# 42 Life Lessons At 42 I shared these when I turned 42: 42 is "the answer to life, the universe, and everything" So here are 42 life lessons I wish I knew at 24: - 1/ "You can be anything, but you cannot be everything" - Stop trying to do it all. Pick your battles. Master what matters. - 2/ "Your life is a story you are actively writing" - You're not reading a pre-written novel. You're the author. Pick up the pen. - Life Design is a thing. Learn about that! - 3/ "Time and patience are the two most powerful warriors" - Everything you want is coming. But it's coming on time's schedule, not yours. - 4/ "There is no 'spare time', only 'life time'" - Stop saying "when I have time." You have the same 24 hours as everyone else. You need clear goals and priorities. - 5/ "Make tough decisions based on what you feel is right, even if it's unpopular" - The crowd is often wrong. Your inner compass never lies. Listen to your gut feeling. - 6/ "Be happy in the now. This moment IS your life" - The past is gone. The future is not here yet. "Now" is all you have. Stop postponing happiness for some future achievement. Joy is available right now. - 7/ "If you're unhappy with your situation, MOVE! You are not a tree!" - This one hit me hard. You have legs. You have choices. Use them. - The first step is accepting that the status quo may actually be a problem to solve - 8/ "Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond" - Same storm, different ships. Your reaction determines your reality. - 9/ "The biggest self-deception is believing you have unlimited time" - You don't have time to waste on things that don't matter. Act accordingly. - 10/ "Never abandon your dreams" - The pain of not trying is always worse than the pain of failure. - And if it fails, you'll still have learned new things. Experiences shape your future. - 11/ "Seek self-validation, not external approval" - The moment you stop caring what others think is the moment you start living. - 12/ "The best decisions have little immediate payoff." - Benefits compound over time, so patience is your secret weapon to significant success and happiness. - 13/ "Persistence is the most useful form of patience." - Instead of just waiting for things to improve, keep your head down and continue working when progress feels slow. - 14/ "Life-changing decisions are often the hardest ones to make." - The choices that transform your life rarely feel comfortable in the moment. And it's all too easy to talk yourself out of it, finding endless excuses. - 15/ "Mistakes are lessons in disguise." - Learning from your errors prevents a lifetime of regret and turns failures into gifts for growth. - 16/ "Treat your life like an experiment." - This mindset allows you to learn, adapt, and pivot without the pressure of getting everything perfect. - 17/ "Every morning you are born again." - Each day offers a fresh start, and what you do today matters most. - 18/ "The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing." - Nothing worthwhile in life can be achieved without taking risks. - 19/ "Within you lies peace, freedom, and contentment." - Your true self is the ultimate source of everything you're seeking externally. - 20/ "You don't choose your beginning, but you determine your ending." - While your start may be predetermined, you play the major role in how your story concludes. - 21/ "Life's value is measured by depth, not duration." - Focus on the richness of your experiences rather than just counting the years. You could be 20 and lived more lives than a 80yo. - 22/ "Even in difficulty, life is beautiful. So be cheerful." - Maintain your optimism and strive for happiness despite inevitable challenges. - 23/ "Peace of mind should be your life's organizing principle." - Structure everything around achieving and maintaining inner tranquility. - 24/ "Don't compare yourself to others, compare yourself to your past self." - The only meaningful measurement of progress is your own growth over time. - 25/ "Your feelings create your reality." - The world reflects your internal state because reality itself is neutral and judgment-free. - 26/ "Never let people, money, or past experiences control you." - External forces only have the power over you that you choose to give them. - 27/ "You were born to stand out, not fit in." - Embrace your uniqueness instead of trying to conform to others' expectations or lives. - 28/ "Live with intention and cherish your connections." - Purposeful living combined with valued relationships creates a meaningful existence. - 29/ "Simplicity is sophistication, and self-trust is wisdom." - The simpler your life and the more you trust yourself, the better you'll live. - 30/ "Happiness is a present-tense decision." - Joy isn't something to postpone for later achievements. It's something you actively create now. - 31/ "Master your mind, and you can achieve anything." - Conquering your internal world is the key to conquering your external goals. - 32/ "Self-awareness is the foundation of all change." - You cannot transform what you don't understand about yourself. - 33/ "Success means using pain and pleasure, not being used by them." - Learn to leverage these forces rather than letting them control your decisions. - 34/ "Your environment shapes who you become." - Surround yourself with the right people. - 35/ "The story you tell yourself becomes your reality." - Your internal narrative is incredibly powerful - make sure it's serving your growth. - 36/ "Change is growth; resistance to change is suffering." - Embracing transformation opens doors, while fighting it creates unnecessary pain. - 37/ "Accept your flaws and no one can use them against you." - Acknowledge your imperfections. Don't try to hide those. - 38/ "Freedom begins when you stop caring what others think." - 39/ "Being good to yourself enables you to be good to others." - Self-love and self-care aren't selfish. They're the foundation for contributing to the world. - 40/ "Your comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there." - Growth requires stepping into uncertainty, even when staying safe feels more appealing. - 41/ "You become what you consistently do, not what you occasionally achieve." - Your daily habits shape your destiny far more than you can imagine - 42 "Your present situation is not your final destination. The best is yet to come." - No matter how stuck you might feel right now, your story is still being written and the most beautiful chapters haven't been lived yet. Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself. Every day. Every choice. Every moment.