waste useless energy hiding failures.
->Don’t look down on others because they don’t have what you didn’t earn —your intellect, your beauty, and your culture of birth are undeserved gifts…be humble.
->Failure is an opportunity: no great man or woman ever achieved significance without great failures to learn from.
->Never withhold an apology when it’s merited. Deliver it quickly, sincerely, and personally—before resentment festers.
->You don’t need to nurture old guilt when you're forgiven. But remembering the shame can help you avoid repeats.
->Mere belief in anything signifies little more than assent.It's trust and behavior that reveal where convictions lie.
->The main thing you need to do quickly is to stop doing things quickly. Trade hurry for calm, confidence, and precision.
->Everybody needs an editor.Everybody.
->Get your work done first so you can play without guilt. Even better, make work play and the fun never ends!
->If you want to develop your passion and gift, stop worrying about the things you do poorly. Go with your strengths!
->Avoid fights. Seriously. Avoid them like a plague: nobody wins in a fight, even if you walk away unscathed. But when a fight picks you, leave everything on the mat and give it your all. Hold nothing back.
->If you're bored, you’re doing it wrong.
->The skills that will help your career most are the abilities to assimilate, communicate, and persuade.Keep learning.
->Nothing in this life—no pain, no agony, no failure—compares to the eternal joy of Heaven. Live in light of eternity.
->Protect your joy. Nothing is easier to lose by over-thinking, over analyzing, and second-guessing. On the other hand, always consider the long-term consequences of your choices: stupid decisions made in the moment can rob you of years of joy and happiness.
->Your purpose in life determines how you frame events. You can maintain your joy in the most dire circumstances if you find meaning for your life. Dig deep.
->It truly matters what you think about. Think well by reading good books, building good, loving relationships, having good conversation, and imitating great people.
I'm still learning — in fact I haven’t fully appreciated most of the list I made, myself. And I’m still adding to it. But I’m getting better.
