40 lessons from 40 years

I turned 40 today. Here’s what I know so far.

What you focus on expands.

The most limiting kind of thinking is thinking you know best or that there is nothing left to learn.

Life really does get better and better.

Being a parent is the greatest privilege in life.

Kindness goes a long way.

True partnership is the only right way to approach business.

Forgiveness helps you move forward and leave it behind. It’s for you, not the other person.

Lifting heavy weights feels good.

Hard seasons make you stronger if you let them.

Just because you don’t understand something or someone doesn’t mean it is wrong.

Building something only means something if you know why you’re building it.

You will look older, but you won’t feel older on the inside.

You can figure anything out. Anything.

To make a marriage (or any worthwhile relationship) work, you have to work on it every single day.

Time is the most precious thing we have.

Delegating and letting go is hard, but if you don’t, you will stay stuck in the same place.

Protecting your peace is worth it.

Having kids is like having your heart walking around outside your body.

Ask good questions and really listen to people.

Short-term discomfort is always worth the long-term gains.

You have one body. Take care of it.

You are the only person responsible for your life and happiness.

You don’t need lots of friends. You need a few great friends.

Growth for the sake of growth makes no sense. Have a vision.

The little moments will bring you the most joy.

You learn what matters most with each year.

Never forget everyone is human, just with a different experience.

The universe responds to what you put out there.

Treat your team the way you want to be treated.

You will always be too much for people who are not enough for you.

Appreciate the good people in your life. Show them and tell them often.

It’s never about being right. It’s about knowing what is right for you.

Life has many chapters. You get to start over and reimagine who you are many times.

You can never truly walk in someone else’s shoes, but you can show empathy without fully understanding.

In any conflict, you each own 100% of your part. There’s no such thing as splitting blame 50/50. You own your 100, they own their 100.

Trust your gut. Always.

You can never tell the people you love that you love them too often.

Doing nothing and resting is hard, but important.

Always assume the best in people, until they show you otherwise, then set boundaries.

You are never too busy. You just choose what’s important to you.