The Top Twelve Things I’ve Learned in My Fifty Years

Celebrating my fiftieth birthday by sharing the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in life with you.

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Hi beautiful being,

I turn fifty today, and I could not be more excited! Of all my birthdays, this one somehow feels the most poignant and joyous. Fifty—it seems to me—symbolizes the sweet blending of youthful vigor and aged wisdom. With the latter in mind, I thought it’d be fun to share the most important things I’ve learned over my fifty loops around the sun. While I initially planned to write “The Fifty Things Fifty Years Taught Me”, I quickly realized that’s too long of a list. Then, I was like: Aha! “Five Things Fifty Years Taught Me”. One per decade. That’s the ticket! But that wasn’t enough in my book. LOL So, since my birthday is 12/12—and I’m a diehard Seattle Seahawks fan, aka 12th man—I decided I’d share the twelve big things I’ve learned over fifty years that help me thrive. Enjoy!

1. Play: One of the key “dishes” in the buffet of life is fun. When I drop the seriousness to play a game, sing at the top of my lungs, crack a joke, dance, goof off and be silly for a bit, and so on—I tap into the joy that is always within each of us. This joy, in turn, makes life brighter and more beautiful for me and those around me—no matter what else is going on.

2. Reflect, Learn, and Grow: Life is my greatest teacher. Day-by-day, moment by moment, it presents me with “lessons” to learn and grow from. In many ways, each experience is an opportunity for me to discover how to step into greater freedom and wholeness. The only question is: Will I receive and respond to these teachings, or not? While some of my lessons have been quite hard and painful—and I wouldn’t wish my divorces, life-threatening injuries, or disabilities on anyone—these hardships have also yielded massive benefits and blessings in my life.

3. Practice Gratitude: While I was in the depths of despair—separated from my wife and desperately praying to not get divorced, while living with my parents in my mid-thirties—I started a gratitude journal. All I did was reflect on my day, and write three simple things I was grateful for. This “small” thing lifted my spirits, and radically changed my life for the better. Gratitude is like a drug that gets you high on life—only it’s free, and its only side-effect is bliss.

4. Connect: Life is a team sport. In other words, I am here to care and be cared for, help and be helped, and to give and receive compassion. The more I share my highs, lows, and in-betweens with others—and vice-versa—the lighter and brighter life becomes. As many cultures observe: While sorrows shared are halved, joys shared are doubled.

5. Breathe and Be: Friend, you know how when your device isn’t working right, step one is to turn it off and back on? And how that typically “fixes” the issue? Taking a few conscious breaths effectively resets my operating system, so to speak. It clears away the clutter and chaos in my mind, and drops me into a state of being—wherein my True Self resides, brimming with calm, confidence, compassion, clarity, and cheerfulness.

6. Marvel: The more I live in a state of awe, the more awesome life becomes. And, there is SO much to marvel at in life. Consider the beauty of a sunset, the majesty of a mountain, the kindness of a smile, the warmth of a hug, the glory of a forest, the sound of the ocean, the patter of rain, and so on. Just remembering what a miracle it is to be alive, and how our bodies are comprised of trillions of cells and billions of bacteria –which “somehow” work together in harmony—blows my mind, in the best of ways, on the regular.

7. Be Curious: The more I engage people—especially those who are different from me, or who I disagree with—with curiosity, the broader my heart grows. Curiosity draws us toward one another.

8. Be Humble: There is SO much I don’t know. There are SO many things I’ve changed my mind about. Humility is the cousin of curiosity; it also draws people together.

(From Inspiring Quotes)

9. Movement is Medicine: Our bodies are made to move. I regularly set aside time to work out, go for a run or walk, practice yoga, and so on. I find this sharpens my mind, helps me sleep, regulates my emotions, staves off stress and anxiety, keeps me from getting ill, and allows me to feel good in the skin I’m in.

10. Be Yourself: When I try to be who others, and culture, tells me I should be … I suffer. When I live authentically—in alignment with who and how I am—I thrive.

11. Now is Everything: None of us know what tomorrow will bring. We don’t get a guidebook that tells us when we’ll die. While I believe in a beautiful after-life, there’s no way for me to know for sure what is on the other side of the veil. What I know for certain, though, is that I am here right now. I take this mentality—as best I can—into all my relationships. So, I hug people like I might not ever hug them again, and frequently tell people I love them when we part.

12. Love is the Point: Need I say more?

What do you think, friend? What stood out to you? What’s a key lesson, or three, from your life? I can’t wait to hear from you in the comments!

Hugs & Love,

Lang (aka “Dr. Love”)

P.S. Did you know that clicking the “like” button 🤍 helps other people find this post—while bringing a smile to my face? Also, if you think this could aid anyone, please consider sharing and/or “restacking” it. And above all, remember: You are amazing, and I hope you have a beautiful day!

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