Lessons at 30.

My lessons on turning 30. Life has been super kind. In my mind, the best time for experimentation was before I turned 30. And pushed the boundaries I have. The problem with experimentation is that after a while its a drug and its difficult to break out of that momentum. Well COVID now ensures that I sit and focus. So be it!

• You can only fool yourself or the world for a finite period of time
• Happiness comes from the smaller things in life but without the feeling of satisfaction of achievement, the former becomes meaningless.
• Family(you can have various definitions) is an anchor that you should be grateful for. That’s the only relationship where you get more than you give.
• Take feedback and constantly grow. Every year look back and feel like a better person. That’s all that matters
• There will be tough years and then some more. That’s life. Live it and be joyous throughout. Happiness will never come only with absolute success.
• Don’t hold back from expressing who you truly are. The day you start doing that will mark a monumental shift in your life.
• It’s ok to ask for help and feel vulnerable
• Don’t be an asshole to those close to you. And well most other people.
• Take special care of those who take care of you during your darkest phase.
• Keep those who build you close and invest in them. Rest others ruthlessly eliminate or keep at an arms distance
• Build your tribe selectively and carefully
• Your health matters. Yes. It does.
• Everyone does not need to like you and that is ok
• Live a little and don’t be afraid
• Embrace your strengths and double down on them
• Believe in yourself and find people who believe in you
• Write. Write every goddam day and learn more about yourself. It’s one of the most powerful and effective ways to get feelings, emotions, and life under control
• Embrace uncertainty and take risks. But remember to push only to the extent that you want to. Don’t get influenced by big words or other people’s dreams. You need to find yours.
• Make decisions and learn to stick with them. However, also be adaptable to change. Strong opinions, weakly held.
• Your old friends are priceless. Yes you have your differences and yes you grow apart but there is this smile or feeling of wholesome happiness that they can bring to your face in the darkest of times. Learn to value it
• Do what you think and feel is right. After all it’s your life. It’s ok if your decisions lead you to fuck up a little. Those mistakes you more you
• In the end, your drive and desire to be someone will succeed and make you into that person. So be true to yourself on whether you truly want to be that person that you have set out on the journey to become.
• Don’t get bullied or pushed around into ever feeling worthless. Look at an asshole straight in their eyes and learn to deal with it
• Leverage your strengths but learn to keep identifying your blindspots. Your journey should always be towards becoming a better person.
• Success is for you and only you to define alone. Any other version of success will just leave you hollow and unsatisfied
• Learn to be more honest with yourself. Every person is not a genetic lottery and that’s completely fine. You might feel that you are just like any other average person but your extremely unique experiences is what makes you well… you. Keep identifying those patterns.
• Don’t be afraid to start over. If won’t make you look weak. It will only make you leaner and stronger.
• Very few people will truly love you. Don’t push them away because of your own insecurities.
• When you are making decisions sometimes you think about some 5–6 people who will help you make that decision. Most of those people don’t matter. Remove then from your subconscious decision making.
• Be antifragile. In the world ahead nothing else will matter
• Stay curious and keep learning. This sounds obvious but is exceptionally hard to implement, especially when you are doing well.
• Just because you think it is obvious, IT DOES NOT mean that it’s obvious for the others.
• Your bad habits will compound over time. Learn to cut them early
• Don’t shy away from hard work. Whatever you choose to do, you will have to work hard. You can either work hard for a thousand bucks or you can work hard for a million. It comes down to leverage.
• Keep moving. Keep moving. But learn to detach and take a fresh look once in a while

You are awesome. You are lucky and you are grateful.