60 Life Lessons from 60 Years

60 Lessons from 60 Years

It pains me to compile this post. It can’t be true. I want to ask to see the manager. There must be some mistake.

But it’s true.

This week, I will celebrate my 60^th birthday. 1965 was a long time ago. Just yesterday, I was riding bikes and playing wiffle ball. I was learning to tie a tie for high school graduation. In a whiff of time, it seems, married and a couple of kids. The kids came with a burst of energy, giving us different meaning and joy for lives, and then empty bedrooms.

Now this.

In my sixty years on the planet, I’ve learned a few lessons. I thought I’d share some that come to mind—one lesson for every year.

1. I learned from my coal mining father that “if a man pays you for a day’s work, then give him a day’s work.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about that.
2. The eyes see what the mind knows, as Coach Bailey used to tell us. Educate yourself and you’ll see things in a different light.
3. You might have to send 107 job applications before you get an interview. Thank God I didn’t stop at 106 in 1999. Moving from higher education to corporate America changed my life.
4. Everyone you meet is a genius of some sort. See what you can learn from them.
5. Don’t judge a book by its cover—or a person by their accent or dialect. Some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met have been fellow hillbillies.
6. We understand very little about virtually everything. Be curious and save the self-righteousness.
7. If you want to understand a situation, follow the incentives. The truth will appear.
8. Most of the advice we give and get is terrible. Tame the advice monster.
9. A resumé life can be empty. Aim for a eulogy life.
10. You could leave this earth today—memento mori. It reminds us that life is precious.
11. Steel and velvet are needed to show up as your best self: a little warmth and a little command. Too much of either makes life more challenging.
12. Who you marry is the single most important decision you will ever make. I hit the jackpot.
13. Read. Read. Read. Those that don’t are no better than those that can’t.
14. Don’t confuse your Circle of Influence with your Circle of Concern. Worrying about things that we can’t control is a great way to waste time.
15. Don’t go to bed mad.
16. Like the turtle on the fence post, you didn’t get where you are by yourself.
17. Raise your children to have wings, but don’t get upset when they fly.
18. Always vote. If you had that right taken away, you’d start a war.
19. Pringles potato chips dipped in slightly melted vanilla ice cream is a delicacy you don’t hear much about.
20. Being a grandpa is a feeling that is not easy to describe. First, you wonder how you could be that old. Second, how could a little kid be that perfect?
21. If you are able, have children. First, you’ll understand how self-centered you are. Second, you’ll feel things you have never felt before.
22. The further you get from your high school days, the better you were. I was amazing.
23. Politicians care about two things: money and votes. Remember that when you hear the promises.
24. The most underrated person in the world is a great teacher.
25. If you are older than twelve years old, you should not wear a jersey with another person’s name on the back.
26. Some people are born into a better station in life than others. If that thought causes you to feel sorry for yourself, it’ll be a challenging life. Work harder. Choose different. Change it.
27. Get your kids to read. Pay them if you have to. It’ll unlock their future.
28. Unless you get a check from the payroll department, don’t say “we” when referring to your favorite team. It’s a bad look.
29. Be an informed citizen. Have a basic understanding of civics. The more you know about our country, the more you’ll love it.
30. You are never as good as you think you are when you are winning. Conversely, you are never as bad as you think you are when you are struggling.
31. God invented baseball. 60’6”. 90 feet between the bases. A little longer, a little shorter and it wouldn’t work. It’s a magical game.
32. Take a lot of pictures. When your kids get older, you’ll have great joy going through them together.
33. Who you are is not what you do.
34. Everyone should learn to stand up and speak in public. You’ll always get the promotion, the raise, and the better outcomes.
35. If you must choose, spend your money on experiences, not things. No one remembers the new outfit or toy.
36. John Adams is the most underrated President of all time. He should be on Mt. Rushmore. I’ll die on this hill.
37. Keep a journal. My grandpa wrote down the happenings of his life in a little date book for many years. When I read them after his death, I got to know him a lot better.
38. Allow your children to be overconfident when they are young. Tell them they can do anything. Life will beat it out of them. We only hope they have some left when they need it.
39. National parks are one of the greatest things our country has ever done. I’ve never been to one that wasn’t amazing.
40. When you have to give tough feedback, don’t forget that you are talking to a person. Do it without crushing their soul.
41. The best books are the ones that have been around for many years. They have stood the test of time.
42. Reflect on your past. It’s good for growth. But avoid dwelling on it. That’s a good way to inhibit your growth.
43. Short of criminal actions, your parents didn’t ruin you. You have agency.
44. Don’t worry so much about what others think. It’s a bit narcissistic to imagine others are even thinking about you at all.
45. Staying in a job—or career—you hate makes no sense. There is no shame in trying something else. Life’s too short.
46. Things aren’t always as they seem.
47. You are here for a purpose. Your Creator knew you in your mother’s womb and knows every hair on your head. As difficult as that is to imagine, your life will be better if you believe it.
48. Sports were better before every game was on TV. The “Game of the Week” was an event. You had to exercise your imagination because so much of it was unknown.
49. You get paid to perform under adverse conditions. Nobody said it was going to be easy.
50. Thriving is not an end state. It’s a continuous journey. There will be ups and downs. Keep moving.
51. The smell of a new car only lasts a few weeks.
52. When you are young, chase credentials, get good at things, and develop a track record. The money will come later.
53. Go to funerals. It forces you to consider deeper things and reminds you of your own mortality. It’s good for your soul.
54. Every good life—and most great stories—follow the Dream/Struggle/Victory pattern. Don’t run from the struggle. The win is just on the other side.
55. And don’t rescue people from every struggle. They don’t get the wins or learn the lessons when you do. It’s a short-term fix, and you’ll have to keep rescuing them. Teach them to fish.
56. Don’t compare your blooper reel to others’ highlight reels. It’s easy to see the worst in ourselves and the best in others. Everybody is dealing with something.
57. Walking nine holes on the golf course in the cooling air of a summer evening is about the closest place to heaven we’ll ever see. Even better if it’s with family or a friend.
58. Trial-and-error learning takes forever, and it’s expensive. Get a coach or teacher. You’ll save time and money.
59. Most of our problems are, at the core, tied to our belief system. Self-limiting beliefs hold us back more than we may care to admit. Being a little delusional is not a bad thing.
60. Like the air we breathe, the most amazing things in life are things we can’t see: Love, faith, and hope.

Robin Green

Robin Green is the President and Owner of Ascend Performance, Inc., a certified and award-winning Sandler Training Center in Richmond, VA. He specializes in helping companies of all sizes to develop the Attitudes, Behaviors, and Techniques that will help them reach new levels. Robin is a keynote speaker and podcast host. You can reach him at robin.green@sandler.com. He helps companies and motivated individuals with sales, management, and customer service training.