If The Universe Allows

If the Universe allows me to be around that long, yesterday I reached the first 45 years of my life. So no matter how I slice it, I'm about half way through my time here on Earth. And I'm cool with that.

But even if I am lucky to reach 90 or so, I can only hope to be of sound mind and body by then because otherwise reaching that age wouldn't be much of an accomplishment, I feel. This is my (admittedly gloomy) way of saying I am thankful for my health and my accomplishments but I have much more to do, to make and to give before my mind and/or body give way to any decay it may be genetically destined for. And I think it may actually be easier now to push farther than before because if I've learned anything so far, it's that we complicate our lives in two very common ways; we waste our energy hoping people and situations will change, even when we know deep down they won't. And we take advantage of people and situations, and not maliciously, that we assume will never change even while knowing that they can. I'm learning alot of lessons like these along the way (even if they sometimes sound more like memes) and I'm happy to continue learning them.

The quality of our lives  isn't based on the things that happen to us, it's based on how we react to the things that happen to us.  

Don't be the one in the room who insists you know something about everything because eventually you'll be embarrassed by the ones who really do.

We are stronger than we credit ourselves for, but we're also stubborn. We want comfort and ease and accessibility but forget that it takes guts, sweat and pain to obtain them.

Sometimes listening doesn't mean you should be ready to fire off an answer, it means you should take time to comprehend what you're being told.

Friends are not the ones who enable your bad habits, they're the ones who point them out to you and stick by you in spite of them.

You can't really change anyone. You can only change how much you allow them to affect you.

Travel shouldn't just be about a nice hotel, a beach or a party. It should be about getting safely lost in a foreign country with a foreign language and its foreign customs and learning that those aren't really obstacles because when you reach the essence of human beings, we are all the same.

Marriage can be like a magnifying glass - it makes what was already good better, and what was already bad even worse.

Anyone unwilling to support you during your lows should not be surprised to be unwelcome during your highs.

It's best to eventually forgive those that offend you not because they deserve your forgiveness, but because you deserve the peace of mind to move on.

The best gifts you can give your children are roots and wings.

(Ok that last one is an actual meme I re-tweeted a few days ago, a deep and simple truth I wish I'd come up with.)

I'm a very flawed human being trying my best to file down those flaws by being a good son, husband, dad and a member of my family and my community. More than medals or trophies I am interested in continuing to share my art with people from all over this incredible world, making even a small difference in someone's life with a drawing, a photo or a personalized gift.  If the Universe allows me to make it to 90 in a way that requires help, I hope that I would have put enough good energy out there to let me dance with dignity and smiles into the twilight.