For f*cks sake, the winning lottery numbers are 8 73 27 46 52 38 83!
Sorry about that… the bills just kept pilin’ on, and the working class is forced to keep trucking’ on.
If I could go back in time and be fortunate to have a conversation with my younger self, and somehow convince my younger, skeptical self that yes, you’re in a sci-fi moment – here is the advice I would give.
Figure out What You Want to Do and Double Down
I’ve been like a freshly caught fish, flip-flopping on the shore of choice. Some days I want to do this, so I flop over here. Other days I want to do that, so I flop over there. Listen, choose one thing you want to go for and go all in. Think about what excites you and do that. Your work should ideally be confused for your play. Although it’s more comfortable to ease into the pool of life, how you get to the other shore quicker is diving in and swimming confidently, hence the double down.
Keep Your Momentum
Once you’re on your journey, it is much easier to keep momentum than to create momentum. You don’t want to be Sisyphus…. The poor bastard who had to roll the rock up the hill only to watch in rollback down. If you got something going… tend to the fire, don’t let it burn out and stay warm.
Try To Stay Positive
Any person with a butt crack can view the day negatively… but what’s the point? How could that possibly help? It can’t. However, viewing the day optimistically can. Don’t you think your life would be easier if you gave the day the benefit of the doubt?
Worry less
Most of the things you worry about will never come to pass. Imagine that. Now, don’t you feel silly for wasting all that time?
Trust Yourself
If you don’t, who will?
Make time to Have Fun Daily
Life is too short not to enjoy it, so make sure you are enjoying it. Try your hardest to schedule time daily to do the things you really want to do and take control of your life.
Winners Have Plans and Take Action
If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you realistically expect to get there? You can’t. So set goals for your life and take action to get there. The successful person acts on their dreams, which is not to be confused for thinking about your dreams.
Discipline is freedom.
If you can force yourself to do hard things… then you will earn a life of easy things.
Consistency is Everything
Has anyone ever achieved real progress by not being consistent? No.
Happiness is Perspective
You have a choice daily on how to interpret the world. Choose happiness, even if it’s scary, choose happiness.
You Bring Passion Not Find Passion
Just let THAT sink in.
Become A Person People Want To Be Around
Have you ever been in a room with a total dick head? Was it fun? No, it wasn’t. So don’t strive for that archetype. Life becomes easier when you become a person that people want to be around because when you meet more people who like you, you typically gain more opportunities. You can do this by being kind, friendly, listening, funny, and being generally helpful.
Never Play Before Work
Again, it’s that bastard discipline raising his chiseled, flurried, head. Although you want to play, if the work doesn’t get done, it doesn’t get done. Be an adult and do what you must do. Get your priorities straight.
You Are What You Believe
So believe in yourself and choose the beliefs that best serve you.
Relationships Are Built On Giving And Listening
If you’re a singular person in a plural world, life is going to be hard. However, if you make a point to always be the leading, considerate, giving hand life instantly becomes much easier and your impact will be greater.
Don’t Try To Unnecessarily Impress, Rather Be Yourself
Fuck he said it, the be yourself… what does that mean? It means don’t put on a front. Be that weird, goofball that you are and the right people will come into your life for the right reasons. Right?!
Don’t Compare
If you want to feel like you’re in second place, you should compare your life. If you want to feel like you’re in first place. Don’t compare. Comparison is the robber of joy.
You’re Capable Of More Than You Think
And everyone in the world is. The world was built by stub-your-toe-and-swear people. Nobody is any more special than anyone else. It’s the people who take action end up making a difference and even those people, are stub-their-toe-and-swear people.
It’s Attractive When People Chase Their Dreams
Those are the warriors, the people who set out for what they want, not settle for what they have. Learn this and learn this quickly.
Do It Right The First Time
If you don’t do it right the first time, when will you have time to do it right the second time?
Eat Well
Your body is a machine, don’t you want the best fuel for it?
Learn
Learning is a superpower – improve your brain to gain an edge in the world.
Focus On One Thing At A Time
As it turns out, you get a lot more done that way.
Embrace It
Don’t outright fight the resistance but embrace the resistance then fight. With this, you can win the mental war.
Edit
Writing is better when you edit. Life is better when you edit.
Please like, comment, share and tell me what you think. What life lessons do you think are the best?
This is one of the best metaphors I’ve ever seen
I’ve been like a freshly caught fish, flip-flopping on the shore of choice
Oh thank you so much! I really appreciate it
I also just reblogged it on eQuips. It would help if you added a reblog button…
Thank you so much!! Let me figure out how to do that
All very good advice but you forgot to mention……..what day are those lottery numbers for?
The best advice here, I think, is Worry less. Unfortunately, those who most need to hear those words are totally and utterly deaf on the subject. We seem to be breeding worry into people now. I think WORRY, and REGRET should be totally banned, they are both so utterly worthless!
Now I shall worry because I used utterly twice!
Once I figure out the day those numbers hit, you’ll be the first person I call, and great point about regret. That word is a poison that makes you second guess everything.
I had to go almost half my life to learn these…and here they are! Thanks for stating them all so succintly!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! It’s great to figure it out
I would tell my younger self – keep your comic book collection – one day it will be worth enough to buy a house 🙂
Yeah seriously, it makes me sick to think the toys and cards I had that if i would have kept would have made me money
Wow! Great advices. I swallowed every single sentence!
Thank you so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed – it was good to write
I’m still thinking about those advises since morning!
Great advice! Really, really GREAT advice.
Thank you so much!! It felt good to write
This is really helpful, a good reminder for myself that I should start making a damn choice now. Hahah. This was a great read.
Thank you so much, I felt the same way sometimes really just not wanting to make the wrong choice but as long as you’re proud and enjoy what you do I suppose there isn’t a write or wrong way to go about it
you’re welcome! I still have a lot to think about but thanks for the tip! xx
No problem!
This was nice!
Thank you!
Great post, and excellent advice–and a welcome reminder no matter your age.
Thank you so much Susan!
Sick post tony!
You really do seem to have a great deal of wisdom. I wish I had an older brother like your growing up! But as a young adult I’ve learned from people like you great life lessons. They provide answers for events and feelings I get as I progress in life.
Personally, my favourite is ‘bring the passion’. Too often I’ve noticed the personal magnetism of others and wondered why they possess it and I don’t… on closer inspection I’ve realised it’s a choice, not a hereditary trait!
Thanks for the lessons Tony
Regards,
Mikey O’Reilly
Self-Improvement Venture
Thanks so much Mikey for the kinds words, it really means a lot to me!
I’ve been lucky to have older parents and I think a lot of wisdom comes from that along with reading but the biggest thing is just journaling which is what you wrote about. That’s the key, just some good self reflection.
And bringing your passion is where it’s at – it’s something you can control which is what I like. You should try to do what you like to do, but there is no passion to find, you bring it.
Thanks again for stopping by and keep writing!
“The world was built by stub-your-toe-and-swear people. Nobody is any more special than anyone else.” YES. So. Much. Yes. I’d tell Shakiyla this over and over again (with multiple time traveling trips of course)
Hahah it’s a lesson I remind myself too. It’s crazy to think that we’re basically equal it’s just a matter of taking action.
Really liked this. Thanks Toby
I’m so glad you did!
I’d tell myself to appreciate my youth more. You can do all the same physical things in your forties as in your twenties, but your eyesight is worse and it’s twice as hard. I don’t think I ever appreciated how fit my fitter, younger self actually was.
“If you don’t do it right the first time, when will you have to do it the second time?”. This has struck me the most. Thanks for this. It’s a reminder.
I always gotta remind myself that too
I would advice this to my younger self too.
“Make time to Have Fun Daily”
One more I would do is
“Invest in friendships and relationships”, you wont find time for it later.
I agree with that so much and the older I get it’s more and more clear – investing in relationships is so important
Great read. Great advice!
Thank you so much!
I just looked at my bag of crisps at the “Eat Well” point 😬 – I stopped munching lol
Fall seven times, stand up eight.
-Zen proverb
Wag more, bark less.
“The world is your exercise book. You are free to do with it as you please. You can write your reps, or you can scribble, or you can tear the pages out.”
-Richard Bach, Illusions
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“Kind.” answered the boy.
-Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and the Horse
“You can look around you any time and count the good things in your life; family, friends, your heart and mind, even your breath and life. Or you’re free to go on worrying about something that doesn’t exist anymore and didn’t belong to you in the first place.”
-Scott R. O’Connor, Sasha Of The Chukchi Sea
What does a fly say when he sees poop?
All a matter of perspective, my friend.
-Armchair Zen
“So there you have it.
There are no more somedays for us.
Mind this lesson.”
-Chuy The Wonderdog, Chow Dog Zen
“If your environment is poor, blame yourself. Tell yourself you are not poet enough to call forth its richness.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-President Theodore Roosevelt
“Simplify.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“If thy brother wrongs thee, remember not so much his wrong-doing, but more than ever that he is thy brother.”
-Epictetus
“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.”
-Aristotle
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
-Francis of Assisi
“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, your strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”
-Tecumseh
Horas non numero nisi serenas.
“I count only the happy hours”
On charitable works:
“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
-President Ronald Reagan
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the things you did. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the Trade Winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
-Mark Twain
“Don’t pray for easier lives.
Pray to be stronger men.”
-President John Kennedy
“Everything you know could be wrong.”
-Richard Bach, Illusions
Slainte,
Paz
This is an amazing list, thank you so much, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this
Hi Tony: Thank you for visiting my blog and for your enthusiastic evaluation.
I see you are a surfer: I admire surfers for their balancing ability.
But your balance is not limited to the physical it extends to the mental: your way of thinking in your blogs.
Keep it up!
Carmel.
Wonderful 👍
I could have used some of that advice when i was young and a flopping fish, too. Lots of good advice.
Thank you so much – yeah I have to read the list constantly
It’s a tricky one for sure – advice to younger self – would I take notice of my older self. And would you know the advice to give if you hadn’t lived wrong or right the first time? But a list is an excellent thing to have because it’s that guide – maybe that’s the thing I would tell a younger self – make a list and abide by it. And meanwhile I will pass your list on to my son (you know how the advice is ALWAYS more relevant when it doesn’t come from a parent).
I’m so glad you enjoyed and I appreciate you sharing this with your son! You’re so right, hahah I wish I would have just listened to my parents instead of having to learn a bunch of things on my own
Having read this tongue-in-cheek wisdom and the fact you actually read my blog post Glorious Day, me thinks you’ve had contact with a Bible once or twice in your life! Heidi Honey is glad to virtually meet Tony Bologna; it’s fun to have alliterative names!
Interesting read it is.
Lastly RELAX :…..Things do eventually workout in due time
So true
Thanks for these nuggets of wisdom 🙌