Lessons I’m Learning at 37

I haven’t been active on my blog for several months, and wanted to take this opportunity to start things up again. I hope you will check back often as I post new material.

Life is a journey, and it never stops. In the words of the great philosopher Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” As I pause today for my 37^th birthday, here are some things I’m learning about life:

1. Make friends where you can find them. There have been times when I’ve been hesitant to invest in a friendship because I didn’t have much in common with the person. But many of those people have turned out to be great friends who have been a real encouragement.

2. Let go of unrealistic expectations. Sometimes the idealistic dreams of our youth can set us up for disappointments later on. You can find real freedom when you let go of an idea, dream, job, or relationship that will probably never happen.

3. Trust God. At some point in my journey of faith I began to set aside my need to have every question about God resolved. We can’t fully understand God and how He works, and that’s OK. It’s incredibly refreshing to let go and step out with childlike faith and see the amazing things that happen.

4. Treasure the small things in life. The best moment of yesterday was when my 7-year old son made chocolate milk and brought it to me outside. It was a real gesture of love. Don’t miss the great little moments in life.

5. Don’t reply to emails when you’re upset. In the last few months I’ve had to apologize more than once for the tone of an email I sent when I was irritated. It’s much better to wait until you can reply more calmly, or better yet, correct misunderstandings in person. (This also applies to texts, Facebook messages, etc.) I love this article from Michael Hyatt on “Email Etiquette 101.”

6. Read for personal growth. If you want to improve yourself, you must be constantly investing in yourself by reading. Here is a great clip from Bill Hybels on the importance of reading.

7. Don’t define yourself by your work. So often, we see ourselves as an extension of the success or failure we perceive in our work (or how others see it). But your value as a person is not determined by your salary, title, position, or anything external. Our value is determined by God’s love for us, which is richer and deeper than we can comprehend.

8. Try something new. I have been building a treehouse for my son this summer. I know nothing about treehouses, so I consulted a few how-to guides and dug in. I have enjoyed every minute of it, and the project has given me new confidence as I’ve discovered I could actually do it. Take a chance and develop a new skill.

9. Find (and be) a mentor. Over the last couple of years I have been intentional about seeking out mentors and making myself available as a mentor. The process has been a real blessing in my life in several ways. (More about that in a future post.)

10. Don’t “posture.” “Posturing” means hiding behind a title or position to make others think we’re better than we really are. No matter what our position, we need to be real with people and be “human.” Some of the best advice I’ve heard is, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

I’m still learning these lessons, but am looking forward to being a little further down the path on my 38th birthday!

Question: What are some life lessons you are currently learning?