I turned 50 last year. Well that’s what they tell me anyway, I’m filing an appeal.

I feel like I’ve learned a few things in those 50 years so I thought I’d share them with my readers (both of you!)

1) Don’t worry about what others think. Really what difference does it make. If you spill something on your shirt and a stranger looks at you and thinks you’re an ugly slob so what? How does that affect your life? If you answered “It doesn’t”  you get the prize.

2) Be honest. Big shots from Richard Nixon to Martha Stewart have gotten in trouble not for screwing up, but for screwing up and then lying about it. You’re human you’re going to make mistakes. So when you mess up, ‘fess up. You’ll make things a lot easier on yourself.

3) Keep thingns in perspective. I got really good at this four years ago when I spent a week in the psychiatric ward with depression, trying to decide whether I wanted to live or die. (I forget what I decided). Compared to that someone cutting me off on the freeway is nothing.

4) Be optimistic. Look for the best in people, especially yourself. Find the silver lining. It sounds corny but you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel.

5) Slow down. Why be in such a hurry? Rushing causes mistakes and adds stress. There are rarely any serious consequences to being late, so unless you’re driving a heart attack victim to the hospital, take it easy.

6) Don’t depend on “experts” Experts used to think the world was flat. Experts change their minds on things all the time. Experts used to think it was a good idea to take a kid’s tonsils out if they were getting sore throats. Now not so much. Experts usually don’t even agree with each other. Listen to the experts of course.  But don’t treat what they say as gospel, treat it as an opinion because that’s what it is. Think for yourself, do what you think is best, not what the so-called “experts” think

6) Assume you’re wrong. Or at least that you could be wrong. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been 100% sure of something and it turned out to be wrong. If you keep in mind that you’re not infallible, you’ll learn a lot and get along better with others

Well that’s it for now. I’ll be back in 2060 when I’ll be twice as wise