31. Life Lessons: 45 Tips for New Arrivals
The Case of the Forty-Five Festivities
Hello, friend! Hope you’ve had a great week!
I’m full of fish tacos and birthday cake at the moment, so forgive me if this intro is a shorter one. I hope you’re also treating yourself to good food and good company as we get to the pointy end of the year x
Fishbird Catch of the Week
We post twice a week on Fishbird Central. This week’s catch included:
Books With Red Covers: Colour Me Christmas!
This holiday season, let your bookshelf reflect some Christmas cheer with a collection of mystery and thriller reads sporting rosy red covers! Your relatives AND Santa will praise you for colour coordinating your bookshelves with the spirit of Christmas!
Check out the latest post here - Books With Red Covers: Colour Me Christmas!
How to Decorate Your Christmas Tree!
It's time to pull out all your dusty Christmas decorations and fancy-up the faux foliage that's taking pride of place in your living space! No need to feel overwhelmed - there's no 'wrong' way to decorate your Christmas tree ... unless you forget to put a little dinosaur on it.
Check out the latest post here - How to Decorate Your Christmas Tree!
45 Years on Earth - Lessons for New Arrivals
This week, I reached level 45 in human Earth years! Woo hoo! To celebrate, I thought I’d share 45 life-lessons for those still finding their feet in this simulation we call life.
You can never have too many books.
Mini oven dinner rolls are the best food in the entire world. Add butter until it looks like cheese.
People will tell you that cola isn’t healthy, but they don’t understand how good it tastes. Drink it anyway and soda your dreams.
Be kind, always. Even when someone’s being weird.
You’re doing better than you think you are. Everyone’s just pretending they know what’s going on.
Take photos of yourself in every stage of life, and be in family photos. Future you will appreciate it.
Write down all the bizarre things your relatives say - it’s a hoot.
Go for a walk - it will always make you feel better. Unless it’s super hot, then just lie down on some cold tiles.
Laugh every chance you get. The world is an amazing nonsensical place.
There is no rhyme or reason to why some cartoon characters wear clothes and some don’t. Try not to focus on the ones wearing shirts but no pants etc.
The internet will try to gaslight you that Doublevey (potentially wrong spelling) Custard was never a thing. It was, and consisted of both vanilla and chocolate in the same custard container.
Learn to drive. It’s fun, and country drives will unlock an inner peace that you’ll cherish.
You don’t need to earn your place in the world. You’re allowed to take up space just as you are.
Look for things you’re grateful for every day. It will change a potentially negative mindset to a more positive one over time. It takes work though.
Everyone is doing their best.
Your energy levels do not need to be consistent - you are not a robot. Unless you are a robot. If you’re not a robot, give yourself grace and rest when you need to.
People love it when you remember their names.
Trying things, getting them wrong, and being open about your failures - makes you more likeable than if you’re only ever talking about your wins.
If there’s a roast on the menu, always choose the roast.
Save money when you can, but don’t short-change yourself on holidays.
Tell the people that you love, that you love them. They may not pick up your cool and obvious signals.
Make time to be creative - art, photography, writing or an activity of your choice.
You’ll always need toilet paper. Organise a subscription so it just gets delivered to your house.
Dinosaurs never stop being cool. Google ‘Megalodon’.
People will come in and out of your life. Let them.
You don’t need to make the bath water that hot - you’ll just get dizzy.
There are only so many mugs you can use in your lifetime - saying that, hoard the good ones.
Keep a list of all the cool things you did during the year - you’re bound to forget how great you are by Christmas.
There are probably aliens living amongst us, so say ‘thank you’ under your breath whenever you enter or exit a room.
It is totally acceptable to anthropomorphise everything in your life. Give everything a name. For example: your Toaster = Alan Tostardis. The television = Sally McVisual.
Hot-cross buns are the gateway to a fruit toast addiction. Eat them with relish (butter) but beware.
There’s no need to make eye contact with a pet’s owner when saying hello to the animal.
Enjoy the air-con if it’s hot. Nobody gives you a prize for being the sweatiest.
The songs and movies you watch in your teens & twenties will be the lyrics you sing on repeat in the kitchen well into your forties. Make good choices.
Keep an eye on your iron levels - that stuff is sneaky.
If you ever need to go to sleep quickly, listen to a Richard Goldsworthy track.
People aren’t thinking about you as much as you think they are. This is a good thing.
Good noise-cancelling headphones will be the best purchase you ever make.
Look up once in a while. Birds are up there, and who knows what else?!
Channel ‘main character’ energy in your life, but remember the show is more fun to both watch and be in with an awesome supporting cast.
You do not always need to be the main character.
That possum in your ceiling may be a rat. Call someone about it.
Learn how to wrap a present, but recognise that not everyone is a gift-giver and there are different love languages.
You don’t need to have a ‘big dream’ or ‘life calling’. It’s ok to appreciate the small things and just enjoy being in the world.
Your thoughts manifest in your experience. What’s the best that could happen? Also, manifest me a T-Rex. Please.
Quick Fire Wrap Up
Currently Reading: “Murder in Season” by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land. Christmas has come to Cabot Cove, but a peaceful holiday season is not in the cards after Jessica Fletcher is pulled into a centuries-old mystery and human bones are found under her septic tank.
Currently Watching: “Man on the Inside” a TV series on Netflix staring Ted Danson. A widower (Ted Danson) goes undercover at a retirement home to investigate a spate of robberies.
Currently Wondering: If it’s too late for an afternoon nap. When does ‘afternoon’ turn into ‘early evening’? Also, if you take a nap during the day, are day dreams less likely to house night-terrors?
Wishes for the Week
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, friend!
I feel like you’re going to have a few parties and ‘end of year’ functions to attend in the coming weeks. Make sure to let your friends know how great they are. Buy them a small carrot martini or a half a squid taco for their support during the year.
Stay cool, punks x
“Shower your loved ones in crab this Christmas. Gift them a carton of starfish.” - Leonard Nimoy (probably)