…The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

It has been said that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery. With this in mind I’m going to take a crack at one of my favorite segments that the folks over at Esquire magazine publish each month. The segment is commonly known as “What I’ve Learned” and each month they ask someone to list some random thoughts on what they’ve learned during their stay here on Space Ship Earth. Here’s what I’ve learned…

Things are rarely as bad as you think they are. They’re also never as good.

Never be afraid to fall in love. You will be hurt a lot. Hell possibly even most of the time. But you’ll miss out on real love if you shy away from it.

People are the most important thing. Not money or any other material gains. Its always been people. Your relationships, your friends& loved ones, and even your enemies (if you have any); cherish every interaction.

Don’t get me wrong though, Money helps.

A lot!!

Every man above the age of 39 should own his own tuxedo. Black, fitted, standard lapel with 2 buttons please. There aren’t many places you can’t get into and you’ll be appreciated for your style.

Plato was right. You can tell a lot about a person just by the way he competes against others.

Be smart enough to know what you don’t know. No one can be an expert at everything and only a fool tries. You don’t need to know it all, but it helps to know where to go for the answer. The wisest of moments are often the ones when you can say with sincerity, “I don’t know but I’ll see if I can find out”.

Sometimes doing nothing is the right thing to do. It’s also often the hardest.

Read

Laugh as often as is appropriate. Then laugh a little more. It’s healthier. You’ll look a little crazy at times but in the end you’ll be happier.

Speaking of crazy – every once in a while it’s ok to remind the voices in your head that they’re just passengers along for the ride.

Be kind to your Mom. Moms are special creatures and they are the one person that will truly love you unconditionally.

Never be afraid to work hard and get your hands dirty. You’ll be a better person for it each time.

Good scotch is underappreciated.