Thought of the week – 7th September 2026
knowledge vs knowing
7 Things You Only Really Understand Later in Life
Some truths can be explained to us when we’re young, but they aren’t really understood until life has knocked on the door a few times. Here are seven of the big ones.
1. Time Is Your Only Non‑Renewable Currency
You can recover money, reputation, and opportunities. You cannot recover a single day of your life.
The older you get, the clearer it becomes that what you give your time to is effectively what you gave your life to.
2. Health Quietly Underwrites Everything
You can ignore your health for years, but you can’t escape the bill when it arrives.
At some point, it becomes obvious that energy, mobility, and clarity of mind are the foundations under every meaningful experience.
3. Relationships Shape the Quality of Your Days
Achievements feel good, but they are surprisingly brief.
What remains is the tone of your daily life, and that is largely determined by the people you love, the people you live with, and how you show up in those relationships.
4. Happiness Is Largely Internal
We spend a lot of life chasing external milestones—promotions, partners, income levels—believing they will finally “complete” us.
Eventually, it becomes clear that enduring contentment has more to do with our inner orientation than with our outer circumstances.
5. You Are More Responsible and More Free Than You Thought
No one will ever care about your integrity, your dream, or your inner life as much as you can.
This can feel confronting, but it is also profoundly liberating: you can stop waiting for permission and begin authoring your own life right where you are.
6. Change Is Inevitable; Resistance Is Optional
Careers, identities, bodies, and relationships all change with or without our consent.
Much of our suffering comes not from change itself, but from insisting that things should stay the same when life is clearly asking them to evolve.
7. Self‑Compassion Outperforms Harsh Self‑Criticism
Many of us are taught that being hard on ourselves is the way to stay motivated and improve.
Later in life, it becomes clear that genuine growth comes far more from self‑honesty plus self‑kindness than from decades of inner punishment.
Which of these seven truths feels most alive for you right now—and what tiny action could you take this week to live it more fully?
– One Tusk
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25 Things About Life I Wish I Had Known 10 Years Ago
We might learn things quickly, but we often forget things at the same rate—and sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the things we’ve learned.
Here are 25 of those reminders that others taught me.
1. Struggle Is Good
Never say “I can’t take it anymore.” Say “Bring it on!”
2. Don’t Complain
Complaining is the biggest waste of time there is. Either do something about it, and if you can’t, shut up about it.
3. Spend Time With People You Love
That’s your family and best friends. If you don’t have a family, create one. Most people in life are only visitors. Family is for life.
4. Don’t Start A Relationship If You’re Not In Love
I’ve done this more than once. You kind of like someone and think: “We might as well give it a shot.” Not a good idea. You’re either in love, or you are not. Don’t fool yourself. It’s not fair to you and the other person.
5. Exercise Daily
I didn’t get this until recently. A healthy body is where you have to start everything in life. If you can’t build a healthy and strong body, what CAN you build in life?
6. Keep A Journal
No, keeping a journal is not for children. It helps you to become a better thinker and writer. “I don’t want to be a writer” you might think. Well, how many emails and texts do you send a day? Everybody is a writer.
7. Be Grateful
Say ‘thank you’ to everyone and everything. “Thank you for this beautiful day.” “Thankyou for your email.” “Thank you for being there for me.”
8. Don’t Care About What People Think
We all die in the end, do you really think it matters what people think of you?
9. Take More Risks
Don’t be such a wimp.
10. Pick An Industry, Not A Job
If you want to become good at something, you need to spend years and years doing that. You can’t do that if you hop from industry to industry. Pick an industry you love and start at the bottom. You will find the perfect role for you eventually.
11. Lead The Way
When you find yourself in a situation where everyone looks at each other, it’s time for you to lead. You‘re a leader when you decide to become one. There’s no initiation or a title. Just a decision.
12. Money Is Not The Most Important Thing
You have to train yourself not to care about money and focus on providing value instead. Also, don’t become too dependent on the stuff you own — otherwise, the stuff will own you.
Continue readingI can only give you a map…
Book of the Month – December 2021
