30 Things I learned Before My 30th Candle

1. Life is a mystery.
You can never know what life has in store for you. It is full of secrets that only get revealed in your life when the time is right.

2. Every choice you make has a consequence.
Young or old, every choice you make has a consequence and, some consequences are permanent. So make wise choices.

3. Start saving.
Most of us black children are not taught to save from a young age, however we can’t blame our parents because they were probably living just to make ends meet. But, I can’t stress how important this is. Start saving, and start saving from a young age. You will be proud of yourself when you realise how much you have saved decades later.

4. Forgive.
As I grew, I have learned that people will offend me, and I will offend people. The key is to learn to forgive others because I don’t know how many had to forgive me.

5. Learn when to cut ties.
Know when it is time to move on from a friendship. The truth is, other people are in our lives just for a season and not for a lifetime. Don’t wait for a friendship to get sour and toxic. Know when it’s time to cut ties respectfully.

6. Don’t be afraid to fail.
Every great leader didn’t try once and succeed. You will fail. The trick is to not allow fear of failure to scare you. Failure is part of every success story.

7. Have a teachable spirit.
This is one of the important foundations for any leader. Have a teachable spirit because you never arrive. You can never know everything.

8. Know when it’s time to move.
This relates to the workplace. Never hold on until you become a bad stench in the organisation. You always know when it’s time for you to move to another department or another organisation.

9. Avoid bad debt.
If you want it so badly, why can’t you have the patience to save and budget for it? I always knew that if I don’t need it, then I can live without having it.

10. Know yourself.
“Self-knowledge is the rarest train in human beings.” You don’t need performance to prove yourself. You don’t need to be popular to feel important. You don’t need possessions to identify with yourself. If you still think you need those 3, then its time you evaluate yourself because you don’t know yourself.

11. You have time but don’t waste it.
You don’t have to live in anxiety thinking that time is running out. However, don’t waste time because you don’t want to wake up and realise you wasted so many years doing nothing. Have a sense of urgency and get rest.

12. Define your vision.
I love the millennials, but one of the things I have noticed about this generation is, they start things without calculating the costs and therefore fail to finish. Defining your vision helps you not to do something just because you can. I don’t get involved in things that won’t get me to next level of where I am going. You don’t want to be an octopus on roller skates, going everywhere but not the finish line.

13. Consistency and hard work gets you to the success road.
Some people are successful because they are consistent. Yet others are not successful because of inconsistency. You need to put in the work.

14. Don’t be hard on yourself.
We are our worst critics, but know that for as long as you are still alive, you have a chance to rewrite chapters in your life.

15. Value family.
When you are still a teenager, you think that friends are everything and your family members are your enemy. When you are in your mid-20s, you realise family is important and seasonal friends start to fade away from your life. Value your family, they will be there for you when you need them the most.