1. Be as much as possible filled with positive energy
25 years of daily psychological and mental abuse can only be solved by at least 25 following years of positive and equally opposite energy. Living a life with the least amount of regrets is to spend time with the right people daily, doing the right things and feeling like you are growing in every area possible (financial, mental, physical, etc.). Ones that don’t make you doubt yourself feeling as if you are wasting your time and you hesitate less from doing whatever it is you seek and need to do most.
2. Becoming wealthy (on a worldwide level) is an excruciatingly slow and frustrating grind.
It is impossible not to be impatient for financial success and MASSIVE life-changing outcomes. I still dream of becoming wealthy and free to afford to do anything, to be wherever I want, to have a big family with many children of my own and to travel indefinitely someday. I read that dream every time I wake up and before I go to sleep.
3. The mind and body will remember everything (good or bad) you put it through.
This one was told to me by another travel enthusiast. The older you get, the less your body will be able to perform familiar physical activities at the same intensity level and the less mental energy you have to think hard. In that case, taking care of your mind and body should (almost) be the top priority. Don’t smoke, drink, eat lots of junk food nor have (unprotected or not) sex without any regular health checkups. Similarly, don’t spend time around negative and mediocre people. They will drag you down emotionally and make you feel worthless. Your mind and body will remember every experiences you subject it to and it will either punish you or reward you for how you treated it later on. You can look cool, funny or like an “alpha” male/female smoking, getting badly drunk or sleeping with many girls/guys (even if consensual) but you won’t like it so much when later you have lungs, liver or sexually transmitted diseases .
4. You never need to be like everybody else
It is emotionally hard when you are young and you see everyone around you seem to belong. For instance, I have met so many young people (girls and guys) secretly have many sexual partners without getting regular doctor checkups. They don’t care about commitment, future children nor about their health and then they would negatively judge me for not being like them. They don’t even want to admit their sexual past nor inform their previous partners should any health problems happen to them. Worse, they KNOW subconsciously that what they are doing is wrong, but by being young, they can use excuses like:
“It’s my past, don’t judge me cause I’m better now”
“I was young and I wanted to have the most fun, how can you expect me to behave and to be all serious.”
“I made mistakes, because I wasn’t mature enough!”.
It is truly disheartening that they (and even older adults) have grown to accept these reasons and that they will not know how to raise their children. Not to forget that my extended family would shame and mock me for not being the typical playboy just like the other kids. Having all of these people including close ones weigh all of that on you especially when you are young, because they know you are gullible is one of the worst energy draining situation to be in. I keep myself busy and I travel to STAY the hell away from those places and situations.
5. DO NOT let your life spiral out of control
For me at least, this is the age when adult life really kicks in at Godspeed like we say in colloquial English. I started investing my savings even though I always internally kick myself for not having done so earlier. I also inform myself more often about local and international news and about any useful resources I could be eligible for. I also try to adopt a more or less disciplined lifestyle with the best possible habits. Don’t get me wrong, you can have fun and let go whenever you want, but all while thinking about your future. This is because you have very limited mental and physical energy and so you must redirect them and prioritize aggressively to the few things that matter.
6. Journaling in detail is my therapy
I consider writing down my life as much as I can to be a basic life necessity. No one may never twist reality as they want me to believe or make me think that it never happened. I love sharing ideas and thoughts with anyone and if anything, I will look back and be proud of having documented it. It’s sometimes hard to recall every event or thought, but when you write it down, it reinforces it and you can always look back at it when in doubt.
7. You will dream of having children (might just be me)
I don’t know what is going exactly with me, but my body is just longing badly to have children of my own. Every day, I think about them and every night I dream about being with them. I imagine playing with them and seeing them grow up. I have always wanted children even when I was a young kid (😅), but when you reach a certain age, you just feel a powerful urge to plan for it. An emotionally supportive and unconditionally loving family of your own is the foundation to mental and psychological sanity. No matter what hardships you will face, it is your anchor supporting you and making you know that there is unconditional love available at the midst of all of this. I figured that if it’s what I lacked growing up, having children of my own will be the next best thing on top of having other uplifting friends.
8. Religion is much more important in life than what you think
Beware of cults and extremist groups. Putting aside all the violent and dark past, a good religion unites and keeps people grounded. I may not come from South America, but I almost feel like I do, because of the similarity of the religion alone (Catholic or Protestant Christian). I can relate with their beliefs and I don’t feel too different from them. IMHO, the human experience is incomplete without and I noticed many non-religious people struggle to find higher spiritual meaning. The kinds of people that I came across who are the most bullish on religion are strangely also the unhappiest and most uncertain on how to educate kids nor pass on the right values. They pretend to be independent thinkers and they aren’t willing to have children, because they think it’s a “religious propaganda norm”. I am not an expert on happiness nor on every religion to understand which one everyone should adopt, but I look back and I am glad I was brought up a Catholic Christian.
9. Never live like a zombie
Every day, I notice so many people just floating through life without ANY passion. They stick to their simple yet unfulfilling occupation and you can clearly see from their eyes the emptiness and the absence of a soul. They hate their overall lives and repetitive schedules. Be constantly energized and never stop nurturing your sense of wonder. Whether it’s learning a new language, skill, culture, sport, people, mannerism, beliefs, lifestyles, philosophies, always attempt diverse sets of experiences whether for profit or for pleasure. Never let your wanderlust die and never let anyone persuade you otherwise. Always marvel at the world and know that there is so much to do and to discover. I always dream of the open road and to make my mark anywhere I go. Traveling has taken my soul hostage and it is always rumbling in my mind when I am not exploring. It is perhaps the only activity that makes me enter into flow state. Curiosity is what brought me here and who knows, it’s what might lead me to my deathbed. It can become a bit tiring and I encountered a few people who missed stability, but having gone through it is always rewarding and makes you more ALIVE. A famous quote from the movie Braveheart sums it up quite nicely which is that: “Every man dies, not every man really lives.”
10. Stop mindlessly surfing the Internet
I more aggressively stopped mindlessly surfing through the Internet either on a phone or on the computer. It seems like we’ve got so much time to fill and our brains just can’t live without being continuously stimulated. Whether it is waiting in line, for a bus, at a store, before sleeping, there is always the urge to watch pictures and videos on social media or anywhere on the Internet. Although it feels like it is normal because everyone is doing it and there is a desire to fit in or to show that one is busy with important matter, those are all dumb fads. I now only (try 😅) to do real work such as creating content, learning about business, languages, planning travel logistics, sorting out my personal life or replying to messages when using my electronic devices. I only keep the most important apps on my phone and I disabled notifications. I use my smartphone to take pictures, to book transportation or to look for directions, but I try not to be too absorbed by anything too distracting.
11. Happiness is only real when shared
I started traveling solo and although I profoundly enjoyed it, I realized that traveling with friends is infinitely better! It’s nice to have like-minded people to share hardships, stories and tips with. I get to learn infinitely more from them than if I had to learn these experiences alone. Like the famous saying goes: “Alone, you can go fast. Together, we can go far.” This is also the case whatever it is you are trying to learn, achieve or get better at in life. It is true that you want to get started without anyone’s permission and often, we all have unique paths. You should definitely never wait for someone else nor refrain from venturing out just because nobody wants to follow you. That said, if you meet people along the way and you get along with them, it’s 1000% worth it to take them with you on your journey. I discovered how enjoyable it is to hike volcanoes, mountains and jungles with people especially from different countries. In the future, I would love to explore oceans, glaciers or any interesting natural landscapes in groups of friends. It feels so rewarding no matter how hard it is to share memories with others.
12. Life is ruthless, but worth living however hard it can get
So many things can go wrong in life and you will go through hell to achieve your dreams. Most people will make you stressed and doubtful about the obstacles coming your way, but it is ALWAYS never as bad as they describe it. The best people will mentor and guide you on how to get through it, but there will always be others that will try to deter you from doing anything. Because they themselves never did (nor can do) anything, they feel like shit seeing other people accomplish what they can’t. No matter how accomplished nor experienced anyone is, never let them instill doubt in you from doing something that you would love to at least try.
13. Be free
Having enough of your own money is the most important area of life so as not to be taken advantage of nor to be at the mercy of a place, job or anyone. As sad as it is, it even buys respect from the most dependable people like your family at first. Before, they would treat you like shit and talk to you condescendingly and with a disgust facial expression. They know you don’t have anyone nor any options to rely on, but once you have money, they treat you like a king. But on top of everything, freedom is the most important benefit it gives you. You don’t need to worry so much about your goals, your bills or your life in general. At any point in time, you can walk away from anything or place without losing. Having enough of it for your legacy will give you the ultimate peace of mind.
14. Be culturally well-rounded
I prefer having international friends and serving as a bridge between countries and cultures. I don’t strictly belong to anywhere. Even the people from my birthplace make me feel different as if I don’t know anything and I don’t belong with them. I like having friends from different places and really build deep connections with them. Knowing even just a second language makes you realize how similar people communicate verbally or through writing. There is no such thing as a unique way of communicating only known to one culture. There are original expressions or jargons, but their meaning and way of speaking distilled down to the essence remain the same.
15. Stick with humble people
I stay away from people who don’t understand the struggle to afford a living and who assume that it is commonplace for everyone to be as rich like them. I stopped being friends with a guy from university who was like that and I don’t talk to people who have that snobbish attitude. They never had to work their a$$ off a day in their lives, stressed about getting enough money to live, and get small jobs or any small opportunities when they want to achieve more from life, and to afford their pleasures. They get everything paid for from their family to get everything they desire on a whim.
16. If you haven’t already, start designing your ideal lifestyle NOW
Whatever dream lifestyle you’ve got, take small steps to design it NOW. It does not have to look exactly like how you imagine it, but you want to build it up progressively. Delaying it, because of improper timing is almost always procrastination, because it is impossible to predict the future. I designed mine to my absolute best to follow my dreams of traveling indefinitely while becoming wealthy. I am still not there, but everything I do is to get me there.
17. Do what you can with what you have where you are is still one of my all-time favourite quotes from Theodore Roosevelt.
I don’t have single favourite quote, because there are just so many, but this one really hits home for me. It never fails to remind me that no matter what, I must gather whatever energy, resources and available time I have in the moment to formulate actionable goals and do them. It really does come down to it whatever happens. I might be stuck in traffic, in a power outage, in a delayed bus or flight, etc. , but I must always make the best out of any situation.
18. The fear of humiliation and negative judgment is the strongest amongst all
I don’t think people are afraid of pursuing their dreams, because of failure. They are more afraid of negative judgment, societal outcast and public humiliation. It is next to impossible to admit loudly and proudly your dreams, insecurities and failures. Not to forget to mention that my family tends to really beat me down on all of them or on anything that I expressed myself on. I think people opt for simple and predictable decisions that are commonly accepted, understood and not so much peer judgeable. Whatever outcome they encounter has no judgment attached to it. Pursuing something after being viciously insulted only to be kicked when you are down after failing at it is unbearable. Being right and alone is cool, but being wrong and alone is soul-crushing. There will always be people rooting for you to fail and there to beat you down when that happens or when you go through hell. The only real antidote is to stay away from these people and to be around those who are working towards their dreams too.
19. Work as hard as you can, but also don’t forget to reward yourself
This one is something I really learned to take to heart over time. Basically, I can work incredibly hard on my life or at anything and I might still fail. Nobody can ever predict the outcome of anything no matter how flawless they think their approach is to it. Thus, it is important to work at our absolute best, but to stop worrying about anything afterwards if we don’t get the results we expected. More important, we must reward ourselves in any way we can for our effort and ,although still work hard, only pursue what makes us happy regardless of outcomes. I was profoundly inspired by Leonardo DiCaprio’s quote similar to this which is that: “If you have done your absolute best, worrying about it will not make it better.” I stopped placing my self-worth to whatever it is that I tried obtaining, but couldn’t get. I learned to be content with my progress and I stopped overworking towards any major life achievement while sacrificing too much my happiness.
20. You don’t have to help everyone
Growing up, I was taught to be generous, selfless and I always looked up to superheroes like Spiderman or Batman. I had this childhood dream in my mind of becoming a superhero, fighting crime and helping those in need. However, as I got older, I realized that being too much of that makes you neglect your self-respect. Too often, I would help people the best I can only to find myself not getting helped by them when I needed it the most. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to help people without expecting anything in return, but never when they forget about your good actions and they treat you bad in return. I have been in so many situations when the people I have helped (school, work, family, etc.) started to take advantage of my generosity. Worse, some of them would try to guilt trip me into helping them as if I am evil if I didn’t. Don’t feel bad if you can’t give to every charity, every homeless or to anyone in need.
21. Ask for help. Worst-case scenario, it’s a no
With the previous in mind, I still want to mention that it is perfectly normal to ask anyone for help. I do it all the time, whether I am asking for directions, recommendations, services, life tips or anything that I am curious to know about. There will always be some jerks who will reply rudely to you for asking “stupid questions”, but never let these bad experiences deter you from asking for help or for anything to anyone. Remember how someone helped you once and then when you encounter a similar situation in the future, pay it forward. Give as much as you take.
21. Look at the world with abundance, not scarcity
Most people will say that the best things in life will be impossibly hard and competitive to obtain. This makes us go through life with some kind of an inferiority complex. It is as if we are all competing ferociously for the few available resources (jobs, houses, scholarships, visas, social funds, etc.) and that it is impossible to ever get what you desire most. That everything has already been done and you are easily replaceable. ” Someone better will get that job, girl or whatever.” You get told that only the most ”fortunate” people can ever achieve their dreams and get whatever they want. Most people at the thought of that would despair at life thinking that it’s not worth it to go through the mental, physical or financial hassle of trying anything worthwhile. Not to forget that every day, we are exposed to negative news of poverty, economic crisis, violence or anything bad that reinforce such view that our world is unfair and hopeless. However, I think it’s best to see the world as abundant with all sorts of resources and opportunities all out there for you to take. All of the goods things in life are not as hard nor as rare as we believe them to be. There are jobs, schools, funds, houses or anything available for EVERYONE as small as they are. There are people longing for your kind of companionship and for helping you accomplish whatever dream you have. You have something positive to bring to the world (whatever it is and however small) and it would be lesser place without you.
22. Imperfect actions are better than indecisiveness
For me at least, because I am young, inexperienced, clueless and quite frankly, incompetent, I have a lot of self-doubts while working on my dreams and never looking back at my old life. It is incredibly daunting to ignore naysayers and to work on what I believe in, because I really don’t know if it will work and I must own up to whatever consequences (good or bad). Once you begin something and you have told everybody about your dreams, there is no going back on your word and you have to achieve them. You must work so unbelievably hard on it and make so many decisions quickly, because you WILL lose it all if you don’t. All of that makes you constantly paranoid daily at the thought of never making it and of becoming an adult loser. You are working on your projects while feeling like they are stupid. You see everyone around you having successful “real” careers, families, relationships, work-life balance or better lives in general. However, amidst all of the possible chaotic thoughts, I believe that it’s better to take imperfect actions towards your dreams, screw up, learn and then try again rather than letting your dreams rot in the back of your mind. All of the previous negative thoughts paralyze you and consequently prevent you from moving at all. Going one way only and forward is better than not moving at all.
23. Being an a$$hol3 gets you nowhere
Whether at a job, in society or with ANYONE, you NEVER need to put people down to get “further” in life. All you are doing is temporarily stroking your ego. Remember that it will ALWAYS come back to you with twice the damage. You can call it karma or whatever, but if you keep projecting negative energy at the universe, it will be a matter of time before it will redirect it back at you. There is no need to constantly make new enemies nor to win every fights. If someone is being unbearable, avoid them. You don’t need to stand up tall every time to prove a point nor to “defend your honour”. Back down from morons who cause friction and continue your journey to the end of the world. Lots of people have past unresolved verbal spars that they feel a need to win back with other “weaker” people. Don’t be like them. Don’t waste your time and energy with jerks and don’t be one.
24. Go where you are treated best
Touching on the previous, if you are currently in a bad place in your life, remember that there are always better options. You don’t have to stick to something or to someone and think that life can’t get any better. I left my family, because I knew there was more to life than verbal abuse and a mundane life of blind obedience. If you have the means to and you come from a free and developed country, there are people and places out there that are rooting for you to succeed and that will nurture you. Even now, whenever I feel like someone or someplace isn’t worth my time, I quickly walk away without regret. Let go happily of what it is that doesn’t make you happy. It’s the same when seeking a significant other. There is no sense in going out of your way to get somebody to like you ( from Ash Ketchum 😉). If a potential love crush doesn’t reciprocate your feelings, you don’t need to chase after them hard nor to please them with favours or gifts just to get them to like you (this applies for girls and guys). Move on to the next person with 0 HESITATION.
25. Nobody owns the TRUTH
I wanted to end with this one, because it’s perhaps the main takeaway of this entire post. Whether you are inspired by me or by anyone else, just remember that I don’t have the answer to life and I never will. Thus, you must only take what’s best for YOU and leave out the rest.
I hope you enjoyed reading this no matter where you come from around the world and hopefully, we will see each other next time ✌🏾!!