Hello Reader,
This past Sunday was my 42nd birthday.
I'm not a big birthday person.
- I don't celebrate for a week.
- I don't throw parties.
- I don't make a fuss.
But I've been reflective this year because, well, this past year has been one of rapid and rather spectacular transformation.
I decided to gather and impart a little wisdom from a lot of hard lessons learned over my years on Earth.
And I was genuinely shocked by the response, so thought I'd share it with all of you too.
You can see it on LinkedIn here.
Or read it here...
Today is my 42nd birthday. Here are 20 essential life truths I wish I could tell my younger self.
- Just because it (the relationship, job, or opportunity) looks good on paper, doesn’t mean it will feel good in life.
- Society, teachers, and parents often mean well, but mostly teach you to deny your truest self. Learn when and how to ignore them.
- Nothing looks as good as authenticity feels.
- You are smarter, braver, stronger, and prettier than you think.
- No one benefits from you dimming your light to accommodate the fear, jealousy, and insecurity of petty people.
- People who laugh at your struggles are not your friends. Stop spending time with them.
- What happened to you is not your fault. But dealing with it is your responsibility.
- When people have strong reactions to you, good or bad, it usually says more about them than it does about you. Don’t let them distract you.
- Follow your curiosity. It will teach you more, open more doors, and lead to more incredible experiences than nearly anything else.
- Every success takes longer than you think it will. Don’t optimize for speed. Optimize for endurance.
- Everyone is figuring it out as they go—even your heroes, idols, and mentors. Don’t give up.
- The hard way is the easy way. Trying to skip steps, automate things, be lazy, or take shortcuts will only cost you in the end.
- If you want to understand people, learn to understand yourself first.
- Go to therapy early and often. Every part of your life will be better if you do.
- Your inner wisdom does not shout. She whispers. So you better quiet everything else down so you can hear.
- You don’t have one soul mate. You have many. People who make life more joyful, beautiful, and rich. Find them, keep them, and love the shit out of them.
- Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear. Learn to face it with courage, honesty, and gratitude.
- People will encourage you to be less sensitive. F*ck them. It’s your superpower, and it’s absolutely beautiful.
- When in doubt, spend more time with the outsiders, the weirdos, the underdogs, and the puppy dogs. They have more heart, and they’re way more fun.
- Life is meant to be fully lived and felt. Learn to embrace the full spectrum of this weird, wonderful experience you’re having.
• Seize every opportunity.
• Feel every emotion.
• Pet every dog.
That’s what we’re all here to do.
I wrote that post for me.
Because I was feel introspective and reflective about my life and the many lessons I've learned along the way. Including some of the painful realizations and experiences about business, love, and life recently.
But I was astounded by the response.
- 100s of comments about which point resonated and why.
- Nearly 1000 new followers and connect requests.
- Dozens of thoughtful, heartfelt DMs.
- Even 3 calls booked by my ICP.
It was such a helpful reminder that sometimes the best content is the kind that we write for ourselves.
Because we have some burning message to share, some wisdom to impart, or some laughter we want to spread.
I'll always advocate for a smart business strategy on LinkedIn, but sometimes the best strategy is none at all. Just authenticity.
In love and growth,
Kasey
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