45 Life Lessons, Opinions and Observations For My 45th Birthday

As I prepare to celebrate my upcoming 45th birthday, I feel obligated to share some pieces of wisdom and insight I have gathered over my 4 1/2 decades on this planet:

Image by C B from Pixabay 

1. Intelligence is a relative term.

2. Getting lost can sometimes lead to an unexpected, joyful discovery.

3. Often, the difference between success and failure is the willingness to accept and learn from your mistakes.

4. George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm should be required reading in all public schools.

5. The two most important senses are common sense and a sense of purpose.

6. Never underestimate just how comforting a routine can be.

7. Always ignore criticism about an act of kindness.

8. The lesser of two evils is still evil.

9. Always question the motive behind unsolicited relationship or parenting advice.

10. Just because something is a remake doesn't automatically mean it is worse than the original. But some movies shouldn't be remade regardless.

11. Once you have a teenager, you start to realize why Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees targeted them.

12. The word "victim" gets thrown around too easily lately.

13. Don't rely on social media for life advice, a medical diagnosis or historical "facts."

14. Everything tastes better when you grow it yourself.

15. People who feel sorry for you will have a hard time respecting you.

16. Just because it makes your life easier doesn't mean it is making your life better.

17. If everyone waits for someone else to do it, it will never happen.

18. Always doublecheck your source's source.

19. Responding to drama with drama only creates double the drama.

20. Just because it was a free sample doesn't mean the calories didn't count.

21. The easiest way to make someone's day is to tell them "thank you."

22. For every person who accomplishes something, there will always be at least one person who complains about that accomplishment.

23. Wisdom is being able to watch a horror movie and realize the "monster" isn't necessarily the villain.

24. A bathroom scale is a machine that uses springs and levers to measure weight. It is not qualified to tell you your self-worth.

25. Racism is wrongly classified as a product of hate. It is the product of fear created by ignorance.

26. Negativity is contagious. Fortunately, so is positivity.

27. People who long for the "good ol' days" forget the "good ol' days" weren't perfect either.

28. You are in control of your own destiny until you get behind someone at a traffic light.

29. Sure, I understand how automated doors work. But you still can't prove I'm not using my secret Jedi powers to open them.

30. Some people are only happy if those around them are miserable.

31. Imagine how quickly things would change if ballots had NONE OF THE ABOVE as an option.

32. Never underestimate the healing potential of sunshine and fresh air.

33. The one major advantage paper books have over digital books is it is much harder to change them once they are published.

34. A successful life isn't judged by the number of "friends" you have on social media. It is judged by the number of friends who cry at your funeral.

35. No one has ever achieved greatness by doing the bare minimum.

36. Always expect the best case scenario, but still plan for the worst case scenario.

37. Regardless of the size of the paycheck, if you can't look at yourself in the mirror at night, the job isn't worth it.

38. Never be ashamed of your scars. They are proof you survived.

39. What if conspiracy theorists are the only ones who haven't been brainwashed?

40. The quickest way to judge a friend's sincerity is by telling them something they don't want to hear.

41. The best way to honor our veterans isn't showing respect for the flag. It is showing respect and compassion for all the people living under that flag - the same people they risked or gave their lives to protect.

42. The world isn't in as bad of shape as it might seem. Good news just doesn't generate as much advertising revenue.

43. One of the best ways to see the world through a child's eyes, is to give them a camera.

44. A lot of the world's problems remain unresolved solely because people are too offended to have a productive conversation. A lot more remain unresolved because we are too busy looking for someone to blame for them.

45. To quote the great Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. - "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."