40

I guess society celebrates turning 40 as a big milestone birthday. I might have some wisdom, anecdotes, and pithy quotes to share that might serve others well since I've been alive on this big ball of rock for 4 decades. Here are 40 things I've learned during my time here in no particular order:

1. Mental and physical health form a symbiotic relationship. Make both a priority and take care of them.
2. People will move in and out of your life. The ones that stay are the ones worth your time.
3. You can't know everything no matter how much you read and research. Trust the expertise in others.
4. You can disagree with someone, but still be civil and acquaintances. You don't have to be close friends.
5. Social media connections are not friends.
6. Social media feeds off negativity and contention. You are a product and a means to an end for them.
7. A pandemic is a good way to force you to take stock in your life and find out who you really are. You can then change or stay the same.
8. Introverts are not anti-social, they are "pro-quiet".
9. The advice you give when it is asked for isn't required to be heeded, but you can choose to stop giving it.
10. Prioritize your time. There are do-overs, but they take additional time.
11. 40 doesn't have to feel old if you don't want it to be. I am in the best shape of my life competing in powerlifting and strongman with a 600lbs deadlift, 500lbs squat, 300lbs bench, and 200lbs shoulder press. I can carry 200lbs in each hand and go for a walk. All of this strength makes daily life a piece of cake.
12. Stop giving a fuck about things you can't change.
13. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Solutions that solve pre-existing problems are worth while. Solutions that create artificial problem to solve are meaningless. (See cryptocurrencies, NFT, etc.)
14. "Crypto" is short for "cryptography", not "cryptocurrencies".
15. Social media influencers are just another form of ads.
16. You cannot have a meaningful debate with an ignorant person.
17. Low bar squats and high bar squats serve different purposes and one isn't better than the other.
18. Conventional deadlifts and sumo deadlifts serve different purposes and one isn't better than the other.
19. Training and exercising are different things. Training is planned exercising with a goal. You can exercise all you want, but without a plan it will take longer to reach your goal.
20. Typed languages are better than untyped dynamic languages.
21. JavaScript is a necessary evil.
22. Simpler is better than complex. Start with the former and move to the latter only when needed.
23. SQLite is grossly underestimated.
24. Unless you're Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, etc. you don't need to promise your users 99.9% or above uptime. Be realistic.
25. Software is rarely every done and left alone. There is always maintenance, patch, and/or feature work to do.
26. Using software as someone in the software field is a rollercoaster of frustration and bliss.
27. Software is a means to an end. Rarely is it center stage anymore since it is becoming a tool to solve problems in other disciplines.
28. Anyone can be a software developer if you write code. Some write more than others in their day to day.
29. Take some time and learn the tools and underlying technology you depend on to do your work. It will bring a new perspective and appreciation to work.
30. Some people are better suited to be managers and some are better suited to be individual contributors.
31. Tools should reduce time and overheard to accomplish work. If they don't then throw it away for something else.
32. "eth" is short for "Ethernet", not "Ethereum".
33. You can't be a good person and work for a bad company.
34. Today's web sucks to browse ever since ad companies got their hands on it with tracking and bullshit JavaScript.
35. Cable TV isn't worth the cost. The content of the shows and the commercials are pure garbage.
36. Help others as much as you can, but if you start feeling used and taken for granted, drop them like a bad habit. People can be very selfish.
37. Coffee should be drank black.
38. Shop the perimeter of grocery stores to get the best possible food to eat. Avoid the aisle. Only exception to this rule is frozen vegetables since they are considerably cheaper than fresh.
39. Problem solving and critical thinking are paramount to any one specific discipline, trade, or profession.
40. 40 years is a long time. 1 year is a long time. A lot can happen in those time frames if your life needs to change.

Onto the next 40 years.