I’ve read many articles like this one, so I thought on my own years on Earth and write mine. These reflections come from my experiences and observations. Some are fragments from old journals, others are insights that have emerged only recently. Writing them has been a fun exercise in self-discovery. It was like sitting down with myself to trace the threads of who I’ve been and who I’m becoming.
I began this little project three weeks ago and only just finished today. They’re numbered only for the sake of organization, not because they follow a specific order.
Here they are:
1. For many years, I believed humans experienced emotions in the same way. That was naïve. Today I understand that countless factors—upbringing, culture, beliefs, wounds, and desires—shape how each of us feels and acts, myself included. And yet, I also recognize that beneath this diversity lies a shared complexity that connects us all as human beings.
2. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. What people say reflects what's in their hearts. When someone makes a comment about us, it reveals much more about them than it does about us. Every comment is a glimpse into the speaker's world.
3. Every answer I’ve ever needed—about my fears, doubts, and big decisions—I have only and always found in the confronting silence of my solitude.
4. I’ve come to realize that the more I learn to be comfortable with discomfort, the stronger I become—physically, mentally, and emotionally—and the more satisfied and content I feel in my life.
5. Diversity doesn’t just apply to investments—I apply it to my relationships and to myself. I nurture connections with people from all walks of life. I enjoy listening to those whose opinions completely oppose mine, I enjoy exploring a variety of subjects, and I thrive on having multiple hobbies. I’ve learned to see this ‘too muchness’ as the very source of my strength.
6. Confidence has always come from constantly having the courage to face my fears. And I've learned that this can't be taught to others, only motivated and inspired.
7. The information I feed my brain determines the reality I choose to see.
8. I’m fascinated by how different people’s mindsets and ways of living can be, but sometimes it felt as if this fascination came at the detriment of losing myself. I’ve learned, though, that I’m not really losing myself at all. I’m incorporating fragments of their lessons into my own. For that to happen, I often need to let go of something I once believed to be true. I’m learning, more and more, to be less resistant to this process.
9. Curiosity is the best medicine for everything. I try to remain inquisitive and genuinely curious - about myself, others, places, life, small trivialities, big questions, our minds, our world, our universe. Life takes us to another level when we approach everything and everyone with curiosity rather than judgment. People love to see children grow up because they remind us of the freedom of non-judgment, something that we adults often lose.
10. Knowledge rarely translates into wisdom. I may know a lot of things—I scroll through beautiful words of wisdom every day on social media—but if I don’t practice or experience them, I’m only cultivating a false sense of wisdom. Writing a book is a thousand times better than just reading one.
11. Growing old doesn’t guarantee wisdom. Above all, my mission is to leave this life wiser than when I arrived—and that includes forgiving myself for the mistakes I will inevitably make.
12. Move my body, act on what matters to me, feed my boredom, and listen to my heart—these are the four things I will do until the day I die.
13. There’s nothing wrong with being an overthinker—I’ve learned to shift obsessive thoughts into something more productive and even fun. I realised that if I want to build something I need to be obsessive about it and this is the best use of my overthinking.
14. Even so, my thoughts have always been—and still are—the only thing that holds me back. Yet every shift in how I frame them opens a new door to a bigger, better place. I’m curious to see which places I’ll get to step into next.
15. Every time I think about comparison, I reach the same conclusion: it’s boring, superficial, and pointless. Each person is a galaxy filled with planets, stars, black holes, comets, moons, and mysteries we may never fully explore. So how could we possibly compare one galaxy to another when we can’t even comprehend our own?
16. Healing myself from old beliefs was and still is the best thing I can do for the version of myself that wants to thrive.
17. For me, gratitude means making the most of the privileges I’ve been given.
18. Letting go is one of the hardest things I do in life. I feel layers of resistance weighing on me, yet with patience, love, and care, I slowly remove one rock at a time from the pile above me. I’ve already cleared heaps, but there are still many more to go.
19. Having fun, playing, being silly, and staying spontaneous in random moments—not only when it’s ‘allowed’—is one of the most underestimated yet most powerful ways to remind myself of the point of it all.
20. I strongly believe that ambiguous things can coexist peacefully.
21. I've recently stopped identifying myself as an anxious and sad person.
22. I no longer expect people to reach their potential. I can see the potential in everyone and I always wanted to motivate those around me to pursue it. But I realized that this was a bit arrogant of me, as if their potential belonged to me. TThe best I can do is support them in the ways I can, place my ‘bet’ on them (a concept I once read about and adopted), and see how things unfold.
23. But I really love seeing ambitious people working on their goals, healing their traumas, becoming better, changing, moving, creating, building. I vibrate with that, and it brings me joy.
24. I can't look after my mental health without looking after my physical health and vice versa.
25. Most of who I am is what I constantly do.
26. As I grow older, I’m changing the way I perceive time. It feels more limited, more real and more valuable. From now on, life will pass quickly—I can already feel it. That’s why the way I spend my time must be more intentional. Priorities from now on are essential.
27. My spirituality is sacred. I need to connect with my spirit from time to time. This is the foundation of my being. It's where I build trust and true love for myself and others.
28. I’ve realized I’m someone who doesn’t hold grudges—even if I want, I just don’t know how.
29. Growing in the eyes of others is fucking hard. Letting go of how people perceive me is hard. Being open to judgment and dislike is hard. Being okay with indifference is hard. Doing everything my own way without feedback is hard. Writing my own roadmap is hard. And there are so many more hard things… so I think I love doing hard things.
30. I have a couple of regrets in my life (but I don’t dwell on them) and I'm going to do my best to make sure they're the only ones.
31. Politics is full of wolves in sheep's clothing. I’m neither left nor right—they’re all the same to me. I vote, but no party owns me. Give too much power to anything or anyone, and shit always hits the fan. And here again: diversity is fundamental. That’s my take on politics in my 35 years.
32. In the past, I trusted that everything would be fine. Today, I don’t rely on trust anymore—I have faith that it will. I need no evidence or past experience to believe it. I’m simply convinced, as long as I do my part.
33. Even too much of something good is bad. The middle way is always the best way.
34. Climbing a mountain when I’m fit is pure joy. Reaching the top brings a wave of relief and satisfaction—but it never lasts long. Soon I feel like walking again. And that, I’ve realized, is how life works too.
35. I no longer let a bad day, or even bad days, define me. I just tell myself: today the sun is above the clouds. I accept it, I feel it and I move on. I know that after a night or two of sleep it will pass. On those days, I avoid making important decisions and do my best not to believe the voice in my head.
What about you? What's your list?
Until next time,
