I am in my twenties. Here are some of the things I realized I need to learn before am thirty.

• Love hurts, but not as much as not loving.
• The friendships I nurture will have a greater effect on my life than where I work or what I earn.
• I am not my job. I am not my bankroll. I am not the sum of my possessions.
• The company does not love me. It has no heart. I am replaceable. Keep my parachute handy.
• Few decisions will ever shape my future life more than who I choose to marry. To marry well, I must choose well.
• Love is a commitment.
• My passions will grow out of my values. I should make early, wise choices to value what (and who) is good, trustworthy, and praiseworthy.
• Integrity preserved is honor won.
• I should rejoice in my health. It fades fast.
• Find a passion. Pick a hobby, own it: play guitar, cook—whatever. Get my 10K hours of perfect practice in early and change my life.
• Not to bother comparing myself to others—this only leads to heartbreak, anger, and disappointment.
• Most disappointments arise from unmet expectations. Set realistic expectations for myself, based on my strengths, then strive to exceed them.
• Not to drive others to meet expectations they’ve committed to — lead, inspire, and help them do it.
• Not to set expectations for others when they have not or cannot commit to them.
• Expectations I never communicate and negotiate will rarely be met—except by accident.
• Not to complain. Either change my situation, learn to cope, or change perspective.
• Not to worry about getting a big salary in my youth: first learn to execute tasks with skill, excellence, and grace.
• Little stuff matters—even in lowly jobs. The boss notices—and even if not, my peers and colleagues will.
• Ultimately, privacy is a myth: God sees everything. The cloud records everything. NSA files everything. So, live transparently and don't waste useless energy hiding failures.
• Not to look down on others because they don’t have what I didn’t earn: my intellect, my beauty, and my culture of birth are undeserved gifts. Stay humble.
• Failure is an opportunity: no great man or woman ever achieved significance without great failures. Fail forward.
• Never to withhold an apology when it’s merited. Deliver it quickly, sincerely, and personally—before resentment festers.
• I don’t need to nurture old guilt when am forgiven. But remembering the shame can help me avoid repeats.
• Mere belief in anything signifies little more than assent: trust and behavior reveal where true convictions lie.
• The main thing I need to do quickly is to stop doing things quickly. Trade hurry for calm, confidence, and precision.
• Everybody needs an editor. Everybody. Especially editors.
• To get my work done first so I can play without guilt. Even better, make work play and the fun never ends!
• If I want to develop my passion and gift, I should stop worrying about the things I do poorly. Go with my strengths!
• To avoid fights. Seriously. Avoid them like a plague: nobody wins in a fight, even if I walk away unscathed. But when a fight picks me, leave everything on the mat and give it my all. Hold nothing back.
• If I am bored, am doing it wrong.
• The skills that will help my career most are the abilities to assimilate, communicate, and persuade. Keep on learning.
• Nothing in this life—no pain, no agony, no failure—compares to the eternal joy of Heaven. Live in light of eternity.
• To protect my joy. Nothing is easier to lose by over-thinking, overanalyzing, and second-guessing. On the other hand, always consider the long-term consequences of my choices: stupid decisions made in the moment can rob me of years of joy and happiness.
• My purpose in life determines how I frame events. I can maintain my joy in the most dire circumstances if I find meaning for my life. Dig deep.
• It truly matters what I think about. Think well by reading good books, building good, loving relationships, having good conversation, and imitating great people.

I'm still learning — in fact I haven’t fully appreciated most of the list I made, myself. And I’m still adding to it. But I’m getting better.

All credit to Rich Tatum