This past week, I turned 43!   Reflecting on life’s lessons, here are some truths I’ve learned along the way:

1. Family and friends are everything. Nourish these relationships, check in on them, and let people know you care, even across distances. As Esther Perel says, “The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life.”

2. Forgive people—it frees you more than anyone else.

3. Everyone was sent to teach you something. Every person you meet holds a mirror to a lesson your soul needs to grow.

4. Avoid Lashon Hara / Gossip. Choose words that heal, not harm.

5. Trust yourself. Identify your core values and live in alignment with them; this may mean setting firm boundaries for yourself and with others.

6. Nourish your body. Eating whole, locally grown, nutritious foods fuels your energy and spirit. (But enjoy that occasional piece of cake without guilt—indulgence is one of life’s joystoo!)

7. Get sunshine daily. It makes the rest of your day—and night—better.

8. “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.” – Carl Jung Bring awareness to your hidden patterns, or they’ll quietly script your life story as if it were destiny.

9. Strong body, strong mind. Move your body daily, lift weights, play sports, and embrace play.

10. Strive for three daily wins: a physical win, a mental win, and a spiritual win. Naval says, “A calm mind, a fit body, and a house full of love. These things can’t be bought; they must be earned.”

11. Cultivate self-mastery. As Marcus Aurelius said, “You have power over your mind—not outside events.” Focus inward; true strength lies in controlling your response, not the world around you.

12. Guard your peace. Epictetus observed, “Anyone capable of angering you becomes your master.” Mastery over self means others don’t control your state of mind.

13. Be open to the truth, wherever it leads. Listen, reflect, challenge, and grow. Cultivate creativity and expansion in life and embrace new ideas, connections, and art.

14. Get curious. About your partner, your kids, your friends, and the world around you.

15. Approach people and life with love and positivity. Dolly Parton said, “I don’t criticize and condemn; I love and accept.”

16. “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” – Henry David Thoreau Every choice is a trade of your time and energy; spend them on what truly matters.

17. “Thinking is difficult; that’s why most people judge.” – Carl Jung What you judge, you cannot understand. Instead, observe, study, and learn.

🚨BREAKING: President Trump just announced the legendary Sylvester Stallone as a Kennedy Center Honoree. “There was nobody else that could have done the roles that he did like he did them. Not even close.” Sylvester Stallone is the 🐐!

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