It’s my birthday. So please excuse this attempt at profundity.
When I was 12, I wanted to fast forward to 26. I don’t know why but for some reason back then, it seemed like a cool age to be. I thought I’d be more in control, living on my own. You know, independent. Now that I’m 27, I realized that I’m still no different from that wishful 12-year-old. I’m still overweight, still cartoonishly neurotic, and still trying to figure things out. (Stop me before I start to sound like the 4 Non-Blondes).
Not much has changed, really – save for my occasional pathetic attempt to grow a goatee.
Which is not to say that I didn’t have my share of learnings. In fact, here are 27 of them, some already previously incarnated as tweets and status messages. Either way, it won’t hurt to share them again and again:
- It’s not about the friends who’ve known you the longest. It’s about the friends who’ve always been there for you.
- You won’t always feel you’re the right fit. But whatever you do, don’t misrepresent yourself. Pretense is self-betrayal.
- There will always be people who don’t like you. But guess what? There are many more who do!
- You are entitled to your feelings. No one should make you feel otherwise.
- Pain is inevitable, but not permanent.
- Crying is an underrated and gravely misunderstood sign of strength.
- Make your passion your purpose.
- There are no difficulties in chasing your dreams. Only challenges.
- Go crazy once in a while. After all, the only people who use “crazy” in a derogatory manner are the plain and boring.
- Humor is golden.
- At times, so is solitude.
- Learn to see the beauty in the mundane.
- To live is to love and vice versa. Reciprocation notwithstanding, love is the foundation of our existence. It’s as involuntary and vital as breathing and heartbeat.
- Respect is the most basic form of honor that can be bestowed upon you. Earn it.
- Remember. An eye for an eye: Appreciate those who appreciate, value those who give value, and give relevance to those who make you feel relevant.
- Aspire to be a source of happiness, not just a source of convenience.
- Your academic standing won’t always determine how you’ll fare in life. It’s how you cultivate your talents and respond to opportunities that will make or break you.
- Be the life of the party.
- Don’t get hurt when people call you “spoiled” solely on the basis of what you have. “Spoiled” is a word often loosely used by the envious and resentful.
- Acknowledge your flaws but don’t let them hinder you.
- Embrace your idiosyncrasies. They make you stand out.
- Sometimes, the most spontaneous decisions turn out to be the most rewarding.
- Some mistakes are rectifiable, some are not. It takes courage to admit the former and self-forgiveness to move forward from the latter. Either way, always strive to redeem yourself.
- At the end of the day, it’s your family who will always support you.
- Never let go of your inner child.
- Pray.
- Chin up. Life doesn’t always suck.
Planet Chuckie 
Cheers, I just stopped in to visit your blog and thought I’d say thank you.
I appreciate your insightful writing. awesome work. I hope you write others. I will continue subscribing