30 Things I Know For Sure

I just had a birthday and I’m officially old. It’s nice to be old because I can be as senile, long-winded, grumpy and as big a bitch as I want, and if anybody asks me why I’m that way, I can snort and say, “Chiu! Cannot meh??” Another perk of being old is I now have the license to share all the wisdom I’ve gleaned through the years. After living for so long, the amount of salt I’ve eaten is now frightfully close to the amount of rice I’ve eaten, so here are 30 things I’ve learned:

1. You grow stronger when life sucks.
2. Things are never as bad or scary as you expect.
3. This too shall pass.
4. Thinking is over-rated (and while we’re at it, so is Drew Barrymore).
5. Worst case scenarios almost never happen.
6. The best antidote to fear is action.
7. You will regret the things you haven’t done, more than those you have.
8. There’s never a ‘right’ time to do something; just do it. Once the body starts, the mind will follow.
9. Things can take a miraculous turn for the better in a blink of an eye (unfortunately, the opposite is also true)
10. Stop trying to be perfect – it will kill you and nobody will even care.
11. Never make decisions when in emotional turmoil; you will almost always regret it.
12. It’s okay to give yourself a break sometimes. The world will still turn, the grass will still grow.
13. You never feel bad after a good run. But you’ll feel bad after a bad one. Um, what’s my point again?
14. Never quit something just because it’s tough.
15. Life will not always go the way you want. Deal with it.
16. You don’t have to like everything you do.
17. Looking good is about posture and proportions, not a smoking hot body (although that helps).
18. Don’t believe everything you read or see.
19. It’s okay to feel bad every once in a while.
20. Don’t listen to the advice of stupid people.
21. Appreciate your ability to feel, whether it’s happiness, sadness or %@$#@$#$!!@ – it means you’re not dead yet.
22. Be passionate, be expressive, be genuine.
23. When pissed off, pick a song that best expresses how you feel and sing it at the top of your lungs (who cares if the driver next to you thinks you’re nuts?)
24. News flash: the world does not revolve around you.
25. The worst time to make a decision is at 6am in the morning (because the question is always about whether you should wake up and the answer is always ‘no’).
26. Don’t wear T-shirts with silly sayings; they just make you look tacky.
27. Take lots of pictures. You will be glad you did when you hit 60.
28. Detach, detach, detach.
29. Eat chocolate every once in a while.
30. Contrary to what those below 18 probably think, life does get better as you grow older.