Midlife crisis? I bloody hope so!

Honestly, I never thought that I would be alive at 40 - not because I've been ill, or anything like that - but because I have lived life recklessly sometimes - and guess what? I have loved every single minute of it!

My mistakes have been the making of me. 

This is really a message for my children I guess? I just wanted to take sometime to reflect on what I have learnt in my short 40 years. It might be a load of old guy rubbish, but it's my old guy rubbish.

So, what can I tell you?

1. Respect your youngers. Being older does not mean that people should respect you, far from it Mr! Young people will change this world, they will push the envelope, and will do the things that you never thought possible; respect the young.
2. Don't be lazy, contribute.  
3. Never just agree with the things that you don't believe in. It's not the easy option. Lying to yourself, is much worse than lying to someone else. Everyone needs to be held to account. If you think someone or something is wrong, say so.
4. Don't ever start smoking. It's the bad friend that you can't shake off. And this 'friend' has probably taken 15+ years away from my life.
5. Don't play games in love. If you have feelings, shout about them. You need to be honest right at the beginning of a relationship - that way, there's never any doubt.
6. Create things, even if they are awful. You will always learn from the experience of creation. "In art, you can crash your plane and walk away from it" ~ Brian Eno. 
7. Stop saying No, and Don't. Start saying yes, and let's do it. Be on the side of positivity - try things.
8. Do the things that make you happy - as long as they don't hurt the ones that you love. Don't get to old age wishing you had made a record, made a film or fallen in love.
9. Trust people and be naive.  
10. Be a feminist. Women are amazing, women will save the world. You are all beautiful. Men are mostly oafs. If you're a man, show your strength with kindness. 
11. Be happy and smile. Duck face makes you look like an idiot - and you're beautiful when you smile. Smiling makes people like you for who you are. Smiling opens doors and opportunities. If something makes you sad just stop, and go and do something that makes you happy and which makes you smile.
12. Be kind to people for god's sake! I was cruel at school, a horrible little dirt bag. I have spent my life since school trying to be kind to people wherever possible. Some people will take advantage of you and will be cruel, but that's not your fault. 
13. Embrace the number 13, walk on the grass, walk under ladders and open an umbrella indoors. It feels great!
14. Shout and argue - but always make up with people.  
15. Bend the rules until they snap, because most rules are made by the very people who will never have to live by them. Write your own rules, it's much more fun! But don't be surprised if they get broken...
16. Remember, you are better than you think you are. Every person in the world is a force of nature, when they put their mind to it. Respect that you're amazing, and that others are too - help others to achieve, because that's an achievement in itself.
17. The past is for resonance not residence. You can never control everything, so move on from bad experiences. Trust me on that one - happiness is just around the corner, you just need to go out and find it. Keep moving forwards.
18. Your religion is not better than theirs - and being an atheist doesn't make you 'clever'. Belief is in your soul, disbelief is in the mind.
19. Go outside and meet people. There are some amazing people in this world - go out and meet them. Talk to people. Put your phone down...put it down!

1. Your 'to do' list will never ever end, get over it. 

And that's it.