Top 3 things you've learned in the last 10 years.

In My Humble Opinion
21

  1. I am probably never going to marry or have children.

  2. Traveling to countries where I don’t speak the language is not as scary as it seems, and I should do more of it.

  3. I am not a natural teacher, although I am tolerably good at it if I work HARD at being good.

22

I don’t know, I’ve never encountered this mythical Aussie currency, but if I can find one I’ll see what I can do and let you know.

23

  1. Everyone else is so wrapped up in their own little world of embarrassment, they don’t even notice the stuff that you think is so horribly embarrassing.

  2. If everyone agrees that it works, it works.

  3. Most people who break the law, and even most people who are on probation, aren’t hard-core criminals. Most of them are just regular, decent folks who did something dumb and now have to pay for it.

24

It’s better than the alternative.

Also – if you’re female you no longer have to worry about menstruation or unwanted pregnancy.

You get reduced prices on stuff, sometimes.

More and more, you don’t have to do things you don’t want to do.

If you’ve used your years well, you have accumulated a certain amount of perspective, perhaps even some wisdom.

25

  1. Your good work will go unrewarded unless you brag about it a little.

  2. Counseling is good, not a sign of weakness or failure.

  3. Love is meaningless unless it is demonstrated.

26

Hmmm…last ten years?

  1. I’m a pretty good dad (so far).

  2. I’m a pretty good husband (so I’ve heard).

  3. I’m a pretty good employee (so they tell me).

27

  1. Learning to forgive my father for just being a father and not my friend, is more for my benefit then it is his.

  2. The self doubt that I have in other people, is only the self doubt that I have in myself.

  3. Don’t allow others to take advantage of you because you are nice and want to help out. The will eat you up and throw you to the wolves after taking everything you are willing to give them.

And Bonus.

When you go out on a date with a guy and for whatever reason he says “I just don’t think we are compatible” but then ask to be friends with bennys. By even considering the prospect to just be his presence, you are lessening your own self worth.

28

  1. When it seems like there’s No Way Out, that you must Set Fire to Escape and Flee! Sleep on it and see if things seems not quite so dire in the morning.

  2. No one will motivate your butt to get out of bed but you. You are the source of every problem (and solution) that enters your life. You must dodge and weave to avoid the things that keep you from accomplishing what you’ve set out to do. It takes many steps to DO something, and only one to say it can’t be done.

  3. There are optimists and there are pessimists (who frequently call themselves realists). Piffle. The Optimists have a more accurate view of things. There are also Morons. Do not confuse optimism with stupidity.

29

  1. People enjoy judging others harshly. Therefore, any theory or belief that leads one to impugn the motives and/or character of someone else must judged with the closest scrutiny.

  2. Every person who is absolutely, egregiously, undoubtedly wrong believes themselves to be completely correct. Therefore, we can never know whether we are completely wrong about something even if we feel absolutely confident. This is closely related to #1 above, and is another reason to avoid harsh judgements.

  3. Life is flux. Trying to make fixity out of that flux is the source of much of humanity’s frustration.

30

I’m not as smart as I think I am.

My experiences cannot be generalized to everyone else. (Still learning this one.)

The most important, though, is that I learned to be independent.

31
  1. The world owes you nothing, and on the morning after you are buried (or cremated or otherwise disposed of) you will only be a memory and maybe some photos in an album. Make sure the memories are good ones and the photos do you justice.
  2. As someone said up the thread, You are responsible for your own happiness.
  3. No one can make you feel anything. You feel what you want to feel.
32

What if the genders are reversed?

33

  1. You can’t change other people, but you can change the way you react to other people.

  2. Living alone is not scary.

  3. There’s nothing that can go wrong in a day at work that is more painful than a joint lock. You can breathe your way through a joint lock and you can breathe your way through this.

34

  1. Law firms do not treat attorney associates like young respected professionals but more like whipping boys, scapegoats, and billing machines.

  2. Running my own business is more time consuming than initially anticipated.

  3. If your spouse has questionable money management skills, teach your spouse how things work ASAP, and don’t think it sufficient to simply ask nicely a few times to cut back on spending.

35

  1. Computers work the way they are programmed. It doesn’t matter how you think they should work. If you don’t input right, they don’t work right.

  2. You cannot live the life you want unless you are willing to let other people do the same.

  3. Money is cheap. People get paid to do stuff. If you are willing to do stuff, there’s someone willing to pay you to do it. Money is also worthless in and of itself. Nobody would accept one billion dollars in cash if it had the stipulation that you could do nothing with it but sit there and watch it.

36

  1. If he says he doesn’t love you, believe his words. If he says he loves you, but he doesn’t act like he does, believe his actions.

  2. Preparation is key. The more you prepare, the better your luck.

  3. Hard work isn’t just good for you; it’s vital. Hard work for the wrong reason, though, kills your soul.

37

  1. Most people aren’t out to get you; in fact, to most people, you are a non-entity. Hold on to those to whom you are someone, because they’ll be your best comfort in hard times.

  2. Love is like sleep — when you want it the most and are trying your hardest to make it happen, it won’t come, but the second you’re thinking about something else, it hits you like a truck.

  3. Talent isn’t worth crap unless you’re willing to get your hands dirty. You may be brilliant, but if you’re lazy and unmotivated, you won’t go anywhere. Once you start putting active effort into your life, things’ll get better before in time, and that much-vaunted brilliance of yours will truly start shining through. Don’t mourn the loss of your down time; it wasn’t like you were doing anything worthwhile with it anyways.

38

  1. Don’t roll up credit card debt.

  2. Work hard during working hours, and stop when work time is over.

  3. Playing the “Kiss Monster” and making your little girl laugh and squeal beats anything else you could have planned.

39

Depends on the person. Any other woman may feel flattered that a guy may offer that. A guy could also be flattered or offended if it was also offered. I can’t answer for other people.

What I have learned in the last 10 years is that when I go out on a date with a guy and for whatever reason he isn’t interested in me enough to date me, but wants to screw me on a regular basis… It makes me feel that on some level there is something wrong with me. I am not exactly sure how to explain it but that it makes me feel that I am not worth something more? That I am just his “waste bucket” when he feels the need.

I am at a point in my life that I feel like I deserve more then that. If I am not interesting enough to date, then he sure as hell isn’t going to screw me. It goes back to, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

It just makes me feel that I don’t deserve something wonderful and I think I do…

I know I do.

40

  1. In spite of the fact that they demand 110% loyalty from you, companies have absolutely no loyalty to you. If they could save a single penny by getting rid of you, you’re out the door in the time it takes to send an email. You work, they pay, and that’s it. They will constantly try to get you to do as much as possible for the pay they agreed on, and will do as much as possible to avoid paying you any more. Trying to keep them to the agreement is seen as disloyalty

  2. Religion is complete and total bs. I’ve seen more cruelty, hatred, rationalization and hipocrisy in religion than in anything else. It isn’t rational, and you can’t apply reason to it. People will contort themselves in any way they have to avoid changing deeply held beliefs. Beware anyone who invokes god/jesus every other sentence.

  3. I am never getting laid again.