This would be a good blog for my birthday, which is just a few months away, but I couldn’t wait to divulge all my life’s secrets…

1. Be a peacemaker – Yes, just like Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount; “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Life is too short for quarrells anyways.

2. Be a risk-taker – My guess is that by the time we’re on our deathbeds, we’ll have more regrets about the things we didn’t do rather than the things we did.

3. Where words fail, music speaks – Seriously, what would life be in the absence of music? Still great, but music tugs at the strings of my heart like nothing else does.

4. Family is everything – My first emphasis in life is to nurture my relationships with my siblings and parents. “Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one”.

5. Use discretion – I’d rather like to say use proper discretion, but most people don’t even understand how to go through life using discretion as a tool. Let’s do away with censorship. In fact, we can do away with a lot more than censorship if we teach ourselves (and the future generation) to use discretion.

6. Become educated – I cannot say enough about the importance of getting educated. Learn how the world works. Learn where money goes. Learn your human ancestry. Learn about power structure. Learn about your body and mind. All these things will make you much better off in life if you chose to learn it. I theorize that if every human being on earth had at least a high school level education, our society would suffer much less from the ills of not being educated.

7. Take care of your mind – It’s good to see that our culture has put greater emphasis on taking care of your body. But I don’t hear enough people talking about taking care of your mind. Your mind is just like an organ in your body. It has a function. It makes thoughts and subsequently makes emotions. If you know this, than you already have more controll about how you think and feel.

8. Take care of your body – Exercise is the best antidepressant. When your body feels good, than you will also feel good.

9. Be mindful – There is so much going on in the present moment. There is already enough going on around us. There is so much to see, smell, and hear. If that isn’t enough, than consider that there is so much happening in your body. There is sweet breath. There is a heartbeat that feels good. There’s all the good feeling in our limbs. You’ll only know this with mindfulness practice. It’s a sweet little life hack because learning to be mindful means that even when things are the worst, we can still relish in the little things that are still happening all the time.

10. Be yourself – There are so many forces in life wanting you to be anything else but exactly who you are. Life is too short to worry about what other people think. I only started being myself after I graduated high school. Since then, I feel as though I actually started living.

11. Go the extra mile – Even though I hated it growing up, my mom always taught us to have good work ethic, and go the extra mile. I remember her having me do chores all over again if I didn’t do it completely the first time. My work ethic has served me well, and I have her to thank for that. Without realizing, people will notice your work ethic. It says a lot about your character.

12. The end is not justified by the means – (Not always, but in most cases) This is more of a philosophical observation, but it’s still relevant. Dont let any religion, group, institution, or anybody else fool you into believing that something is justified by what is accomplishes. A lot of suffering is caused by this fallacy. There may be some exceptions but I generally believe that since we are always and only living in the present, harm is not justified by the idea of how something should be in the future.

13. Get out of your city – Go spend time away from home. We get so comfortable in our little circle, but it helps to be away from home to come back to our actual home, which is found within.

14. Learn your heritage – Have you ever noticed how concepts are easier to understand if they are put in context? Your life is the concept, and your heritage is the context.

15. Keep your place tidy – I’ve been on both sides of this one, which is why I try to make sure that my room is always organized. For God’s sake, you have to live in your area, so keep it clean. Having a tidy living area is the least of what is in your circle of control.

16. Live and Love – I fell in love one time, and it was the most beautiful chapter of my life. But just like all good things, it also had to come to an end. Although it didn’t last as long as I would have liked it to, I think I’d like to try it again at some point.

17. Dont hold grudges – Grudges are a pitiful waste of energy. It only makes you feel bad and, if you hold on to it, it becomes so mind consuming. I know this from experience. I’m trying to let go of a grudge right now, so please pray for me y’all.

18. Have a pet – People are really hard to be around sometimes. That’s why its so great to have a pet. I dont have one right now, thus, I’m coming to you with this tip; have a pet

19. Dont be a picky eater – People who are picky eaters make me bothered. Food is food, and all food is delicious. It’s a small mindset about our selection of flavors that determines how we like food. So change your mindset, and see that there is so much delicious food out there. I can’t wait to try all the foods that I haven’t tried.

20. Learn to play an instrument – I dont have anything to say about not learning an instrument as being a bad thing. But why not? It’s fun, and will flex your creative brain cells.

21. Laugh at everything – Yes, laughter feels so good, and it costs me nothing. Actually, it costs me my pride when I’m in a bad mood, but otherwise, laughter is the antidote for everything.

23. Learn to count – See, Now I’m laughing!

I have a lot people to thank for this. First and foremost, my old friend Jenn, who showed me how to live life better. My friends, who are an incredibly support system. And, my family, for being my rock. I love you guys!

Erik H.