(In no true numerical order, outside of the fact that I had to count somehow.)
1. Individualism requires being comfortable with the unknown. Everyone has an innate need to belong to a group in some regard; the further you walk outside the box, the closer you are to anarchy and the more you are required to stand alone.
2. The most gorgeous people in the world live outside the box. Your value in how gorgeous they are depends on your “out of the box” comfort zone.
3. Being nice is always easier in the long run. In the short term, it’s a pain in the ass.
4. Being an adult is so much better than being a kid because being an adult means you have choices… including the choice to be a kid whenever you want.
5. People are far too willing to accept the authority of the seen versus the unseen. For instance, I recently attended an educators’ workshop at which the presenter told an auditorium of teachers, “You must instruct your class that you always have their best wishes at heart, but what you think is fair is not always what they think is fair.” In other words, you can accept that from your teacher… but you can question G-d all you want.
6. Life is a series of double standards. (See above.)
7. Shit rolls downhill.
8. Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as Yuppie Scum.
9. Listen to the people who forgive you for the mistakes you make and learn by example.
10. Dreams do come true and desires are fulfilled …and patience is the sustenance of faith.
11. People spend far too much time trying to make other people happy and failing, miserably.
12. Clear communication is a Divine gift rarely requested and bestowed in limited edition.
13. The Beatles are the best rock band of all time. Period. Great bands played before and great bands have played since but no band will ever surpass The Beatles.
14. True humility is scrubbing a public toilet to send your kids to college …so they, in turn, do not have to scrub public toilets.
15. When you play, play to win, but be sure the games you play are worth winning.
16. A sense of humor will save you from disaster.
17. Never seek to be like anyone else.
18. Slavery has nothing to do with race, creed, gender, sexuality, or socioeconomic status. Slavery is a state of mind.
19. There is always an opportunity to fight back.
20. Never let a petty disagreement break up a good relationship. Keep in mind that “petty” can be defined in a number of instances, ranging from the definition of a good band to the definition of a good politician.
21. Study the heart of the matter and seek the root cause, and you will find that you have a lot more in common than you think.
22. A Soul’s goodness is worth more than diamonds and is the making of their beauty.
23. Happiness comes from within.
24. Never let bullshit get in the way of a good time.
25. Nothing beats a good pair of jeans.
26. The greatest amount of wisdom is sheltered in unexpected places.
27. PhD = Piled Higher & Deeper.
28. Reading is fundamental because real learning requires interacting with the world in which you live.
29. Social media does not count as “reading” or “interacting with the world in which you live.”
30. Love G-d. Love each other. That’s the whole point. And for the people who don’t get that, well, too bad for them.
