35 things I've learned in 35 years

I turned 35 this week & spent a day reflecting - here are some ideas that got me to where I am today.

1. Add value. Do it every day, in every room. You’ll never be broke.

2. Reduce uncertainty. People pay for clarity. The clearer you make things, the more valuable you become.

3. Grow your surface area for luck. Press publish. Speak up. Connect. Luck finds those who show up where it can knock.

4. Be the thermostat, not the temperature. Set the vibe. Don’t absorb everyone else’s noise.

5. Observe, don’t judge. Judgment clouds. Observation clarifies.

6. Trust your gut, especially when it’s weird. Your gut is your oldest compass. It’s never broken.

7. Empathy is undervalued. Everyone’s fighting battles you can’t see. Lead with it.

8. Do less. Do it better. Half-assed “everything” is nothing. Whole-assed “one thing” is everything.

9. Goals need a real why. If it doesn’t matter to you, you’ll never hit it.

10. People want to be led. They crave it. If you’re called, step up. The world’s waiting.

11. Surrender beats control. Go with the flow, then seize the opportunities that arise.

12. Know when to quit and when to never give up. Quit what kills you. Never give up on what breathes life into you.

13. Hit the rough edges. Comfort kills. Seek hard things on purpose - or life will serve them anyway.

14. Breathe like you mean it. Stress is very bad for the body. Breathe it away.

15. Chase timeless moments, be in the present. When time disappears, you’re exactly where you should be.

16. Put down your phone. My kids see me looking at it too much… not the example I want to set.

17. Laugh. The best medicine there is.

18. Find your way to move. And stretch before you do it!

19. Eat clean. Respect your future self.

20. Happiness is external. Joy is internal. Don’t confuse the two.

21. Life will break you. Let it. You’ll survive. You’ll grow. It’s how you get strong.

22. Everyone has a story. Learn to tell yours. Nothing connects people like a good story, well told.

23. Love yourself for no reason. Conditional love is cheap. Unconditional is freedom.

24. Be certain that you can’t be certain. Certainty is an illusion. Roll with it.

25. Embrace your mistakes. Perfection is the enemy of progress.

26. Accept your death to really live. Memento mori. Nothing brings you into the now like mortality.

27. Almost is dangerous. Almost keeps you safe. Safe keeps you stuck. Go all in.

28. Surrender when you should. Never give up when you shouldn’t. Know the difference. It’ll save you years.

29. Fear is your compass. Don’t fear fear. Chase what scares you.

30. Stop resisting. Resistance is pain. Surrender is peace.

31. Life is rough. You can handle it. Sharpen yourself intentionally.

32. Everyone has a book in them. Write it. Even if no one reads it.

33. Stand up once. Nothing scarier than stand-up comedy. Nothing more freeing.

34. Hit things. Humans are built to hit. Find a safe way.

35. Have more fun. Fun multiplies money, love, connection, and life itself.