Today Is My Birthday: Here Are 35 Lessons from 35 Years

Welcome to my digital birthday party

Me pondering life on a mountain surrounding my house in Cape Town, South Africa

When I was 9 years old, I thought my birthday was cursed.

Something big always seemed to happen to the people I loved.

One year, my brother went to hospital.

Another year, my best mate broke his ankle just before my party.

Another friend got something lodged in his eye and couldn’t see.

The 28th of September seemed to be doomed.

As a young boy, I thought I was somehow to blame for this. I thought people getting hurt was my fault. I took it personally.

Now I know sometimes life just happens. It’s too big and magical and mystical to be personal. It’s all about how I respond that matters.

That’s been one of the many things I’ve learned over the years.

Here are 35 more.

1. Your relationship with others is a direct reflection of the relationship with yourself

Relationships are mirrors.

If you treat yourself poorly, then you will also unconsciously seek out and tolerate others who treat you poorly.