The one about turning 30+8
Every year on my birthday, I reflect on the lessons that I’ve learned over the past year. So as per tradition, let’s do it again.
(Previous posts: 30+7 | 30+6 | 30+5 | 30+4 | 30+3 | 30+2 | 30+1)
- Energy is what unites us.
This year, I dived into the books my late father recommended, and I’m starting to see the breadcrumbs he has been dropping along the way.
It all revolves around this concept of energy. There is a certain energy that each of us emits when we are with others, which has a remarkable influence on the way that we come across to others. Animals and babies can sense this and are able to detect whether someone is friendly or not. At work, negative energy can change the entire atmosphere in a conference room. Think about conversations that have either energized you or drained you — it is about the energy that was exchanged.
To grasp this concept, I’ve immersed myself in classic texts like “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle, “The Power of Intention” by Wayne Dyer and “Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill. Passages that didn’t make sense a few years ago are starting to make sense now.
I have, without a doubt, that many of my successes (and failures) this past year can be attributed to these learnings. When we emit joy and kindness, it will come back to us.
2. Observe the macro to understand the micro.
If there is one long-form book worth the investment in time, it is this one by Ray Dalio.
After reading Ray Dalio’s concepts and watching his interviews on YouTube, it is not surprising to me why there has been a rise in geopolitical tensions and internal turmoil.
My dad often talked about a concept in Vietnamese called “biết trước” which translates to “know first”. When we have a sense of what is coming up, it allows us to make early (and intentional) decisions for ourselves, our families and our community. When we understand the macro, we can understand the micro.
3. When you are ready, it will come.
“To attract attractive people, you must be attractive. To attract powerful people, you must be powerful. To attract committed people, you must be committed. Instead of going to work on them, you go to work on yourself. If you become, you can attract.” — Jim Rohn
At first glance, this quote from Jim Rohn comes across as superficial — so I need to be attractive? But it really isn’t because the concept is deeper than physical appearance. It’s about shaping our interactions, our habits and our environment.
Opportunities in this world are limitless. We’re drawn into the myth that opportunities are fixed but they aren’t. Sure, there could be just one opening for a job, but there are countless other jobs that may be better suited to who you are. Rather than working on the external world, I focused on working on my inner world. And this has made all the difference.
4. Life is finite.
A high school friend passed away earlier this year. This struck a deep chord inside because we shared many things in common — education, profession, and family. And attending his funeral highlighted the finite nature of life.
I want to emphasize that “life is finite” is significantly different than “life is short”. While none of us can predict the length of our lives, we can control what we do between the beginning and the end of our lives. What we do between those two moments is up to us. I can guarantee that a few days after our passing, life will simply carry on — it always has, and it always will.
5. Be the venti cup
Finally, I embraced the concept of being a venti cup. Recent months have shown me the importance of building capacity in my life. Building capacity can either be (1) foregoing commitments that take time away from our lives (i.e., pouring coffee out of the cup) or (2) instilling daily habits that will continue to fuel us (i.e. upgrading our cup size from a tall to a venti).
And when we are able to do both, this is where magic can be found.
Previous posts: 30+7 | 30+6 | 30+5 | 30+4 | 30+3 | 30+2 | 30+1.
