30 things I've learned in 30 years

Last February I celebrated my 30th birthday. In Japan when you are 30 years old you are entering the 三十路 (MISOJI) “The thirties way”. During these 30 years I have learned, unlearned and relearned many things like just everybody else.

Below, 30 things that I think I have learned during my way to the thirties, lessons that I learned during 22 years in Spain, 8 years in Japan and traveling around the world. Many of these lessons were taught by my family, my teachers, my work, my friends and all those wonderful women that conquered my hearth at some point in my life, thanks to all of you!

1.- Don’t criticize anybody, it is useless. Instead of criticizing weak point of somebody, focus on the strong points.

2.- Don’t be afraid of change, it is unavoidable. Learn how to surf the waves of your life, and enjoy every moment of it.

3.- Experience gives you perspective, calm and helps you prioritize the things that really matter. However, sometimes it is good to ignore your “experience” and hear your intuition.

4.- We usually overestimate what we can achieve in 1 year but we underestimate what we can achieve in 10.

5.- You don’t have to understand, learn or unlearn love, you just have to feel it.

6.- Don’t rush yourself but take a step every day, even if it is a small step. Enjoy it as it was your last one.

7.- When you feel like doing “the right thing” is not the best… break the rules!

8.- TIME is much more important than MONEY

9.- Make mistakes! It’s the best way to learn. But try not to make the same mistakes more than once.

10.- When you make a mistake assume your responsibility, apologize, say you are sorry.

11.- Don’t make promises to many people at the same time. Learn how to say NO.

12.- Don’t force other people to do something, inspire them and wait.

13.- When you fall, stand back up, the faster the better.

14.- The most difficult “problems” in life are not going to be solved no matter how much you think about them.

15.- Choosing between different options, between different paths, is one of the most difficult things in life. Sometimes there’s not a good option and a bad option, or a better option or worse, but sooner or later YOU HAVE TO DECIDE.

16.- It is better to love and lose, that never have loved and wonder how could it have been.

17.- Things that now seem very stressing-important for you, will look like silly things in the future.

18.- Be flexible, adaptable and able to recover with even more strength, like bamboo.

19.- The most important thing is not the place where you live but the people around you that you share your life with. Take care of them as much as you can.

20.- Do you live to work or do you work to live? Work is an important part of life, I enjoy it and makes me happy.

21.- Be patient, honest, humble (you are just one of more than 7,000 million people), curious, sincere, kind, careful, respectful.

22.- Perseverance is one of the things that has given me better results in life, be patient and enjoy the process more than the results, which will take some years to arrive.

23.- To regret something you did in the past is useless, at some point in your life that’s what you wanted. If you sometimes regret something, it should be for something that you didn’t do, but not for something that you did. Do it before it’s too late!

24.- Giving is MUCH more important than receiving.

25.- Don’t be afraid.

26.- Start now! Don’t procrastinate. Usually the first step is the most difficult one.

27.- At the end everything will be memories. Create good memories!

28.- Practice some sport. Exercise!

29.- Travel!

30.- You still don’t know what to do with your life? It’s ok, I also don’t. Don’t worry be happy, and remember wear sunscreen

What have you learned until now?