When you turn 30…

I turned 30 last Thursday. I was born 30 years ago in 1977 at the Hong Kong Saint Paul Hospital. I was an 8 ½ lbs healthy baby with big eyes.

Dumpling!

30 years later. I am sitting on my couch at my apartment in San Francisco. Thinking. Reflecting.

Three decades is not a short time. Assume that I will live until 100 years old; I still have 70 more years to go. What can I do to make my next 70 years even greater than my past 30 years? What did I learn from this past 30 years?

Here are 30 lessons learned that really resonate with me:

You don’t have to be perfect to be great.
The greatest gift you can give yourself is to do what you really love.
The greatest gift you can give your love ones is your attention.
You can do almost everything if you really want to do it.
Trust your gut feeling. You know you the best.
Just because most people are not willing to commit doesn’t mean you can’t.
Decide what you really want. Go and get it.
Not everyone is ready to receive what you have to offer. When they are ready, give them the best and everything you’ve got.
Anything worthwhile takes time, commitment and energy.
Money is a byproduct of your contribution to the world.
Other people’s business is none of your business.
Focus.
You have full control and responsibility of your own happiness.
It is okay to make mistakes.
Love and accept who you are.
It is not always about you.
Smile.
Unknown doesn’t mean it is risky. Known doesn’t mean it is the best.
It is not the best use of your time to do everything yourself.
You can’t enjoy the wealth unless you have the health.
Just because things are hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.
Everything in life that is easy now was once hard.
As Yoda would say: “Try you mustn’t’ do you must.”
Opportunities are everywhere when you are ready for it.
Stop saying you can’t if you really want it.
Dream. You owe it to yourself.
It is okay to be afraid. Just don’t let it stop you.
Who cares about what other people think? What do you think?
You can look like or act like Bill Gates, but you don’t think like Bill Gates. You can never be Bill Gates.
Change is a good thing. If nothing changes, nothing changes.