50 Things Every 50-Something Realizes In Their 50s
I recently posted “101 Things Every 20-Something Realizes In Their 20s” and wanted to follow that up with a corollary posting that resonates with me. You might ask, “Why did it take so long to have such simple revelations?” Well . . . while you’re in the throws of just living, it’s often difficult to step back and take a look a where we are and what we’ve learned or we just don’t take the time. And, so, here’s a snapshot of just that – 50 Things that resonated with me that I felt worth sharing.
From Mackay’s Morale
Harvey Mackay author of “Pushing the Envelope“
www.mackay.com
- Without the right sales skills, something terrible happens…nothing.
- They used to say what you see is what you get. In truth, what you think is what you get.
- If you reach for the stars, at least you’ll get off the ground.
- If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
- Often the smartest thing you can do in a negotiation is keep your mouth shut.
- Going the extra yard always leads to crossing the goal line.
- If you don’t look ahead, you’ll always be behind.
- The best job is on you’d do even if you didn’t need the money.
- The “Breakfast of Champions” is not cereal, it’s competition.
- Failure is not falling down, but staying down.
- A salesperson tells, a good salesperson explains, and a great salesperson demonstrates.
- There are really no mistakes in life — there are only lessons.
- They can’t hire you if they don’t know who you are.
- Dig your wells before you’re thirsty, and build your bridges before you’re left high and dry.
- Competition is a lot like cod liver oil. First it makes you sick. Then it makes you better.
- You won’t stumble if you put your best foot forward.
- Effort is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely and the likely definite.
- There are two kinds of people in the world: those who come into a room and say, “Here I am!” And, those who come in and say, “Ah, there you are!”
- One thing you can give and still keep is your word.
- The bigger the wheel you are, the more traction you can get — and give.
- Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story.
- For those with vision, the high road affords more than just better views.
- You must have a sense of what you time is worth for others to value it.
- Even if you’re not interviewing for a sales job, your interview must be a great sales job.
- A student of life always does the homework.
- There’s no traffic jam on the extra mile.
- Information does not become power until it is used.
- The will to succeed is preceded by the will to prepare.
- Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.
- Great entrepreneurs know the score: Do-it yourself never means do-it alone.
- If you can’t win, make the person ahead of you break the record.
- What sets you apart is what sets you ahead.
- If you want your words to work for you, work for your words.
- There are lots of ways to be a failure, but never taking a chance is the most successful.
- It’s not about what you can do; it’s about what you will do
- Enforce the Golden Rule or you business will be tarnished.
- You’ll never make a killing at the table if you don’t even insist on a seat.
- When you volunteer, you always earn back more than you pay in
- Plenty of people are willing to beat you’ don’t beat yourself.
- Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try.
- If you can’t please everyone, please someone.
- A foot in the door is worth two on the desk.
- Cream doesn’t rise to the top — it works its way there.
- If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts.
- Being successful at your career means surrounding yourself with supportive people — and often, those people aren’t your coworkers or employees, they’re your friends and family.
- So, the one thing successful people never do is: Give up!
- Don’t pretend to be something you’re not.
- You aren’t finished when you are defeated; you are finished when you quit.
- No one reaches their deathbed and says, “Gosh, I wish I’d spent more time working.”
- Don’t leave happiness for a later date, but make the choices that lead to true success and happiness today.
101 Things Every 20-Something Realizes In Their 20s
The following is reprinted from BroBible
Your 20s are an age where you settle in and get comfortable with who you really are. It’s a decade of exploration, self-actualization, and growth.
Since lists about being in your 20s is the Internet’s No. 1 pastime, I’ve created a list of 101 absolutely true things every 20-something realizes while riding the boat through the best decade (…to date) of their life.
I’m pretty sure this is a “work in progress” . . .
1. Confidence is not cockiness.
2. Self-reflection is a sign of maturity.
3. Waking up early is important if you want to be a functional member of society.
4. … But sleeping in on weekends is precious.
5. Although you don’t see each other nearly as much as you’d like to, friends from back in the day are still pretty important.
6. Discretion is the better part of valor… Especially in Tweets, Facebook updates, and text messages.
7. Your SAT score didn’t determine your destiny. You did.
8. Your grade in that college class didn’t matter.
9. There’s something you probably suck at.
10. Anyone who passes judgement about your choice of college or college major is being a prick.
11. Plan B is usually Plan A.
12. Opinions are like assholes: Everyone has them, but that doesn’t mean they’re good or you have to follow them.
13. Dreams are great, but there’s no need for you to become a douchebag in pursuit of them.
14. Booze is awesome.
15. …But its power deserves to be respected, if not feared.
16. Even Frank Sinatra had regrets and he did it his way. Regrets imply self-awareness.
17. Anyone who claims they’re in “the friendzone” or genuinely cares about “getting out of the friendzone” has a lot of maturing to do.
18. Judging people for personal choices like getting married, having babies, or career changes is really stupid. Live your own damn life.
19. Instagram is a lot better when you use it to take pictures of people, not things.
20. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) really isn’t important to your personal life. In fact, it only really applies to critically acclaimed mass cultural events such as can’t-miss epic TV shows that must be binge-watched in one sitting.
21. Enough sleep + hydration + food = The Ultimate Hangover Cure.
22. The music your parents listened to is kind of awesome.
23. Padding your resume is never a good idea.
24. If you don’t have to do it every day, dressing up in a nice suit and tie feels great.
25. Spending money on the things that separate you from the ground is worth the investment: Shoes, tires, bed, etc…
26. The most important things you’ll ever learn will come from people with different points of view than your own.
27. Intelligence is not a dick measuring contest.
28. “Personal Brand” is a bullshit buzzword made up by PR flacks and social media marketing professionals who stare at Facebook/Twitter all day. Just be yourself.
29. Who you were in high school? Hahahahahahahahahahaha.
30. There is ALWAYS an appropriate time to leave a social situation.
31. Compliments go a long way, as does constructive criticism.
32. … But remember, some people don’t listen to criticism.
33. … And sometimes it’s OK to not accept criticism.
34. Your favorite sports teams are inherited, not chosen.
35. Quoting lines from movies with other people is the ultimate social currency.
36. Discussions revolving around musical tastes are the most subjective thing in the world.
37. There’s nothing wrong with staying out until after 3 a.m. every now and then.
38. Careers can be stressful.
39. … And rewarding.
40. Relationships can be stressful.
41. … And ultimately the most rewarding.
42. A $1 slice of pizza only tastes good in college, doused in ranch dressing. $2.50 for a slice is normal, not a splurge.
43. If you’re on the fence, going out is usually worth it vs. staying in.
44. … But there’s nothing wrong with staying in.
45. It’s very easy to avoid shallow people.
46. Very few people are actually “influncers.”
47. The end of college is not the end of the world, nor the end of fun.
48. Vote in local elections. A wise man once said “Politics is the art of controlling your environment.” In America, your vote at the community level for a school board member/county commissioner/sheriff/mayor matters. Otherwise, don’t complain.
49. The music you listened to in high school was actually pretty awesome.
50. Channeling anger into physical exercise or creativity is the most productive and proactive way to blow off steam.
51. Connecting with old friends, teachers, and acquaintances over social media pays off.
52. There are many ways to #YOLO without calling it #YOLO.
53. Jealousy is a weak, fleeting emotion. If you’re not transforming jealousy into empowerment almost instantaneously, you’re just being petty.
54. Not dancing is pretty lame, no matter how bad your moves are.
55. Have a mentor and be a mentor, because teaching someone something feels great.
56. Caring about college too much after graduating makes you look like a Peter Pan. Time to grow up.
57. The ability to negotiate is a valuable skill.
58. Paying for Netflix > BitTorrent
59. “Too old for this shit” is an excuse.
60. Weddings will drain your bank account and eat up your weekends, but when you’re there reconnecting with old friends, they’re worth every penny.
61. Disgusting bathrooms are the ultimate mood-killer.
62. Never pass up an open bar, but don’t underestimate its potency.
63. No one is the voice of a generation.
64. No matter how flashy and new your device is, you’ll never get the full experience from a glowing LED screen.
65. Grad school is not an excuse to delay the inevitable.
66. You feel a lot better about yourself if you eat at least one green food a day.
67. Older generations will always pass judgement about younger generations.
68. Stop talking about traveling and just fucking do it already.
69. A walk is the best way to cool off.
70. Alone time should be cherished.
71. Money says nothing about your character.
72. Collecting experiences is more valuable than collecting things.
73. There’s no point in putting your time and energy into activities you get no enjoyment out of, especially in your free time.
74. Everybody gets laid. Although vaguely interesting, your hook-up stories are not that special.
75. Listen.
76. Empathize.
77. The things you enjoy are not your lifestyle.
78. Gossip is stupid.
79. Talk to strangers on public transportation (planes, trains, buses, etc).
80. Genuinely thanking people is pretty important.
81. Confusion is usually the result of not asking enough questions.
82. Apathy is a disease that’s best cured by giving a shit about something.
83. Vacation days are a luxury meant to be used.
84. If you’ve ever experienced what it’s like to not have health insurance, having health insurance is great.
85. Nothing in the media is worth getting angry over.
86. There is other content on the Internet worth sharing on Facebook than lists with GIFs. (Except for this one.)
87. Sometimes a hotel room with a clean bed and a hot shower is a lot more comfortable than pitching a tent in a muddy field.
88. The financial responsibilities that come with being a functioning, independent adult must be taken seriously.
89. Surfing eBay after a night at the bar is a horrible idea.
90. Routine isn’t a bad thing.
91. All-you-can-eat sushi sucks.
92. Nothing tastes better than a beer bought by a friend.
93. Nothing feels better than buying drinks for a friend.
94. Flaking on commitments makes you a flake.
95. The best results always come from being straightforward.
96. There are varying degrees to how one reacts to a mistake.
97. What you are isn’t who you are.
98. Your generation is not special.
99. There’s never an excuse to be bored.
100.
A little humility goes a long way.
101.
Do your best. Everyone else is winging it too. That’s okay.
