Xeno Hemlock

I published this list on my birthday five years ago on my old website. Cloaked with a misguided combination of naivety and idealism for most of my life prior, I celebrated my 30th birthday during a time of great personal awakening. Some of these you might already know, some you might not. Let these be reminders for what we sometimes forget or deservedly need to know.

1. Our childhood is one of the most important phases in our life, good and bad memories aside. What we really want to be and do in our lives can be traced back to our childhood years.
2. Health is wealth. You may not think it is when you’re younger but it will be a hard lesson you will learn when you get older.
3. Nobody will be there for you throughout your lifetime except yourself. People will come and go.
4. However, there are some awesome human beings who will be loyal to you and will be there for you as much as they can. They will love you with all your strengths and flaws. Love them. They’re rare.
5. “Busy” is a big fat lie.
6. Failures, disappointments, setbacks, and heartbreaks are parts of life. They can never be evaded. What you do after encountering them defines you.
7. Hurt and pain will pass, just like any rain or storm.
8. Regret is a terrible thing. Better to have tried and failed than never tried at all.
9. You don’t have to explain your actions to anyone. Don’t be afraid to do and be you.
10. Don’t be afraid to cut negative people from your life. You are not obligated to anyone. Life is too short to waste your time on people who drag you down voluntarily and involuntarily, give you stress, and don’t add value to your life.
11. No one can truly be fearless but one can be brave.
12. Society is a big pool of sameness. Embrace your uniqueness and never let others dictate who you are.
13. Society kills people before they physically die. Don’t be one of the walking dead.
14. People can say one thing but may do another thing. In the end, their actions speak the truth not the words that come out of their lips.
15. If you are the same person you were last year, then you suck donkey ass!
16. Cats are adorable and can be as sweet or sweeter than dogs.
17. Humility is an understated and underrated virtue.
18. Ignore your haters, naysayers, and detractors. It kills them inside.
19. A man’s worth is not measured by his riches but by the value he provides for others.
20. You are what you attract. So be positive!
21. Emotion is energy in motion. Let it flow. Don’t contain it. Let it go.
22. Trust your instinct. It always tells you something.
23. You will never reach your peak just like the earth will never reach its final state of evolution.
24. Every person has two lives. The second begins when they find out their ‘why’.
25. A life without passion is a blank page. A life without the pursuit of dreams is a colorless picture book.
26. A purposeful life will never be boring.
27. Life can bring you to roads and paths you may never expect. Don’t be resistant.
28. When one door closes, another one opens. Cliché but true.
29. Everything happens for reason. Cliché again but it’s true. Remember what Steve Jobs said about connecting the dots?
30. The love that most people miss out is self-love. Love yourself and you will never be lonely again.

Header photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels.