Roy Tang

Thirty eight lessons I’ve learned through the years, in no particular order:

1. Do not be beguiled by pretty things; not all that glitters is gold
2. Remain true to yourself in the face of adversity
3. You can’t help people who aren’t willing to change
4. People will believe what they want to believe
5. You don’t have to do what everybody else does
6. Happiness often comes from small things
7. Be thankful for what you have and appreciate the people who are there for you
8. Other people think about you a lot less than you think
9. Time you enjoy wasting isn’t wasted time
10. Spend some time alone with your thoughts regularly; solitude has its benefits
11. In most situations, a balanced approach will serve you well. Extreme or fanatical views will rarely be good
12. Occasionally try again things you earlier dismissed, in case that they have improved or your own tastes have changed
13. When in doubt and things are urgent, pick one option randomly and go.
14. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind
15. Life is too short to waste time on things that you don’t enjoy or don’t help you grow or people who don’t appreciate you
16. It’s never too late to be who you were meant to be
17. If it’s important to you, keep track of it
18. The world is too amazing to be bored
19. It’s okay to be weird and/or random every so often
20. Life has no meaning except what meaning you give it
21. All things, whether good or bad, shall eventually pass. Enjoy the good while it lasts, persist through the bad until you make it through
22. Avoid doing or saying things in anger or hatred
23. Things change and people change, sometimes for reasons we can’t ever explain. Learn to roll with life’s punches
24. The world is filled with people who are terrible, cruel, or manipulative. That doesn’t mean there aren’t good people out there and that doesn’t mean you should mistrust everybody. “Do not let the world make you hard”
25. Don’t worry too much about things that you can’t understand or can’t change. Focus only on things you can affect and that matter to you
26. Quality is nice, but quantity often works too. Many failed or mediocre attempts will eventually converge towards a quality success
27. Learn to accept when things need to end. Let go or be dragged
28. Sometimes you just need the courage to power through the difficult parts
29. For many things, the best way to improve is with time and practice and effort
30. Learn from the past, look to the the future, but live in the present
31. Life isn’t fair. Just because you’ve done all the right things doesn’t mean you’ll get what you want, even if you feel like you deserve it (the converse is also true – even if you do all the wrong things you won’t necessarily get punished for it)
32. Strive to be fair and honest with people you deal with. Give credit where credit is due
33. In order to learn, teach. In order to lead, follow
34. When you are ahead, strive for stability and balance. When you are behind, be willing to gamble
35. Always keep learning and improving. Every day, try to improve yourself or learn something new
36. Every once in a while, expand your horizons with new things or different points of view
37. Words are wind. Reinforce your words with deeds
38. Age is merely a state of mind