50 Years and 50 Lessons in 4 Minutes

By someone's clock I just rolled over 50. Age is truly nothing but a number. And, it's not even that really.

I breathe no differently than I did ten years ago. My doctor said so and doctors know everything even though mine tells me I now need a colonoscopy.

Many of you know I write an original, daily, motivational quote called Today's Line to Live By?. You can get them delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday and also receive a FREE Out of Reach but in Sight: Using Goals To Achieve Your Impossible eBook. Now that's a gift no matter when your birthday is. Just sign up here!

I captured a bunch of those Today's Line here and also put a nifty four minute video together. I hope you enjoy these 50 years and 50 lessons in 4 Minutes.

On making plans…

50. The moment you switch to Plan B you know Plan A was merely a passing interest rather than a burning desire.

On love…

49. Marry for true love. Not to procreate. Lest you’ll eventually find yourself a part-time parent. Or worse. A part-time spouse.

On fear…

48. How many opportunities for joy did you destroy with needless fear about making a mistake?

On comparison…

47. Compare your present not to the past but to the possible…

On running a one-horse race…

46. How spectacular would you be if you had no ability to compare yourself to others?

On knowing your prepositions…

45. Life happens FOR you, not TO you.

On being a, uh, magnet…

44. You attract people based on what qualities you show them. They stay around based on what qualities you truly possess. Most things in life work this way.

On being in sync…

43. Think. Say. Do. Your life will never be more on track than when those three things are all the same.

On good news for quitters…

42. Your success in life won’t be determined nearly as much by what you finished, as it will by what you started.

On things to hang on to…

41. Don’t save face only to lose your soul.

On listening…

40. Listen to your body. It’s smarter than you are.

On, oh, that’s what rear view mirrors are for…

39. At some point, you’ll look back and know exactly why it had to happen.

On when it’s okay to finish last…

38. There is nothing like the first kiss. Except the person who gives you your last first kiss.

On being tardy…

37. It’s never too late to be the person you are capable of being. Or too early.

On when ignoring someone is okay…

36. Anyone who tells you something is impossible is no longer worthy of being your friend.

On playing favorites…

35. It’s better to have favorite people than favorite things.Top of Form

On being a welterweight…

34. Learn to take a punch. The longer you live the more punches you’ll take from people you don’t care about and who don’t care about you.

On whether your butt looks fat in those jeans…

33. It’s amazing what exercise, eating right, and a good night’s sleep will do to all the bad genes you think you inherited.

On keeping up with the Jones-es…

32. You’re not better off borrowing money you don’t have to buy things you can’t afford to impress people you don’t know.

On I can’t see a thing…

31. If you already know how to accomplish your goal, you’re aiming too low. Raise it. Venturing into the unknown is what tests your desire for something.

On Newton’s First Law of Motion...

30. It’s much easier to direct a moving object than a stationary one.

On what to do with your body parts…

29. Your body language will say more about you than any words that come out of your mouth.

On your undergarments…

28. Wear clean underwear. In fact, write a book while in your underwear. If I did it, you can too.

On being brief…

27. In business, cut your long story short. In friendship, keep your long story long. In love, make your long story longer.

On board games…

26. Don’t be a chess piece. Be a chess player.

On eternity…

25. Instant results will never be your best results. Anything of real value takes time and usually outlives its creator.

On happiness…

24. No one who ever says “I just want to be happy” will ever actually be happy. Happiness is not something you get. It’s something you choose.

On my muscles are bigger than your muscles…

23. No external achievement will ever be strong enough to outmuscle inner peace.

On making it look easy…

22. People you think are amazing struggle just like you do. In fact, they struggle more often with bigger issues. That’s how they became amazing.

On fender benders…

21. Make an impression but don’t leave a dent.

On wishing you had a third hand…

20. You can do anything, but not everything.

On someone adding weight to the barbell when you weren’t looking…

19. If you refuse to learn the easy lessons, they become much harder.

On which way is north?

18. It’s easier to manage your life if you make mistakes and keep moving than if you’re sedate and try to get moving.

On I wish I could make that heart figure with my fingers?

17. Love is your most abundant resource. And, it only runs out if you want to.

On, ouch, I needed that…

16. Never curse the past for teaching you what you needed to know.

On who moved the finish line?

15. You can’t accumulate your way to happiness.

On I prefer retro anyway…

14. Nothing original ever came from someone who was afraid to fail.

On, honey, will you close the shade?

13. The biggest difference between a dream and a wish is what you do with the hours you’re awake.

On is it me or is it warm in here?

12. You should have at least one thing in your life where your passion for it is so hot you could set the person standing next to you on fire.

On where’s my gavel?

11. Never judge someone because they made different mistakes than you did.

On I’m a super awesome inventor…

10. The only way to create limits is to think of them.

On, oh, he’s making an author joke, yawn…

9. Steal a lesson from my life. You can’t edit a blank page. Get movin’.

On armchair quarterbacks…

8. You will need to ignore a lot of criticism if you want to see the unseen.

On but this is just easier…

7. Never let what you can do interfere with what you were meant to do.

On has anyone seen my watch?

6. Time. The most often used excuse for people to rationalize why they haven’t accomplished something they don’t want badly enough.

On being the monkey in the middle…

5. The universe plays “keep away” with what you want because you lack the discipline to achieve it, not because you lack the ability.

On who remembers those mathematically symbols anyway?

4. Your Choices > Your Circumstances.

On, oh, sometimes I just wish she were a mind reader…

3. You’ll never be remembered for your intentions nor forgotten for your actions.

On but I work the night shift…

2. You give your dreams plenty of life when you sleep. Don’t let them die in the daylight.

On how high I can count…

1. I’ll never count the minutes. I’ll always count the moments.

About the Author

Andrew LaCivita is the Founder & Chief Executive of milewalk and the milewalk Academy. As an internationally recognized executive recruiter, award-winning author, speaker, and trainer, Andrew has dedicated his career to helping people and companies realize their potential. He frequently serves as a trusted media resource and is the author of Interview Intervention, Out of Reach but in Sight, and The Hiring Prophecies (the eLit Gold Award Winner for Best Business/Careers/Sales Book for 2016).

Andrew’s passion is serving as a coach and trainer via his top 100 HR and Careers Blog, Tips for Work and Life?, and his online training site, the milewalk Academy. On a daily basis, he circulates his Today’s Line to Live By?, which is a self-developed inspirational quote. You can find these daily dispatches of inspiration on his blog and social media platform.

To learn more about Andrew and get the many free resources, books, and other helpful aids he offers, see his full biography and resources page.