15 (or 20) Things That Matter / by Johnny Michael

  1. What we eat. Good food is medicine. What we put into our bodies directly affects how we feel our health for the future. Understand what kind of nutrition your body needs to operate at optimal function. Eat things that come from the ground. Pro tips: Eat fiber-like lentils for the best poops of your life. Enjoy refreshing cucumbers for a healthy bite under $1.

  2. How much we sleep matters. Get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night. Quality REM sleep. Alcohol and bad food can cause bad sleep. Late-night caffeine and other stimulants can wreak havoc on the bodi’s ability to produce the necessary chemicals in your brain to help you sleep. Keep electronic screens outside of your bedroom. Avoid the blue light and TV around bedtime. Have an analog winddown routine like meditation, audiobooks, or drawing. Short sleep means a shorter life and the inability of your body to fend off diseases. Get some rest every night.

  3. Go move. Walk every day. Stretch. Stay strong. Take breathes on purpose. Life and taking care of each other require strength.

  4. Stand up straight. Good posture is healthy and helps you stay tall, look more attractive and stay healthy throughout life.

  5. Drink water. The beverage business is insane. Billions of dollars are spent on sugary acidic things that rot teeth and cause health problems. I enjoy a cup of coffee and tea, but realize the only thing your human body really needs to hydrate is water. Water is cheaper and healthy. Water is all you need. Have a water.

  6. Our choices, become habits and habits become our routines and rituals — and that guides and shapes our life. Put in the mental effort and have the fortitude to make good choices and set yourself on the path to be amazing by nature and habit.

  7. The growth mindset. You are not limited by what you know and are good at now. Perhaps you just aren’t there yet. You can improve and grow and work to become great. Put in the work and time, go after your daydreams and ambitions.

  8. Contribute more than you consume. Make more income than you spend. Burn more calories with exercise than you eat. Give more than you take. Provide value and contribute to the world — it’s a key to success in so many aspects of life.

  9. Science - The scientific method and way of thinking is the best thing humans have ever invented. Our entire civilization owes its progress to it. Go through life, asking great questions, researching, testing and making conclusions like a scientist.

  10. Math - I wish I knew when I was younger that if you spent a chunk of your lifetime, perhaps 15 years, learning the foundations of math, calculus, physics, and all that other stuff, it becomes the language of the universe that allows people to engineer our world and unlock the mysteries of our universe. I can get the big ideas, but I wish I knew or had a passion for math too.

  11. Investing money - Money is unfortunately important in the game of life. Invest it into the economy with low-risk interest-bearing financial products like a 401 K, Roth IRA and ETF’s. Traditional investments are essential for long-term wealth sustainability. If you’re like me and middle class, you’ll have to invest time and energy, make sacrifices, smart choices to change it.

  12. Be a Lifetime Learner. Throughout life, constantly work through the struggle to understand, adapt and learn new things. Knowledge is power and it’s a means of survival. Your knowledge is a gift to be shared, not a competitive race to be measured and won.

  13. A philosophy on life. It certainly involves luck. But there is no reasonable evidence to believe in fate or destiny. You are the captain of your life at every moment and in control of your choices. The better your focus, the smarter your strategy and the harder you work — the more luck comes your way.

  14. The word love can have a lot of meanings and uses. When it’s reserved for the unconditional virtue of human kindness and compassion — it’s at its highest and most important meaning. It’s the ultimate capability of humankind. Know the difference between romance and love, understand it in its highest form and be it.

  15. Your mind has thoughts and will constantly think thoughts. Watch it. Observe it. Breathe. Find the occasional ability to become aware of your thoughts and revel in the idea of your own existence and awareness. Remember the mind and sky is always blue analogy: sometimes the sky is clear and you can see blue, but sometimes the thoughts and clouds can be dark and block your view, but no matter what, in any storm or stressful day — there’s always blue sky above.

  16. We are all the universe, we are all made up of the same atoms and stuff that makes up the stars, comets, and planets. Every single thing on earth is interconnected by the elements of the universe - everything is one living thing moving through space and time. Whatever this is, we’re all in it together and “we are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” -Carl Sagan


    14b. The truth of our reality is that we live on a tiny blue fragile and vulnerable dot floating in a vast cosmic universe, there are things we still don’t know or understand. And that’s ok. Enjoy the wonder, grand expansive, and seemingly infinite scale of the universe and marvel at the unknown.

  17. Manage your time. Use a digital calendar to set tasks for the week. Automatically setup times for repetitive daily tasks, even the simple ones like breakfast, lunch, dinner. It’s a great way to stick to new hobbies or workout plans too.

  18. Your sense of self. Your identity. Your ego. It’s a construction of your mind. You are constantly creating a narrative in your head about who you think you are, who you’ve been and what you’re trying to be. It’s ok. We all do it. Just be aware of it. Always look to be your best self and recognize others doing the same. You are neither superior nor inferior to any other human being. Read the Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

  19. Pick hobbies you enjoy. Pick things that help you become healthier mentally and physically.

  20. Laughing is awesome. Making other people laugh is even better. Share your funny.

  21. Don’t shy away from conflict when you care about the other person. Finding good friends is important. Finding like-minded people with similar ambitions can take you places. Don’t give up on your family.

  22. Writing, creativity, storytelling, film and video are forms of communication that have the ability to be persuasive, shape other people’s ideas and lead our culture. Use it with responsibility and loving care for all.