Dear Young Wayne,
You are doing better than you think you are. Fifty years from now, you will come to embrace a stoic philosophy, and you will identify as a Sigma Male. You will then realize that you don’t have to impress or prove yourself to anyone. Be your own man.
2 – Raise your level of awareness, the sooner the better. What are your motivations and what are the likely consequences of what you are about to say or do? Anyone can put someone down. A bigger man will help them up, encourage them. Be a friend. Hurting other people is a sign of weakness, and you will never feel good about it.
3 – Don’t be too proud, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
No man is an island. No one stands alone. Seek wise counsel about matters that concern you. But always think for yourself before blindly following the advice of someone with no skin in the game. Take ownership for your decisions and their consequences. You will make mistakes along the way. Endeavor to learn from them and avoid repeating them.
Friends will come and go. It’s just the way of things.
When times get tough, you find out who your real friends are. And when times get tough for them, you can step up for them.
4 – Sometimes you have to weed out the ones who bring turmoil and drama into your life. Constantly be on guard for liars and pretenders. Take your time when pondering major decisions. Givers have to set limits because takers don’t have any. There is a fine line between helping someone and allowing them to take advantage of you. Another fine line between letting it go on for no other reason than to avoid hurting their feelings, and doing what is best for you. Rest assured, they will play the guilt card, and do their best to make you out to be the villain for having turned your back on them when they needed you most.
5 – Your inner circle must be exclusive. Keep in mind that you can be nice to everyone, but choose carefully who you befriend. Just because someone thinks they belong doesn’t make it so. Just because someone calls you their best friend doesn’t mean you are obligated.
6 – Learn to love yourself. Learn to like yourself. Learn to respect yourself.
Take better care of yourself, Young Wayne. Soon enough you will be in your 70s, wondering where the time went so fast. And when you do reach your 70s, you will look back at your life and you will regret the things you did not do more than the things you did.
7 – Enjoy your life!
Some people get depressed around the holidays because they don’t feel what they think the Christmas Spirit is supposed to feel like. They are under the misguided impression that everyone else is happy, when in fact that is not necessarily the case. I have learned, and I will share with you, that for me, “happiness” is an elusive goal, like perfection. If you aim for perfection in sports or business, etc., you might capture excellence. I contend that for me, I’m “happier” if I focus on seeking and pursuing purpose, meaning, significance. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning and get busy, knowing I can pursue excellence while doing something meaningful with my life. Adjust priorities and goals accordingly.
Old Wayne
P.S. Check for gear down on short final going into Clintonville, Wisconsin on February 12th, 1976. You’re welcome.
P.P.S. Sorry, I didn’t think to jot down lottery numbers or anything that would help you in the stock market.