23 Things I have learned in my life so far
Aug 14, 2010 | Written in: Graphic/Web Design, Notes | Leave a Comment
Few designers can say they haven’t been influenced in one way or another by Stefan Sagmeister, seeing as he is one of the most influential designers in graphic design history. Whether it is his Grammy award winning design for Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (David Byrne), or the words he carved into his own skin then photographed for an AIGA lecture poster, anyone who’s learned about him will know his designs are more than just functional art (as some call it). One of the many ways I am inspired by him as an individual is his book, Things I have learned in my life so far.
As simple as some list items may be (e.g. “Trying to look good limits my life”), Sagmeister’s tiny truths have brought him far. This made me think of the tiny truths I live by, because without them, I would assume it would be very hard to get by. I’ve listed 23 here that are probably the ones most important to me right now (one for each year of my life so far), and although they could be a little more complex than “Trying to look good limits my life,” they still hold simple ideals. They had each been written in my journals in some form to pose as reminders when things repeat. If any sound familiar, then you can believe they are universal truths. Keep your own list growing as well. It never ends.
1. The only way to be happy is to live in the present because now is all that really is. Otherwise, life would be nothing but time spent trying to get to a somewhere that we’ll never find if we’re never happy with where we are.
2. Love works when we let go of our fears.
3. Our hearts always lead us in the right direction when our minds don’t know the answer.
4. Every year we become smarter as individuals, and we’ll always say, “I wish I knew…” so we should embrace what we know today and learn what we can for tomorrow.
5. People who think there is nothing left for them to learn become unhappy, because they’re unsatisfied with everyone else’s lack of knowledge, thereby causing judgment and impatience. Keep absorbing.
6. Live by what you believe. Act with conviction.
7. The world’s problems are bigger than my own, which tells me my problems are nothing I can’t handle.
8. Every victory and downfall is an experience. Every experience is a lesson. Every lesson is a blessing. Everything happens for a reason.
9. Tinnitus and Amblyopia make me see and hear the world with a different sort of attention. I am currently on a mission to find the blessings in having both.
10. I am in a career that makes me happy, and I’m being smart about it. That gives me reason to believe I’ll be alright in life. Do. What. Makes. You. Happy.
11. Some of my best moments happened when I forced myself out of bed and went to “the thing” that I didn’t want to go to in the first place. By chance, I stumbled upon once in a lifetime opportunities. Good things are in everything especially when we’re not looking for them.
12. We always get what we wish for, sometimes in the most unexpected times and circumstances, and in ways we could never imagine. Sometimes we don’t want them anymore, sometimes we forget we did and sometimes we don’t even notice what we wish for happened.
13. It’s good practice to walk away from rude cashiers and others with the satisfaction that I am happier than they are, and the hope that they’ll smile at the end of the day.
14. Sometimes the things we want to get rid of end up being the things we miss when they’re gone, and we find that we are happier with them, than without them.
15. The older I become, the more I understand what it’s like to not be interested in most current popular music. It’s hard to let go of what I listened to in times of complete innocence and curiosity.
16. According to studies, it takes 6 hours for our muscles to get a feel for (and possibly memorize) a motion after we’ve repeated/practiced it. I therefore believe that anyone can learn to do anything and the phrase “I can’t dance” is one of the biggest lies I’ve ever heard.
17. Your closest friends/lover help you see things about yourself that you never knew.
18. Waiting for things to happen in your life is equivalent to a slow and painful death. Don’t wait. If you want something, go get it.
19. It’s so important to not do the same thing all the time, every day, forever. Step back and leave the scene. Look at it from a distance, then dive back into it with a refreshed mind.
20. Everyone has a purity that is tainted by emotions and experiences as we grow up. If all these were stripped away, we’d find that each person is a happy being. It just takes some time and effort to get back to that purity amidst the mess.
21. Life essentials to survive: food/water to keep you nourished, friends to talk with and turn to, some clothes to keep you warm and protected. Everything else is part of the challenge of who we want to be as individuals and what will make us feel accomplished.
22. There is no room for Plan B if I really want Plan A to happen. If Plan B helps me accomplish Plan A, then Plan B is just a version of Plan A.
23. As Albert Einstein once put it, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. If something isn’t working, find a way to fix it. If something isn’t happening, make it happen. Complaining solves nothing.
Sagmeister also has a website where you can artistically contribute the things you have learned in your life so far, conveniently named: Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far. Read for inspiration. Contribute to inspire others.
