I turned 23 today, here are some things I've learnt since I turned 22.

*Bad things don't happen for a reason, they just happen. You don’t have a choice in this, but you do have a choice as to whether you focus on learning or just drop lip.

*It’s okay to be doing something you hate as long as what you are doing is a means of helping you do something you love

*"Anything can happen at any time." Despite this potentially sounding like I’ve developed some kind of paranoia, I see it differently. Joseph Goldstein says that this principle is a two-sided coin. On one hand it prepares you for things to bust apart- as they do. But on the other hand, it reminds you that beautiful things can happen at any time too. This phrase helped me to prepare for, and be receptive to everything- whether it’s good or bad.

*You can love yourself as well as admitting that you are not enough the way you are and that you are not reaching your fullest potential. These aren’t mutually exclusive.

*If people are rude to you don’t take it personally. Chances are they’re having a bad day.

*On that note, make a real effort to be kind to customer service people because they’ve probably dealt with more bullshit than have you today.

* Memento Mori- Remember your death. People die suddenly and horribly every day without warning. We are a blip on the timeline of the universe and we have no idea when our blips are going to fizzle out. It could be today, it could be in 60 years. Once you act like your life will end today you start living it very differently.

*You won’t die from hearing out someone who you disagree with entirely.

*A lack of awareness of thought patterns and oneself is the greatest cause of human suffering.

*Learning to breathe deeply when you start getting angry is a superpower.

*Amor Fati. To be in love with life means loving whatever happens. Frederick Nietsche describes Amor Fati as “That one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backwards, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it….but love it.”

*I visited a Mumbai slum with an NGO in December and saw hundreds of children living in extreme poverty who also happened to be radiantly happy. I have absolutely no excuse for dissatisfaction with the hand life has dealt me no matter how bad it gets.

*Anger is the lowest form of emotional expression. It is something in which one wishes to inflict suffering on another person. It should never be indulged and avoided at all costs.

*The Indian Yogi Sadhguru said “Every moment there are a million miracles happening around you: a flower blossoming, a bird tweeting, a bee humming, a raindrop falling, a snowflake wafting along the clear evening air. There is magic everywhere. If you learn how to live it, life is nothing short of a daily miracle.” Forgetting this and becoming consumed in whatever problems we have is wasteful of our energy, time, and life.

*As I get older, I’ll look back at myself even just a year ago and cringe at how I acted or the beliefs I held. That person I’m cringing at was always doing his best and learning, there’s no need to cringe. But looking back on myself now in 5 years will be interesting to say the least......

*I made a resolution with myself to avoid complaining unless the complaint was immediately followed by a solution. It changed the way I approach adversity and I’ve found it wired me to be a lot more positive and solution focussed.

*Enter situations and interactions with zero expectations.

*People can be deceptive and manipulative and that’s okay. There are also some really beautiful people too.

*I was an idiot for not taking meditation seriously earlier.

*Actually, learning about evolutionary psychology and how our brains have developed as a species has really explained why my mental health was historically so poor and helped me figure out the patterns that led me there.

*I started highlighting and taking notes when I’m reading. It helps you retain knowledge and to fully engage in what you’re reading.

*Set boundaries with your input. When I started selectively using social media and stopped watching the news altogether, I was a much happier person.

*Just let people tailgate you if they want.

*So many people constantly compete and advertise how stressed/busy/productive/successful/spiritual they are. They can do that if they want but you don’t have to.

*How therapeutic it is to go to out and have a meal/coffee by yourself every now and again. You don’t always have to be with people to have fun.

*Only having opinions on a few topics you’re well informed about is better than having opinions on everything. For the most part, the goal should be indifference or to simply not have an opinion.

*People I find irritating and even completely reprehensible deserve my untethered compassion. They don’t act the way they do because they are bad people but because they have experienced suffering, now or in the past. We are all united by our suffering and have experienced how difficult life can be- some more than others. Everyone deserves compassion.

Until next year.....