30 Life Lessons I’ve Learned Turning 30

I just turned 30 years old — here are some personal life lessons I’ve learned so far:

When in doubt, be generous.
To live a better life, live a simpler life.
There isn’t one ultimate “truth” in life, but many “truth(s)” to discover.
True beauty can be found in the ordinary and mundane moments of our everyday lives.
The purpose of human life is to make art that empowers yourself and others.
The more I produce and create, the happier I am.
Happiest isn’t the feeling of pleasure; rather, happiness is “human flourishing” — creative and innovative flourishing.
The older and wiser I become, the more unsure I become of my own life philosophies, and the more I question and challenge my beliefs.
The point isn’t to live a ‘minimalist’ life, but a simple life.
It is better to listen to your gut instinct and fail, than to betray your own inner-voice and succeed.
If angry, wait at least 24 hours before expressing your anger. 99% of the time you either forget what you were angry about, or you discovered it was something small and petty.
Stoicism: The ultimate philosophical tool to become indifferent to pain, suffering, and hardship in life– and to build strength to encounter the difficult times in life, in order to become stronger.
Zen: Subtracting distractions and superfluous pleasures, in order to focus on what is truly meaningful to you in life.
Street photography: The best way to overcome social anxiety and to interact with strangers, find beauty in the mundane, and partake in ‘walking meditation‘.
Photography’s main useful aspect: To create art which empowers yourself, and to also use photography as self-therapy.
The more you give, the more you will receive in return.
Purpose will always triumph over “passion” in life.
SCARS: What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger (Nietzsche).
Compassion Can Change the World
Set ‘moonshot’ goals for yourself everyday, and you will achieve 10x more than you think you’re capable of.
Generalized knowledge and erudition over a broad domain will always triumph over specialized knowledge in the long-run (T-technique of success).
There is nothing sweeter in the world than the love of your partner, family, and friends.
Don’t define yourself: allow your inner-child to explore, play, and follow your curiosities in life.
There is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ art, only ‘authentic‘ and ‘inauthentic’ art.
The philosopher will never stop searching for knowledge, beauty, and truth– and seek to share these secrets with others.
The secret of focusing: subtract distractions.
Only define success for yourself: For myself, true success is being proud of your effort, work, personal accomplishments, and always striving to do more and better.
Don’t just fight to survive; thrive.
To gain more control of your own life and freedom, become an entrepreneur.
Hustle hard for the sake of the human race: present, and future. Don’t worry too much about yourself; your basic needs will always be covered. You control your own fate.

BE STRONG,

ERIC