Guys, I’m forty! Trying hard not to freak out – I don’t feel forty and from a distance, I don’t think I look forty. Right?

As a kid, when the parents in our neighbourhood turned forty there were parties and crazy-shenanigans going down and I clearly remember thinking they were so old but damn, forty looks fun. So I’m channeling the parents of Frame Subdivision, holding my middle-age head up high and diving into the next decade. F*#k meditation, I think a daily dose of Coach Taylor is the key to my survival:

40 things I’ve learned so far… (or is it forty things I’ve learnt so far?)

1. Remember to question your own rules, too.
2. There is always someone better but own what you know.
3. Need to smile, find a dog.
4. Painted nails can turn things around.
5. Take tons of pictures, but edit before posting.
6. Write it down or take a screenshot.
7. It’s okay to judge a book by its cover (or wine by its label).
8. Pie is better than cake.
9. Choose joy when you can.
10. Audiobooks are acceptable. Sometimes better (Becoming by Michelle Obama). Same goes for movies but less often (Call Me By Your Name).
11. I’m not a great cook, but I love entertaining. I don’t entertain because I am insecure about my cooking.
12. If you don’t have time to visit the museum, go to the gift shop. You’ll get the gist.
13. It’s never too late to make new friends.
14. Choices at age twenty may not and do not need to hold up.
15. Travel. Immerse.
16. Teamwork is effective.
17. When camping, always bring a pot.
18. Sometimes it’s okay to be nosey; it means you’re not selfish.
19. Share but know that people suck at keeping secrets.
20. Always have a karaoke song ready. Act accordingly.
21. You have to get back on the horse that threw you.
22. Mail it. It means more.
23. Wear layers. Bring hand warmers.
24. Ask yourself ‘just who the heck do you think you are?’ in a very non-rhetorical way every once in a while. The answer is important. ― Joy The Baker
25. You’re stronger than you think you are. Other’s know this more than you.
26. Break things down in fives (5 minutes, 5 crunches, 5 km); it will make things feel more bearable.
27. It’s okay to jump on the bandwagon late as long as you arrive with passion (Veronica Mars, Twilight) and it’s okay to brag about the things you knew way ahead of others (Ryan Gosling’s swag in Breaker High, Friday Night Lights, and Serial … when you had to wait a week for a new episode)
28. Stretch.
29. At a loss, have eggs for supper.
30. If the photograph is terrible, change it to black and white.
31. Signing up for the first step.
32. Night swimming and skinny dipping. (R.E.M. was on to something special)
33. Beauty products likely don’t work but splurge if it makes you feel better.
34. Set BIG goals.
35. But prepare for BIG failure.
36. My opinions are not always the same as your opinions (houses and fonts).
37. When you’re prepared to wait, you won’t have to.
38. Embrace and protect alone time.
39. Choose the more comfortable option when it comes to clothing, but do not choose the more comfortable option when it comes to life.
40. “You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.” ― Dita Von Teese

But honestly, just listen to Brené Brown, she knows way more!