34 Life Lessons for 34 Trips Around the Sun

Today is the day in which I have officially been around the sun thirty-four times. In honor of this milestone, I have written thirty-four of my favorite life lessons, quotes, and things I hold to be true.

My wish, at least one of these speaks to you like they all have to me.

1. Don’t should on others, and don’t let others should on you.

2. Luxury once tasted becomes necessity.

3. A trip taken pays a memory dividend long after it’s ended.

4. The sweetest sound to someone is their name, the second sweetest is their kids’ names.

5. The fool learns from his mistakes the wise man learns from others mistakes.

6. Your attitude affects your altitude.

7. Alcohol. More than one is happiness borrowed from tomorrow.

8. Do the hard things in the morning and the rest of the day gets easier.

9. If you did something wrong take ownership. If your team did something wrong take ownership. Extreme ownership is the only way.

10. Put money into things that appreciate not depreciate.

11. The journey of 1K miles starts with a single step.

12. While on zoom, program it to where you can’t see your own video. Focus on the others on the other side not yourself.

13. Investing. Do something on some basis sooner rather than later and bump it up over time.

14. Time in the market not timing the market.

15. Kids. The days are long, but the years are short.

16. Many times, the bravest person is the one that says I’m sorry first.

17. Just because you pay more than your fair share of taxes doesn’t make you more patriotic.

18. Two roads diverged in the woods. I took the one less traveled and that has made all the difference. Robert Frost

19. Under pressure you don’t rise to the occasion you fall to your highest level of preparation.

20. True leadership is not what we want to hear but what we need to hear

21 Most people don’t aim too high and hit, they aim too low and miss

22. Attitudes are contagious do you want others to catch yours. 

23. You can’t make footprints in the Sands of Time by sitting on your butt. Who wants to make butt prints in the Sands of Time?

24. The true test of a man or woman is to take the advice that he or she gives.

25. Fear has a greater grasp on human action than does the impressive weight of historical evidence.

26. High tides raise all ships.

27. Nothing happens to us; it happens for us.

28. Pursue your spouse even into marriage.

29. The best day to plant a shade tree was twenty years ago, the second-best day is today.

30. Volatility is the price of entry for the stock market.

31. More people lost money waiting for corrections and anticipating corrections than the actual corrections.

32. The eighth wonder of the world is compounding interest.

33. Too many people spend money they don’t have, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.

34. Leave everything better than you found it.