The rumours are true.
Your Overlord and Saviour turns 34 today.
And let me tell you, that feels weird to write.
I still recall the day I turned 18, finishing college early, getting half-cut with my friends, and dancing away on the sticky carpet of our local nightclub well into the early hours. Now, I’m almost double that age, and I have a dodgy back to prove it.
So yeah. Bit of a reality check.
In all honesty, if it wasn’t for Lady Laura plopping a card and present on my lap, I might have forgotten it was the day Earth was blessed with my presence.
Being a dad. Editing books. Sticking to a schedule. Managing social media. Surviving sleepless nights. It’s all turned my memory to mush — even for the most important date of the entire year in the Legion’s calendar.
But instead of prattling on, I’m going to do something different.
I’m sharing 34 things I’ve learned over my 34 years.
Some might appeal to you; some might seem unoriginal, woo-woo, or lacking in common sense.
Whatever the case, let’s jump in.
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- Never assume friends will be around forever. Most won’t.
- Life can only ever be understood backwards, not forwards.
- Carve 20 minutes a day for yourself. No phone, no audiobooks – just you and an empty mind. Watch what epiphanies find you.
- “Tomorrow” never comes. If there is something you want to do, start it today.
- Small actions repeated often always trump massive actions done sporadically.
- 99% of arguments can be solved over a cup of tea.
- Regrets are a real thing. Dump as many of them as you can while you can.
- Children are great, but they will test you in every way.
- Swap sugary treats for fruit and watch how your body and mood transform.
- Be your own cheerleader and big up yourself often. You’ve got this.
- Walking 2 miles a day will do more for your mental and physical health than running a few times weekly.
- Always make time to watch a good movie or read a good book.
- It’s okay to not like certain people.
- If you live in a cold climate, make sure you’re taking Vitamin D3 with K2 during the winter months.
- Nostalgia should be enjoyed in doses. Too much, and it can get depressing. Too little, and you risk forgetting some of your fondest memories.
- Everything you ever want is just outside your comfort zone.
- Majority of people are not fire-breathing political dragons.
- Most blessings wear the clothing of bad news.
- You’re the youngest you’ll ever be. Take as many pictures of yourself and loved ones as you can.
- Don’t neglect video either. We might hate the way our voices sound, but it’s videos we seek when we want to “remember”.
- Putting a little bit of money away every month into Bitcoin or a global index fund might be prudent (not financial advice).
- Gladiator is still the best movie ever made.
- What isn’t measured cannot be improved.
- Fail to plan, plan to fail.
- But it’s also important to allow for spontaneity as most of life’s magic occurs here.
- Hang out with loved ones as often as life allows.
- We’re all dying one day at a time. Have zero regrets. Do the stuff you love with the people you love. Leave nothing to chance.
- AI is going to change everything we’ve ever known (for the better).
- Sometimes, in order to move forward in life, you’ve got to take two steps back.
- Crocodiles are still the scariest animals on the planet.
- There are very few “event horizons” in life, yet we debate for months over stuff that can easily be reversed in days should it not work out.
- You succeed or you learn – failure doesn’t exist.
- Fear is often a sign that we should do the thing.
- Laugh more. Nothing bad ever lasts.
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And there you have it.
34 things (maxims?) I’ve acquired over the last 34 years. I found this email to be quite a sobering exercise; one I think I’ll make an annual ritual going forward.
If any of these points resonated (or annoyed you), be sure to write in.
I’d love to hear which ones hit the spot.
For anyone stuck for ideas on Point #12, I have the perfect antidote:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/divided-region-starter-bundle
DJJW