10 Lessons from 2023

1. Anxiety arises from thoughts. Package those thoughts and you’re fine (much, much easier said than done).

2. You feel emotions in the body. Once you gain awareness of that, then you can start to deconstruct your emotions.

3. Consistency and being solid is always better than the man who is great once a month. Think of it as a sports record. Being 57-25 sounds better than 41-41 regardless of each individual game. Who’s gonna make the playoffs (we’re talking about 2000’s Western Conference)?

4. Being introverted is nice, but extroverts get to learn about people, and that to me is a nice part of life. Listen actively but contribute yourself.

5. Life can be unfair, but it’s on you to process whatever negative emotions you’re feeling.

6. Lifelong friends stay with you through thick and thin. They call you out when you are the villain and encourage you to be the hero.

7. When you drive on challenging roads and get better on them, day to day driving, even in traffic, is much more relaxing. It feels like benching 225 and then deciding to go back and feast on 135.

8. Great food and community becomes a special emotional experience. There were times this year where I felt this warmth, like that warmth you feel when your Mom picks you up from school and takes you to Quiznos. Just the adult form.

9. Emotional fulfillment in career seeps into the rest of your life. It makes you excited to present your best work, and you wake up as ready as Spongebob is to work as a Fry Cook at the best patties on Earth.

10. The effects of exercise hits your brain often when you least expect it. Of course they’re good, but the timing in which they hit you is epic.