Today is my 38th birthday. And, just as I have done on this day every year for the past five years (with the exception of the last), here are 38 things that I’ve learned in 38 years. As I get older, the years seem to get shorter, and the lessons, well . they only get harder.

A common trap in life is remaining so fixated on what you’ve done that you fail to see who, or what, you can become (for better or for worse). Just because you’ve had success in the past doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed success tomorrow. Just because you’ve made mistakes before.

Life has a way of breaking you before it makes you. And it’s not so much a test as it is a question, “How badly do you want it?” And you cannot answer with words, only actions.

RT @sgrstk: All things die when treated as optional. Relationships, ideas, dreams.

A lifestyle dependent upon the income determined by an algorithm is not freedom — it's a treadmill. There's nothing liberating about creating content for a living.

A moment in Mexico City.

It's insane to me how many men will risk burning down their entire life just to fuck somebody other than their wife. Lust is such a weak emotion. If your life is driven by your dick, you're going to drive your life off a fucking cliff.

The only way to get what you want is to get through the pain.

Those with the most to say about you often have the least amount to offer you. Keep this in mind when reading the comments that you receive online. Part of being a creator, an artist, an entrepreneur, or simply a driven and honest individual, is accepting that your ambition will.

RT @sgrstk: Life is more manageable as a multifaceted individual. Be open-minded, but stand for something. Be forgiving, but unfuckwithable….

RT @sgrstk: Women like men who make plans, commit to those plans, and still have a few surprises left in them. This is why your girlfriend….

If you're waiting for someone to choose you, I have some bad news for you: even if they do, your insecurities will still haunt you. You'll never be okay until you learn to be okay with not being everyone's priority — and instead, you become your own.

RT @sgrstk: Instead of looking for red flags and green flags when you go on a date—try looking for black flags. You know, subtle pirate cue….

Using ChatGPT as your therapist is like asking the most annoying vegan you know how to cook a steak.

RT @sgrstk: It is better to believe in yourself and fail than it is to fail yourself by not believing.

You're burned out because you're forcing yourself to make "content" to feed an algorithm instead of aligning your talent with a platform in order to make the most of your life.

Life is fragile yet unforgiving. We break ourselves trying to fix people that we didn’t break. We lose ourselves trying to hold on to things that were never even ours. We abandon our purpose for a paycheck and the promise of a day off. We miss opportunities because we’ve already.

The pseudo-intellectual bro podcast sphere is fucking insane. No opinions or experience of their own, just repeating quotes or referencing some study about why this or that makes you sad or fat. I’d much rather listen to someone who has fucked up, made mistakes, and learned from.

P.S. You don't owe me shit — but if this (or anything that I've written in the past) has resonated with you — please put your email into my Substack. It's free, and it's where all of my *new* writing goes:

Ambition can feel like torture when you're stuck in a pattern that's preventing you from pursuing what you truly desire.

Consider all of your bad decisions part of your personal education. They are mistakes that you were meant to make in order to become a better version of yourself. When viewed this way, you will not only save yourself a lot of suffering, you will set yourself up to someday really.