Serendipity

I turned 32, and at 32 I have lived a twisted and backward life. I wouldn’t change that for the world. All the good and bad exist to shape who I am today. So, I’d like to share some pieces of wisdom with all of you. Take what makes sense, and leave what doesn’t. I hope you find something here that helps you achieve the happiness you seek in this world.

You will fail. Change the way you perceive failure so that when it happens, it leads not to self-loathing but to growth and wisdom. When my business collapsed, it felt like the end of everything. But over time, I saw that failure was a stepping stone, not a dead end. It became a part of a ladder that helped me climb higher. Once you’ve failed, you realize that the lessons you learned along the way are what build your future successes.

10 small goals will get you to your dreams faster than 1 ultimate goal. There is much more to learn on the journey than at the destination itself. When I was younger, I worked at McDonald’s to finance my dreams of working in entertainment. What I didn’t expect was that the skills I picked up there—discipline, time management, dealing with people—would become essential to my daily life. By the time I reached my goal of working in entertainment, those skills had already opened doors to new dreams and aspirations.

Never stop the child inside you from dreaming. As we get older, we often grow cynical, weighed down by the harsh realities of life. But deep down, we are still the child who once dreamed without limits. It’s okay to be realistic, but let that inner child guide you. After all, the singer who stands on stage once sang to their toys, and the actor who captivates audiences once pretended to be someone else in their bedroom. Don’t lose that magic.

Expectation is a killer. Lower your expectations—not of what you can achieve, but of how life is supposed to look. The belief that you should have everything figured out becomes a heavy weight. After my company failed, I became a recluse, stuck in a job I hated just to support myself. It wasn’t until my mom told me she’d rather see me try and fail again than live life so half-heartedly that I realized failure was a sign of progress. She was right; even failing was a step forward.

Educate yourself. Whether you love or hate the system, educating yourself brings insight. I’m not a scholar, and most of what I’ve learned was outside the classroom. School taught me discipline, but life taught me everything else. I applied that same discipline to educating myself about business and the world. The more I learned, the more perspectives I gained, and the less blind I was to the world around me.

Love is far more complicated than you think. It’s not just about being with someone you care about, but about merging two worlds, two sets of beliefs, and two ways of living. It requires willpower and, as cliché as it sounds, love. It’s about building something new together, a world that fits you both.

Death is inevitable. From the moment we’re born, death is chasing us. So love with all your heart, give with all your might, and live fully. Death is the only certainty we have in this lifetime.

Anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. It’s a response to trauma, a way your mind and body try to protect you. By understanding what triggers your anxiety, you can learn to use it as a guide rather than let it cripple you. Over time, that anxiety becomes like a bat signal—it warns you of potential danger, but you remain in control because you understand your response.

Your parents are human. We grow up seeing our parents as protectors, as people who should have all the answers. But they are human too, bound to make mistakes just like us. At times, they hurt us, whether consciously or not. Understanding that your parents are navigating life just like you are—and that they don’t have it all figured out either—helps open the gates to forgiveness.

Happiness is yours to define. I can’t tell you what happiness is because it’s different for everyone. For me, turning 32 and being wished a happy birthday by those I truly love meant the world. When you find what makes you happy, hold on to it. You will make mistakes, but if the people who love you are there to forgive you, then forgive yourself too. That’s something I struggle with every day, but I’m learning.

At 32, what matters is so different from what mattered at 22. My circle is small, sacred, and protected. We don’t know if what we’re doing is right, but we keep moving forward, because standing still is the only way to truly fail. Keep growing. Sometimes, it may feel like you’re not making progress, but signs will come to show you otherwise. You’ve got this. I believe in every single one of you. If someone like me can keep going, then you can too.