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Last year, in honour of turning 32, I shared 32 things I thought I’d learnt along the way. Someone suggested I do it again this year. So, as I turn 33 today, here are 33 more things I *think* I’ve learnt.
1) Advice is subjective, so is my belief that the following points are interesting, insightful, beneficial or helpful to anyone other than me. They are based on personal experience and as such will not suit everyone. Nothing in life is one size fits all. Thank god.
2) Don’t try to control your emotions. Control the actions your emotions trigger.
3) You are not drinking enough water.
4) "The only true currency in this bankrupt world... is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
- Lester Bangs
- Lester Bangs
5) Time doesn’t heal. Time may lessen the hurt, but sometimes you never fully heal. And that’s ok. There are some pains you don’t want to fully heal from – pain forces you to remember and grow.
6) Female sloths scream when they want sex and can be heard from up to 700 meters away. Be more lady sloth.
7) Don’t invalidate people’s pain or suffering. “Someone else has it worse” or “count yourself lucky” are unjust comments. Sadness and struggle are not a competition.
8) “Man up” suppresses men. Stop saying it. “She’s bossy/aggressive/feisty” suppresses women. Stop saying it. “That’s how it’s always been done” suppresses everyone. Stop saying it.
9) Racism is not a difference of opinion.
10) Personal success is largely down to how many uncomfortable conversations you’re willing to have.
11) You can tell that person to go fuck themselves tomorrow. But tomorrow, you won’t want to half as much.
12) Your way is not the only way. Just because it’s been done that way before doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it. Embrace evolution – it’s done wonders for mankind. You used to walk on your hands and now look at you.
13) The second you feel like giving up, think of everyone you have still to prove wrong.
14) You can either talk about change or you can stop talking about change and start going about making change happen. One feels infinitely more rewarding than the other.
15) Save the whales does not mean fuck the elephants. #blacklivesmatter 
16) Science is true whether you believe it or not.
17) Leave your ego outside the door of every room you go into. There are very few rooms that your ego deserves to be in. And most of those, you won’t be invited to.
18) If you are going to engage your imagination, don’t waste it on imagining the worst that could happen. There's either a solution to the problem, so there's no need to worry. Or there is no solution to the problem, and worrying will be pointless.
19) Doing nothing is still actively doing something. Not enough people realise this.
20) No one calms down by being told to calm down.
21) I read somewhere that ‘Privilege isn’t making good choices, it’s having them’ and the more you think about that sentence, the more profound that sentence becomes.
22) Mind your own body. It’s as simple as that.
23) You do your best proofreading after you press ‘send’. That's a fact of life and it'll never make any sense.
24) We may not all suffer from mental illness but we all have a role to play in ensuring that those who do suffer, feel less afraid to reach out and get the support they need in the moments they need it most.
25) Attention is the most dangerous drug in the world.
26) You can block people in real life, it’s called having boundaries.
27) Experience is true wealth. If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that travel, culture and knowledge make us who we are. Not stuff.
28) A queen without a king is historically speaking more powerful. People do not complete people. You are not a puzzle with a missing piece that someone else has.
29) If you have a platform, do not forget to pass the mic.
30) You cannot create work that stands out if you insist on only hiring people who fit in.
31) Not every situation requires a reaction. Sometimes you just need to leave people to be morons. I think Rihanna said that. Never a truer word said.
32) Unless a person is sitting on your face, their weight is none of your business.
33) It’s not enough to simply agree with the need for change. Be an ally. Educate your friends. Lean in. Stand up. Speak out. Stop bad behaviour dead. Offer means. Use whatever power you have to make a difference.
If you are interested in what I said last year, you can see them here https://twitter.com/awlilnatty/status/1226827502284410880?s=20
