The 5 (Abridged) Secrets To Life

Life is hard. Honestly, its darn near impossible sometimes. The real secrets to life are out of reach, but I figured out a few things that make life a little less hard and a smidge more manageable.

1. Be bold

Boldness is a special kind of quality. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to wear the brightest clothes, be the loudest person in the room, or have the biggest personality in the world. Boldness is about breaking out of your comfort zone, thinking outside the box, and finding a way to make a difference. Boldness will force you to work, to be different, and to push yourself. But at the same time, boldness will give you a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and satisfaction.

2. Be young

Don’t take yourself too seriously. We start out as kids, and then seem to lose our sense of fun every once and a while. Take your job seriously. Take school seriously. Take your relationships with people seriously. But don’t take yourself too seriously. Have fun every once in a while. Just because we’re adults doesn’t mean we can’t act like kids on occasion.

3. Be smart

But you should realize that the smartest people in the world have the ability to understand that they don’t know everything. The more you read, the more you learn, the more you grow as a person, you begin to find that you simply can’t know it all. So be smart. Make good decisions. Learn for a lifetime. But remember that you don’t know everything. Keep your eyes peeled, your ears eager, and your mind open.

4. Be a good friend

Friendship tends to be one of those things that make life worth living. Friends can be the person you sat next to in kindergarten and never forgot, the kid you played soccer with for years, or your older brother. Don’t forget about them. Write them a letter every once in a while. Pick her up at the airport at three in the morning. Take care of his dog when he goes on vacation. Be a good friend. Be her shoulder when she needs it. Hug him when he has that look in his eyes. Your friends deserve your best, and you bet they’ll be there for you need it too.

5. Be happy

If you want the real secret to being good at all of the things listed above, don’t forget to smile. When you’re having a bad day — smile. When you’re kicking ass and taking names — smile. When your friend needs a hug, when your mom needs a phone call, when work needs to be done — smile. It makes you happier and more approachable. Be the optimist that you can’t seem to find every day. The glass is always half full, but sometimes its half full of water and half full of air — it all depends on perspective. Be positive, and don’t forget to smile.

At the end of the day, these are all little things, an adjustment in attitude or approach on life. But as Winston Churchill once said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” Be bold. Be young. Be smart. Be a good friend. Be happy. We’ve had these things all along, but we bury them. Uncover your optimism, and face the world with confidence — it’s yours for the taking.