Issue No. 17

1. You will not be forever young. Time is merciless, and the mistakes you made when you were younger will not be tolerated when you're older. So many things and people depend on you as you age, so mistakes will not be as tolerable. Your skin and body deteriorate over time. You will have more ailments, diseases, and pain. The way you see old and frail people today is the same way you will be looked at in the future. Enjoy your youth while it lasts.

2. College does not prepare you for a job. College is still a good option as a safety net in an institutionalized system. Most companies still require you to have a degree, but going to college isn't a guarantee of being competitive in the marketplace. Ultimately, you'll have to upskill yourself.

3. Learn how to sell. Selling anything you can allows you to understand how trade works and how to make money using your skills. This is extremely valuable to companies and your own entrepreneurial plans. As you go up the ladder of your career, you will find that the higher you go, the closer you become related to sales. Build a small shop online or offline, write a book and sell it, draw for someone, and get paid. Find a way to make money from the things you enjoy. It will double your interest in them.

4. Be kind but don't tolerate disrespect. People may mistake your kindness for permission to abuse or disrespect it. Be kind, but do not tolerate it when they overstep your boundaries. Show them the consequences of their actions.

5. Learn to code. You don't have to be a software engineer to learn coding. There are thousands of free lessons available that can guide you from zero. Learning to code enables you to build what you want and trains your brain to think logically and creatively. It's also a transferable skill in most industries.

6. Invest in expensive, high-quality clothes. About 80% of your wardrobe is used only 20% of the time. Most of your clothes just sit there in your closet. Instead, buy a few high-quality items. You will feel prouder of what you wear, and you'll take better care of your clothes. Also, find your fashion style early on. It helps simplify your shopping experience.

7. Develop a skincare routine. Don't put too many products on your face. The more natural they are, the better, but you need to make sure your skin is hydrated and well taken care of. Your face is what people see first 99% of the time, and they instinctively judge you based on how radiant and hygienic you appear. It's your face, quite literally, to the world. Taking care of yourself tells people that you're a responsible and disciplined individual.

8. Always find ways to improve aspects of your life. Most people will tell you, "You're perfect the way you are," but they are lying to you. There is always room for improvement, something to strive for. It doesn't mean you can't be content, but contentment should not lead to stagnation.

9. Learn faster than everyone else. In order to survive, you have to learn faster than everyone else, especially in your area of expertise. Those who learn slower will be eliminated.

10. Don't take things too seriously. Often, we overcomplicate situations and add unnecessary stress. Most people don't think as deeply as you do, and most situations aren't as dire as they appear. Your fixation on them magnifies their importance in your mind.

11. Learn to quickly abandon something or someone. If situations and people do not provide value to your life, let go of them. Reserve your energy for those who deserve it.

12. Use an electronic toothbrush. It's much safer for your gums and can clean your teeth more effectively.

13. No one will save you. At the end of the day, you are responsible for yourself and no one else. Put yourself first, take care of yourself first, and love yourself first. Only then can you be an effective friend, family member, and lover.

14. Find a mentor. A good mentor is a shortcut to success. They will teach you the best ways to do things and help you avoid mistakes before they happen.

15. Read a few books, but read them properly. Choose the right authors and spend time engaging with their work. Just because a book is written doesn't mean it's worth consuming.

16. Most things can be learned. Cooking, writing, singing, dancing, acting, coding, business, etc. Most things can be learned if you are interested enough. So find what interests you first by learning many things on the surface level then pursue the one that interests you the most. Don’t make the mistake of learning deeply about so many things when in the end, you’ll abandon most of them. Touch different seas, then dive on the one that calls.

17. Travel won't help you find yourself. It may provide temporary distractions, but eventually, you'll return home with the same problems you left behind. Solve them within yourself so that when you travel, you can see the world more clearly.

18. Prepare your clothes and pack your bag the night before you go to work. It will put you in a good mood because you won't have a headache deciding what to wear or trying to remember what you need to bring.

19. It's at our lowest point that we are most open to change. Our darkest times indicate a need for change. Every time this happens, we become a blank slate that is open to a fresh new start. The best thing about it is, you can start again as many times as you want.

20. Use social media to make money and establish a name for yourself. Most people use social media to upload nonsensical stuff that doesn't increase their value in any way. It’s okay to do sometimes but know that nobody cares, and nobody wants to remember where you traveled, what you ate, or who you were with. Those are momentary glimpses of yourself that occupy people's minds for a maximum of 5 seconds. Instead, use social media to make yourself known by providing value to people.

21. Nobody will remember you in 100 years. Eventually, your online data will be removed, and even if it's not, nobody will actively seek it out. Nobody will know who you were, what you liked, how you spent most of your days, how you slept at night, how you cried, sang your favorite songs, stared at the sky, or partied in the club. Nobody will know the places you've traveled to, the kind of people you loved, how insecure you were about that acne scar, what beliefs you held, or what job you had. The important thing is to make sure you get the best out of the time you have while you're alive. We are all borrowing this life, and we're all going to perish into nothing with no chance of coming back to any of this.

Time

by John Moeses Bauan