Halt!! If you haven’t skimmed Part 1 yet take a moment to do so. We’ll leave the light on for you.

I recently “celebrated” my 51st birthday, and I say that with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Don’t misunderstand…it wasn’t a terrible day. It was a normal, average, run-of-the-mill day like so many others, and that’s okay. Birthdays aren’t really that much fun after a certain point. Growing older brings about a level of introspection, which isn’t always a positive experience. It’s been a pretty intense thing for me since The Sickness made the world stop a few years ago, and the truth is that I don’t necessarily enjoy what I see when I look back on my life. I feel like I’ve been sleepwalking thru the past three decades. Exercises like the current one are nerdy fun & quasi-therapeutic, but tend to exacerbate those feelings of discontent. At the end of the day though I am a Samist, which necessitates being open minded while addressing issues with faith, critical thinking, reason, & common sense. That’s just a verbose way of saying I’ll continue get up every day and do what I can do.

21 Give people a second chance, but never a third.

In general I agree, although circumstances alter cases. Such decisions tend to be situational. The gist of the idea seems to be “don’t let people take advantage of your kindness”, which isn’t bad advice. Conversely, the more pious among us might point out the endless chances God gives us daily and the boundless opportunities we have to reconcile with Him via a relationship with Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t argue with that perspective.

22 If you want something and have put in the work to deserve it…ask for it. Remember, closed mouths don’t get fed.

It never hurts to ask. The worst that can happen is that you’re told no. Just be prepared to deal with that. One of my favorite Dadisms is “if you don’t dare you don’t share”.

23 Never take advice from people on the sidelines.

Ehhhh…I don’t know. I can only speak for myself, and lots of folks might opine that I’ve spent the last several years “on the sidelines”. That doesn’t necessarily invalidate my input.

24 Learn one dance move that you can reliably bust out when you inevitably get pushed into the center of a dance circle at a wedding or event.

Well I don’t think I need to worry about that. IYKYK. It’s not a bad idea to learn how to shake your groove thing though. What that looks like will evolve throughout your life, but it’s a good skill to have on some level.

25 Be bored for at least 15 minutes per day. Boredom unlocks creativity.

There’s a happy medium. I wish I had more going on in my life, that I was a busier & more productive person. However, I would never want to be a crazy busy person that’s always on the go. Downtime can be healthy. Does it unlock creativity?? That’s a much more complex query than I want to tackle here, although I assume different people would have a variety of answers.

26 Invest in personalized stationery and use it regularly.

Does anyone actually use stationery anymore??

27 If you’re struggling to fall asleep, try the 4-7-8 method: Breathe in through your nose for a 4-second count, hold your breath for a 7-second count, and exhale for an 8-second count.

That’s a lot of math if I’m trying to go to sleep.

28 Make decisions that your 80-year-old self and 10-year-old self would be proud of.

I’m not 80 yet, but I already know that my 10 year old self would be so disappointed. I had such high hopes & big plans. Unfortunately I lacked the vision & drive to follow thru. That’s as far as I’ll dive into that very deep rabbit hole.

29 Do one hard thing every day when you could do it the easy way.

I don’t disagree, but neither do I believe it’s realistic. We are a culture addicted to convenience. Most of us will always choose the easy way over the hard way. I’m just keeping it real.

30 Spend more time doing things you never regret.

Easier said than done. Think about it…would people do things they regret if they knew in the moment that they’d regret them later on?? Hindsight is 20/20. Perhaps it would be more prudent to say make smarter choices & use your time wisely.

31 When trying to break a bad habit, wear a small rubber band on your wrist and snap it (lightly) on yourself each time you do the thing you’re trying to stop.

I’d be quite curious to know if that actually works. It seems rather simplistic, but hey, if it’s a method that produces positive results for you there’s nothing wrong with utilizing it.

32 If you’re trying to make conversation with someone intimidating, ask what they’re currently working on that they’re most excited about.

Not a bad idea. People love to talk about themselves and what they’re passionate about. Also, people tend to become less intimidating as you age. You realize that they are human beings who aren’t any more special than most people. Maybe they’re really great looking or possess tremendous talent, but as my father would say “they put their pants on one leg at a time just like you & me”. Learn to converse with people. It is invaluable. I am a quiet & reserved person, but if I had the confidence three decades ago that I have now when it comes to interacting with people it might’ve opened a few doors.

33 If you’re about to take an emotion-induced action, wait 24 hours.

Yes, absolutely. Don’t make emotional decisions. Doing so will generally end badly. There’s nothing wrong with having or expressing emotions, but be really careful making snap decisions. Sleep on it. Pray about it. Talk to friends & family. Sure, sometimes that isn’t possible in certain situations, but whether it’s personal or professional just be smart.

34 Be interested in everyone you encounter.

Chances are whoever you are interacting with is much cooler & has a more interesting life than you. That’s not a bad thing. Learn. Ask questions. Listen. Being a good listener is one of the best character traits anyone can possess.

35 To start the day with energy, try the 5-5-5-30 morning routine: when you wake up, do 5 push-ups, 5 squats, 5 lunges, and a 30-second plank.

No 😂

36 To eat healthier, do your shopping on the outer perimeter of the grocery store.

Well I do my grocery shopping online. No matter how you go about the task though, there’s no trick to it. Apples & chicken are healthier than ice cream & cheeseburgers. You already know that, but probably still make the wrong choice way too often. Be smarter & learn self-control. It’s not complicated.

37 Treat your credit card like a debit card.

I don’t even use credit cards unless it’s absolutely necessary. A debit card is cool because you don’t need to carry much cash, which in today’s crazy world is a good thing. Most of the people in my orbit are struggling on some level, so wise financial decisions are essential.

38 Create an automated deposit for a small amount of money into an investment account every month.

That’s a great idea of you can spare some extra cash. Financial literacy is woefully lacking and should be taught in schools. If you start putting away a few bucks consistently when you’re a young adult it will become one of the best decisions you ever made a few decades later.

39 Carry a notebook everywhere you go. Stop trying to remember things and just write everything down.

I use the notes app on my phone.

40 Have one thing in your life that you are bad at (but love doing).

I can think of a few things that’d qualify for me. Being good at something is awesome, but developing a lifelong appreciation no matter what your skill level may be is a worthy investment of your time.

Occasionally I run across things in my travels down the info superhighway that deserve more than a repost on social media. Obviously I’m an opinionated guy, and self reflection is a pseudo hobby. Ol’ Blue Eyes once sang “Mistakes…I’ve made a few, but then again, too few to mention”. Well, good for him. As for me, I’ve made much more than a few errors, and, while it doesn’t do much good to dwell on such things, when I engage in an exercise like this it is unavoidable. I feel confident in opining that most of us wish we had the kind of knowledge at the age of 20 that we possess a few decades later, but let’s see how many of these particular nuggets of wisdom I perceive as authentic.

1 When you think something nice about someone, let them know right then.

Okay, I can get onboard with that. Being a nice person is generally a wise idea, although I believe the issue being referenced is the reticence many of us that are more reserved might feel in being that open, which I understand.

2 Never think twice about investments in yourself. They pay dividends for a long time.

If you were raised a certain way this advice may be perceived as selfish. I get that, but the difference between 20 & 50 is realizing that taking care of yourself isn’t a bad thing because most of the time you are the only person you can count on.

3 Put your alarm clock in the bathroom. If you have to get up to turn it off, you won’t snooze.

Not bad advice at all. The snooze button is one of the more low key wicked inventions of all time. Don’t be lazy…get your ass out of bed!!

4 If you want to get better at anything, do it for 30 minutes per day for 30 straight days.

Author Malcolm Gladwell wrote about his 10,000 Rule, which essentially means you need to practice something for 10,000 hours to become truly proficient. If you practice 30 minutes per day it would take you almost 55 years to really become great using Gladwell’s rule, so that math ain’t mathin’. There’s got to be a happy medium, right?? Having said that, I think 30 minutes for 30 days is atleast a good start.

5 Hire a writer to document your parents’ childhood stories. Print it with old photos.

It’s a fantastic idea, not only for parents but grandparents too. Realistically though, no one does that. Life gets in the way. We get busy. However, if I knew then what I know now (which is kind of the point of this project) I think I’d use technology to do something akin to it. How cool would it be to have a bunch of video of long gone loved ones?? Younger generations have a leg up on us older folks with social media & smart phones. They document everything anyway, so why not “interview” your parents & grandparents while they’re still around?? Trust me kids…you might think it’s silly in the moment, but decades from now you’ll be so happy you did it.

6 Write down three things you’re grateful for before bed. Read them out loud when you wake up.

I could get onboard with something like that. Just forcing yourself to reflect on what you should be grateful for is a worthy use of time.

7 Go for a 15 minute walk every morning. It has a positive impact on your mood, sleep, metabolism, digestion, and more.

Well, I can’t walk ♿️, but otherwise I agree. Exercise & fresh air are never bad ideas, and I wish that had been ingrained into my lifestyle many years ago.

8 Always pursue the path that has the larger luck surface area.

I had no idea what that meant, so I looked it up. Luck surface area is “the amount of exposure an individual or organization has to opportunities & resources that can lead to success. The larger the luck surface area, the more opportunities & resources one is exposed to and the more likely they are to experience good luck.” If I’m reading that correctly it boils down to networking, putting yourself out there, taking chances, & engaging with others as much as possible. I didn’t realize until I was in my 40s that I’ve been in survival mode my entire life, taught to play it safe & not take chances. Consequently I’ve lived a very small, ineffective, hollow life. Nothing I’ve done really matters. I’m not blaming anybody…I take responsibility for my own shortcomings. That being said, I encourage anyone to mostly do the opposite of what I have done.

9 Tell your partner one thing you appreciate about them every single day.

If I had a significant other I would happily do just that.

10 Do a few things that you’ll be excited to tell your kids about someday. Create stories worth telling.

Sadly I don’t have any children, and I wouldn’t have any cool stories to tell them anyway. I haven’t gone anywhere or accomplished anything noteworthy. Good advice though.

11 Spend 15 minutes every evening preparing for your first focus tasks the next morning.

That sounds very…corporate.

12 If someone tries to put down your accomplishments, cut them out of your life.

No worries there…on multiple levels. In a vacuum though I will agree with the sentiment. If you have people in your life trying to tear you down get rid of them. That doesn’t mean you want a bunch of sycophants who coddle you, but it’s possible to be forthright with constructive criticism without being a douchenozzle.

13 Take yourself out for a meal alone once each month. It’s an insanely freeing meditative experience.

Thankfully I’ve never minded going out to eat by myself. Actually that’s been the prevailing circumstance in my life.

14 When you’re starting your career, swallow the frog for your boss to get ahead. Observe your boss, figure out what they hate doing, and take it off their plate. Easy win.

That’s not bad counsel. Just don’t become an asskisser. No one likes that, and ultimately the boss won’t respect you.

15. When someone is going through hell, just say “I’m with you.’ Advice is minimally impactful. The notion that someone is with you is 10x more powerful.

Absolutely. Most of the time people just need someone to listen while they vent and agree with their emotional ranting. It’s a pretty easy gig, yet so valuable.

16 If someone regularly brags about their wealth, income, or success, just assume the reality is about 50% of what they say.

No one likes a braggart.

17 Reread your favorite books annually. You may read thousands of books in your life, but there will only be a few that deeply change you. Reread them every single year.

I’m not sure I totally agree, but neither do I disagree. It’s comforting to read your favorite books again just as we enjoy watching the same movies & TV shows repeatedly or listening to the same music over & over. However, whenever I’m re-reading a book part of me feels guilty for not investing that time in a book I’ve not read yet.

18 Never delay difficult conversations. If you’re nervous, do it on a walk, it makes it much easier.

Attack the issue. Don’t procrastinate. Deal with it. That’s what adults do.

19 Do the “old fashioned” things well. Look people in the eye, have a firm handshake, and always stay true to your word.

Absolutely!!

20 If you’re about to say yes to something on the assumption that you’ll have more time for it in the future, say no instead.

YES!! Don’t be so quick to get yourself into a situation you’ll regret. Your time & energy are precious commodities. Learning to say “no” is powerful & pragmatic.

Let’s take a break & finish up in a couple of days.