Advice to Myself

Have you ever had a moment where your problems seemed clear, as if you could channel all of your wisdom and experience, and teach yourself something?

I had a moment like that today. Now, I wouldn’t presume to offer anyone advice about life, love, or careers, but I thought of a few things that I hope “future me” will always keep in mind. I post them here for my own benefit, as well as in the hopes that they might help someone else.

1. Always be true to yourself and your values. Other people will come and go, but you must always live with yourself, and what you have done.
2. Dare to dream big, but don’t miss the little things. Some of the greatest pleasures in life are the moments we could easily overlook. Don’t.
3. Don’t chase profits, but be sure that you are developing talents and experience that will keep you employable. Many long-standing industries have declined and even died in my lifetime. And just a few years ago, jobs, like “UX Experience Designer” or “Social Media Expert” did not exist! This trend will only accelerate, I’m sure. Many talented people are unable to work, so never take it for granted. You don’t want to “sell out” and only focus on money, but you also have to be realistic about what other people will pay for. Keep learning and improving, so that you can stay current with the market.
4. Everything you do, and everything you learn will help you (and you can use that to help others). It might not be apparent now, but your entire life experience is due to the choices that you and others have made in the past. Be conscious of the needs of others, and do your best to improve the world that we live in (for the benefit of everyone alive now, as well as for everyone who is yet to come).
5. Don’t take it too seriously. Our lives are short on this planet. Perspective can be important. Whenever I feel that I am helpless, I focus on how much power I have to change my circumstances. But sometimes, it can be useful to take a step back and realize how small I am, in the great scheme of life. I’ve been watching documentaries about astronomy and physics lately. The universe (multiverse…?) is incomprehensibly large and majestic, and we live on one small planet. Our problems and fears are large to us, but whenever I see a picture of our galaxy, I remember that I’m just one guy on one small planet, Earth. It’s easy to see ourselves as the center of the universe, but we are not. We should live our lives as fully and honestly as we can, and then let go, knowing we’ve done our best. It’s important to keep the right perspective, and maintain a positive attitude, because a life of even 100 years is over in a flash.

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