I’m turning 30 years old in a week (May 20th) and on the back of a big Project Endure event, an amazing Portugal trip and a lot of hard work, I’ve been in reflection mode. For anyone who cares (if not just for me in the future), here are 30 lessons and pieces of guidance (in no particular order) that I feel convicted about so far in this lifetime.
I welcome thoughts from those with added insight and wisdom!
___________________________________________________
- There is no strength without struggle.
- In order to grow, we have to lean into resistance #dohardthings. However, not all resistance is meant to be pushed through – some resistance exists to guide us back to the middle and deciphering which is which can be challenging.
- Our attention is our most valuable resource.
- Time is fleeting and that makes it valuable. However, what we focus on with our time is the most valuable thing that we have (and can give). Be grateful for people who give you their attention because that is part of their limited life. Be selective with your attention.
- It’s not about the outcome; it’s about who we become.
- Our growth and impact are so much more important that what we accomplish. The lives that we can change are so much more valuable than boxes that can be checked.
- Comfort is a slow death.
- Life isn’t supposed to be easy and the human condition is about experiencing it all (highs, lows and everything in between). To choose comfort is to miss out on being alive.
- What got you here won’t always get you there.
- Our strategies need to change with each new season.
- Little by little, little becomes a lot.
- Consistent effort compounds over time and persistence is powerful. Being patient is required in order to build anything great (and being patient does NOT mean being passive).
- Pressure (and pain) is a privilege.
- No matter what you’re experiencing, you’re here to feel it and that’s a gift.
- Most people won’t get it until you get there.
- Some people won’t understand your pursuits until they materialize into something that the world can witness. You have to be willing to be misunderstood on the path to your potential.
- Sometimes the biggest risk is taking no risk at all.
- We only get to do this once; go for it.
- You’ll never rise above the opinion you have of yourself.
- You are enough just as you are no matter how hard that might be to believe. The value that you hold is not in titles, accomplishments or accolades. You are unique, special and loved.
- You’re not lost; you just don’t know where you’re going yet.
- We will NEVER have it all figured out. Continue to stumble with intention toward where you want to go and who you want to be. You only need a general direction to move, not a clear picture of the end destination.
- Being resilient doesn’t mean never breaking.
- Sometimes being resilient means breaking into a thousand pieces and then choosing to pick up the pieces and build again. You don’t have to do this alone.
- Endurance without purpose is exhaustion.
- Find the WHY and you can figure out the how.
- Be unreasonable.
- Don’t shrink to the expectations of others or settle for “realistic” – you are your only limit.
- Interested people watch obsessed people change the world.
- You don’t have to be obsessed but you do need to understand if you’re interested or obsessed and then come to terms with the sacrifices that come with each.
- There are no rules.
- You can do anything you want, however you want.
- Our injuries provide us with insight.
- Pain, setbacks and challenges afford us opportunities to learn.
- What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.
- What we hold in our heart will come up in our actions.
- Just because you’re weary doesn’t mean you’re weak.
- It’s ok to rest, to reset and to ask for help (that’s part of being human).
- Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s part of it.
- If you can keep failing at something meaningful, success is inevitable.
- I am not who I once was.
- We all grow and sometimes that means leaving behind who we once were. The process of becoming involves dying to who we once were (and that can be painful).
- Learn to not mind the hurt.
- There are no secrets or shortcuts in this life. Hard work, works and the biggest hack might be in learning to not mind the fact that life is hard.
- Direction is more important than speed.
- There’s no point in rushing in the wrong direction.
- Personal excellence is an act of rebellion (crazy isn’t a bad thing).
- The world will pressure you into being “normal” – it’s not worth it.
- Life comes in waves; be selective with which ones you ride.
- This shall pass and this too shall pass.
- Stop chasing butterflies and instead, build a beautiful garden.
- Instead of chasing things that you can’t control, focus on cultivating the person who attracts what you want (be then do then have).
- Choose to have with or without you energy.
- Set out on the path you care about and keep going no matter what. People are attracted to that kind of energy and in time, you’ll find a tribe who wants to travel with you.
- Building is an essential part of being human.
- It’s important to have something to work toward; we are creative beings and that desire to build needs to be fed (or else we start to wither).
- Fear is a mile wide and an inch deep.
- The things that scare you will fade away as you walk toward them – call the bluff.
- People matter most (love others well).
- This one is simple to understand and sometimes hard to act on.
___________________________________________________
Here’s to another decade full of lessons.
“I believe that the greatest truths of the universe don’t lie outside, in the study of the stars and the planets. They lie deep within us, in the magnificence of our heart, mind, and soul. Until we understand what is within, we can’t understand what is without.”
Anita Moorjani
Do hard things.
Joe Rinaldi
IG: @joearinaldi
P.S. If you enjoy my content and want to support me while getting access to my exclusive email and audio newsletter, please click here. I appreciate your time, consideration and support so much!