47 Lessons for my 47th Birthday + Grab 47% Discount on my Paid Newsletter
Today is my birthday and I want to share my learnings with you
Hi friends.
Today is my 47th birthday.
It’s always a mix of sadness and happiness.
My mum died 2 days before my 14th birthday. My world collapsed.
Yet, here I am, strong, resilient and I have some lessons to share.
If you look from the lenses of a 17 -year old kid, getting old sucks.
For some teens, having 47 means you’re too old and ready to die.
If you are 76, 47 is still young, full of life and opportunities ahead.
That’s how I feel on my 47th birthday.
So many experiences, ups and downs behind me.
But, hopefully, so many great things lie ahead of me.
I picked up some great lessons during these 47 circles around the Sun.
I’m sharing some of them with you today (not in particular order):
1. Life is shorter than you think.
Time is speeding up every year. Use time given on Earth to do good.
2. Love fearlessly.
Don’t wait until your 70th birthday to realise that love is essential in life. Nothing else.
Live life backed up with memories you make together with your loved ones.
Having children is the world's most challenging yet rewarding and fulfilling job.
I know you might not want them, but everything else will look smaller or insignificant if you have them. Biology, purpose, it doesn’t matter - it makes us human.
4. We’re whole.
We’re made up of three parts: the physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of our being. To enjoy your life fully, you shouldn’t overlook any piece of this puzzle.
5. Life is precious, and it should be treated like that.
Can you imagine the chances of one human being being born? You’re chosen; act like that!
6. You’ll be hurt and hurt others.
You can’t protect yourself from life. Live like there’s no tomorrow. One day, it won’t be there.
7. Don’t be bland.
Live! Don’t be flat line.
Tasteless person.
Flat white.
Be yourself.
8. Money is essential, but just if you don’t have it.
No one said on a deathbed:
“If I just had more money…”.
9. Forgive.
To yourself and others.
Life is too short to wight yourself with emotional chains.
10. Two most important choices in your life: partner and occupation.
Yet, occupation can be changed easily without being hurt or losing your wholenesses.
You can spend life working on something you don’t particularly love.
You can’t spend life alone as a tree. You need your other half.
11. Be nice.
Be a good person.
It’s always better. You’ll feel better. Others will feel better because of you. How powerful is that?
12. The world needs you and your unique talent.
You have something you’re excellent at. You have that one (or even more) skill that can help change people’s lives.
13. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
We’re not perfect; we’re brought to this world to be human, not perfect.
“It’s impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.”
~J.K. Rowling
14. Never stay with someone who doesn’t deserve you.
15. Don’t tell your kids what to do; show them.
The best and the most honest way of teaching.
16. Education is massively important.
You just need to understand it doesn’t stop when school stops. It never stops.
17. There is no yesterday or tomorrow.
Just today. Live in today.
It’s not easy, but it’s all we have. Living in the past can cause depression and living in the future anxiety.
18. Love yourself? Get back to basics: enough sleep, good, clean food, exercise. There is no shortcut.
Self-care is not a superficial relief through fancy wines, weekend retreats, bubble baths, and other things marketing and media promote. It’s a basic case about the basic human needs.
19. Don’t travel the world if you don’t travel around your village or home country first.
Get to know your roots so you can grow your wings.
20. Live sucks when you grow up without mum or dad.
It won’t be easier. That hole will be in your heart forever. But, in some weird way, that can make you a better person.
21. Say sorry.
It doesn’t hurt to admit you’re wrong.
22. You don’t need motivation to succeed. You need discipline.
23. Discipline is built on habits.
Work on your habits. You are what you do every day.
24. But, habits are not set in stone.
Change them as your life circumstances change.
25. Time is the only resource you can’t recover.
Use it wisely.
26. Productivity is not doing more.
It’s doing less of the crappy things you don’t need in your life.
27. Don’t let your life pass scrolling instead of living.
28. Give yourself a break from other people's expectations.
“Know your limits and stick with them”.
-Jodi Picoult
29. Learn to say no. Immensely important.
Whenever we say no to something, we free up space to say YES to something important to you.
30. Resilience is the key to self-improvement.
Life is tough. But building resilience is the best way to become better. Often, the only way.
31. Read books.
Nothing will open your eyes more.
Nothing bad ever came from reading books.
32. Don’t let difficult people hold you back — use their negativity to propel you forward. 👊
33. Move, you’re not a tree.
If you’re not happy where you are, move — you’re not the tree!
I immigrated to Australia in 2018 at age 40 and never regretted although we had to start from 0.
34. Don’t wait to be loved to love.
You can’t measure and give precisely how much was given. That’s not love.
That’s a deal.
The true happiness is not in being loved; it is in the glimpse of the best feeling ever: giving love.
35. Learn to turn your failures into lessons and then into success.
36. 💥 Your knowledge is worth nothing if you don’t put it into practice.
To become successful, you must put into action what you have learned. Make your own mistakes.
37. Not be fearless at all times.
Only fools are not afraid of anything. Our graveyards are full of fearless people who don’t understand that we only have one life, not nine, like cats.
A fool is a name for a person who has no fear.
Bravery is when you face the consequences of your decisions and can confront your fears.
38. Be curious.
I could have written, finished school, finished college… But I am unsuccessful if you only see learning as a path to a better job, a higher salary, and a more comfortable life.
Learning itself is so beautiful that I see no reason why we shouldn’t learn throughout our lives.
39. Learn to set up your goals.
You know that every morning when I wake up, I first write a to-do list for that day. What do I have to do, what do I want, what am I striving for?
Think about it every day, verbalise it, and write it down.
Where will you be in a day, two months, a year, or five years?
Think about it every day, and you will get there.
40. Work hard towards achieving your goals.
Goals remain mere words on paper if you don’t work towards achieving them. If you don’t push forward, don’t give it your all, and don’t fight for what’s important to you. This applies to everyone, from individuals to companies to countries.
I hope you will also know how to choose what is worth fighting for. And that you will go into your fight and never give up.
41. Listen to your gut, not your brain or heart.
You shouldn’t let your brain or your heart lead you through life. It should be your gut feeling.
42. You don’t have to be extraordinary to be happy and successful.
The average is great. Ordinary people build the best things in life.
43. Look after your tribe.
I hope there will be many tangible and intangible values in your life, but only one is worth immense effort and hard work — people.
44. Stop adding = between your work and your value.
You’re the biggest asset you have.
45. Don’t waste your life.
Today is only once.
Hey, life is so beautiful, and there’s so much to see, explore, and experience!
46. Find your purpose - you’re not an island
God, Universe, Higher power, no matter what you call it, your life has a bigger purpose than sleeping, eating, fucking and dying.
Find it.
It’s your call.
47. Remember — It’s never too late.
To say sorry, fall in love, be better, change your country, and completely change your life.
Start today.
I started my life over at age 40, and ’t want to stop here.
I’ve just begun.
My special Birthday Offer: 47% off
I have a special limited offer to celebrate my 47th circle around Sun - in the next 24 hours, you’ll get 47% off my monthly and yearly subscription.
What do you get as my paid subscriber?
My Book “Content Strategy Blueprint” with a 100% discount
All my posts, including in-depth guides to ignite your content marketing and get a clear picture of how to sell with content
Personalised coaching in Substack chat /or email
60 min 1 -on-1 strategy call on Content Marketing and Content Strategy
Big hug from me, Angelina (Marketing Fairy).
Happy Birthday 🎂🎈