- We all have baggage, but the real question is what you do with it. Check it and fly, or spend your life stuck in the terminal?
- Show gratitude often.
- Feel it all. Even when you don’t want to.
- Fear should keep you alive, not hold you back. Squash fear like that spider crawling on your bed.
- The only predictable thing is unpredictability.
- Give back.
- Try hard to never say, “What if?”
- RSVP when you are asked to RSVP. Seriously people!
- Learn to love to sweat.
- When you are young, your family gives you energy. They’re your entire world. As you get older, your family takes your energy. Recognize when it is your turn to give back and step up.
- You never know what is going on in people’s lives. That asshole at work? Chances are she/he is having an awful day that has nothing to do with you.
- The tragic events of life make us better people.
- Don’t look at your birthday as getting older. Look at it as a gift that you made it this far.
- Strong kicks skinny’s ass. Every single time.
- Encourage entrepreneurship in the young and old. Stop at the lemonade stand.
- Your body is just a vessel. A shell. Take care of it so it doesn’t sink you, but remember it’s a small component of the overall journey.
- Never say no to homemade cake, cookies, ice cream…anything homemade. You won’t die regretting eating my triple chocolate chip cookies.
- Embrace your inner nerd. Stop denying it exists. We all have a little nerd in us.
- The most valuable thing any of us has is time. Don’t waste or take other people’s time for granted.
- Karma is a beautiful thing.
- If you live in Edmonton, realize this city is ridiculously small. If you cough, we are all going to find out about it.
- Don’t waste time on shit wine.
- One day someone will come along or something will happen and everything that came before will make complete sense.
- There are many mediocre things in life. Love shouldn’t be one of them.
- Be kind but take no shit.
- Your intuition is always right. Always.
- Some things are not meant to be understood so don’t try. Just accept them.
- Make birthdays special. It is the one day where it is all about that person. Everyone deserves a good birthday, no matter what their age.
- Fake it till you become it. No matter what their job title or how many years of experience, at some point everyone is completing a job or task they have never done before.
- Never lose sight of how you answered the following question when you were age 4 or 5: what do you want to be when you grew up? It will keep you centered on the simple things in life.
- Never call a little girl bossy.
- Second chances are rare so use your first chance wisely.
- Assembling is not cooking. Learn to follow a recipe, not just how to open and heat a package.
- Chanting “parking karma” as you pull into a busy parking lot has been scientifically proven to improve your chances of getting a spot.
- Be skeptical of anyone who calls themselves an expert.
- Learn how to love your own company.
- A messy desk is not a sign of a messy mind. One person’s clutter is another person’s organization.
- Let a kid eat an entire box of orange Tic Tacs (or whatever candy or treat is off limits). It will be an experience they will not forget.
- Travel solo to a foreign destination at least once in your life.
- We are defined less by what we do, and more by what we don’t.
- You have a voice for a reason. Use it.

Posted On:
March 11, 2014
Author:
Jennifer Fisk
Comments:
3 Comments
Tags:
40+ years old, cookies, food, life lessons, travel
Number 34!!!
Fabulous list and awesome photos. Would that I could have been at that birthday party.
Jennifer,
Sage advice from such a young woman – esp #10. Must admit I’m guilty of #31, but will endeavour to correct it. I’ve always worked hard at #8, honest. A corollary to #35: be wary of anyone who describes themselves as a ‘mentor’. And I’m gonna work harder at #28 & #33, I promise.
Thanks for this.
I love #21. People dont realize that Edmonton is the SMALLEST big city ever.
#22. is a life lesson I have learned early, and I owe it all to the amazing connoisseur I have grown up with. I feel like I am an expert at #29. 😉 and #34. is a scientific fact that I practice even when alone all thanks to our postive experiment results.
Kudos to the amazing author of this list, there is something here for everyone to learn from.