My 40 thoughts on my 40th Birthday 2009

Here are 40 random things that I hold true based on my experience of 40 years on this planet. Some were random, some read somewhere, some are common sense, some are philosophies and some are just borne of the psychosis that we suffer from time to time. This is in, essence my 40 year experience in 40 lines. Some were combined to further drive what I am trying to say. Everything is succinct, direct, sweet and simple, done over a cup of coffee.

Enjoy. React. Criticize. Laugh. Let’s talk about this over a beer as I have mentioned in entry #31. Thank you for your indulgence. Cheers!

My 40 thoughts on my 40th Birthday
God
1. Pray! There is a God and HE is in Heaven and He has a plan for everything.
2. Thank God for all His blessings, always. Ask for forgiveness.
3. Listen to that voice inside of you that tells you what SHOULD be done and not what you WANT done.
4. A lot was decided before you were born. That is why it is called the genetic lottery. God never gives anyone EVERYTHING.

Life
5. Regret does come at the end. Everyone has them. Everybody plays the fool.
6. Beautiful song lyrics, movies and books ROCK! Music gives you SOUL.
7. Live, learn and laugh at yourself from time to time. A sense of humor keeps people sane.
8. Live in the NOW. It’s OK to reminisce but you still gotta move on.9. Invest in yourself. No one else will. A good education gets you ahead of a lot of people.
10. When shit hits the fan. Some guys run. Stay. Face the music. People will respect you for it.
11. Be dependable. Live your word. Loyalty and Integrity are admirable virtues.
12. Drugs kill. Do not trust people that do drugs.
13. Spread good karma. Do favors, set people up on dates.
14. Learn the lesson. It will be repeated until you do.
15. Be calm. Panic will not achieve anything. Sunsets feed the soul. 
16. In anything, go back to basics. Keep it simple. Old friends, simple food, the quickest route.
17. If sparks don’t fly, forget the second date. No girl is worth slashing wrist, shedding tears or dying for.
18. Less talk, less mistake. The loudest guy in the room is the weakest guy in the room.
19. Read! It opens your mind, takes you places and makes you learn. Travel! Enjoy the sights and food of new places.
20. Get a grip of the situation. Keep it real. Standards tend to be lowered in time.
21. Apologize to people that you hurt. Sincerely.
22. Instead of being lonely, appreciate solitude.
23. As Coco Chanel once put it, “Fashions fade, style is eternal”.
24. Be clever enough to admit what you do not know.
25. Unless you are ready to face the consequences, do away with the whips and chains.
26. Do not let them see you coming. Assume formlessness
27. When you get into a fight turn the other check and get the Uzi in the car. Violence is for cavemen. Arrrrrghhhh! Don’t get mad. Buy grenades.

Friends and Family
28. Never bad mouth your relative or friend’s wives.
29. Truly take care of your God children. 
30. Teach your children practical skills. Shine shoes, play chess, shoot straight.31. Blood is thicker than water but relatives can also screw you. People closest to you can be the worst of enemies. Buy your friends a beer.
32. Friends will be friends. Be a good and true friend but when your friends take advantage of your loyalty and friendship, discard them. If someone that cared for you eventually hurt you, move on. That person never really cared for you.
33. People change in time. That could be a good or bad thing. That’s how it is.
34. Don’t expect to meet someone to complete you. Be a whole person first.
35. A kiss and hug from people that care for you goes a long way.
36. Marriage is the start of something and the end of something.
37. Money among friends is a bad way of keeping count.

Work
38. Work. Work hard. Work smart. Earn your pay.
39. Work with the people at the office. Make friends after.
40. Sometimes, getting fired can be a good thing.