12 Lessons I Learned in 2022 That I Wish I Had Known Much Earlier
#June — Please don’t go on vacation to anyone’s house.
This year life has blown my mind.
I learned so much that I want to share my principal lessons with you.
Twelve months twelve lessons.
Let’s go!
January
You have to do your thing to serve, not for fame.
You have to be helpful to others. And you have to honor those who consume your content, products, or services.
My readers are my supporters; in this interconnected world, the people who support your work are more than clients; they are YOUR BUSINESS ANGELS.
In 2022 I learned that I write for my audience, and to do it, I have to listen to their suggestions and read every comment because they don’t owe me a sh*t, but I owe it all to them.
So, if you are my reader, I want you to know that I appreciate your time and support.
You are my own Tim Ferris :-) Thanks for being my business angel; I promise I’ll try to be your best portfolio and make a difference in your life with my articles.
I am writing because of you. I am writing to you. I write to serve you.
February
Everything will be fine if you feel good. Everything will go wrong if you feel bad — even on a streak.
The Zen monk Shunmyo Masuno said in his book Don’t Worry: 48 Lessons on Relieving Anxiety from a Zen Buddhist Monk, “Your circumstances should not influence how you live your life. It is the way you live your life that should influence the way you perceive your circumstances.”
If something is wrong inside you, you will not be able to enjoy anything that comes from outside.
However, if you feel good and cultivate a positive approach, no matter how many storms you have to face, you will be able to overcome them with a smile on your face.
March
Don’t stop being you for anyone — especially for your partner.
They change you and say, “You have changed. This is no longer the same.” And they leave you sobbing, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
When someone falls in love with you, they shouldn’t try to change you, dammit!
F*ck that! Choose yourself. And whoever doesn’t like it can go away.
Abril
Do the hard work, but don’t forget to be efficient.
Do it right but at the right time because when you do the things you have to do when you don’t have to do them, you only receive pain.
To make things in time, never forget this mantra, “Less is more.”
And never put off difficult decisions or conversations until later. Or you will waste precious time, and the problem will become much more significant.
Remember to act efficiently but on time.
May
Say NO a lot. Read it again.
And only say yes when you feel a Hell Yeah! in your guts.
Never doubt; doubting makes things worst.
When you commit to something, do the thing, get the outcome, and don’t be afraid to lose because if you don’t win, at least you learn.
June
Please don’t go on vacation to anyone’s house (it can go very wrong, and it’s their house, NOT YOURS).
This year, I went on a four-day holiday to see a friend to celebrate becoming a father and meeting his partner, and it was the worst vacation ever.
People change, cycles end, and friendship leaves more hangover than a bottle of Jack Daniels when your friends throw things in your face or tell you how you should live.
Vacations are for disconnecting, not for getting bitter.
Respect yourself on vacation, do not go to anyone’s house: go to a hotel.
July
Engrave this phrase of St. Francis of Assisi on fire in your mind, “I need little, and the little I need, I need it little.”
In other words, make more money than you expend, and avoid the cheap stuff when you need to buy something.
Buy high-quality things because those products last more. You’ll pay more for less in the long run if you don’t.
August
Everybody hides corpses in the closet.
I mean… Not literally, but everyone has things to be ashamed of; no one is perfect.
Speak about those things you feel shame about, and you’ll have a massive audience with ears open, willing to hear what you have to say.
When you dare to talk about what nobody talks about, you produce a cathartic effect on the people who listen or read you because they stop feeling alone.
This year I’ve written publicly about many things I didn’t want anyone to know about me. I talk about my infidelities, addictions, and my OCD.
And surprisingly, it feels pretty freaking good to leave all that emotional baggage by writing about it. Give it a try. You won’t regret it.
September
Nothing last forever. And that applies to the bad moments too.
That’s why you must enjoy the good times in honor of all the bad ones.
But you also have to be happy in the hard times because the darkness will not last forever.
Remember, the sun comes out every day, even if the clouds cover it.
October
No matter how difficult you see a goal, persistence is your superpower.
They can only beat you if you give up.
If you make a long-term commitment to your goal, two things will happen 1) you achieve it, 2) you die, whichever comes first.
That level of commitment is what separates mediocrity from success.
Fight for your dreams.
Don’t give up, and you’ll win.
November
Let your actions speak about you, but shut your mouth.
Many people love to brag about how much they make, how happy they are, how good their life is, how their farts don’t smell :-); all talk; they’re posers.
The people who are killing it do not need to state the obvious.
They don’t give numbers on how much they make.
They don’t need to.
If you’re doing well, it’s time to work thousand times harder and let that work speak for you.
December
Trust in life.
December is not here yet, but I still trust that I will learn new and valuable things because we are humans in progress.
I know that when life gets uphill, it is hard to trust that there is light at the end of the tunnel. But there is.
And just as December has not yet arrived, I trust it will bring me that wonderful light that illuminates my path and yours.
Amen.
AG
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