50 things I know. (For sure. For sure, sure?)

This was inspired by Cate Hall, who was inspired by Sasha Chapin, who was inspired by Mari Andrew.

If you want to learn how to have fun (anywhere and everywhere), spend time with a labradoodle.
Figure out your go-to dishes that always taste better than the time you put into them—guacamole (avocadoes, chopped spring onion, salt), scrambled eggs (eggs, salt).
Salt is a force multiplier for food. Kindness is a force multiplier for humans.
Kindness is subjective and context-specific, so watch out for your assumptions here.
Most adult humans are starved of specific praise and appreciation. So don’t withhold this, or play it cool, for no good reason.
‘Why don’t they just…’ is never a good start to a sentence. ‘I wonder why they…’ is better. ‘I wonder why I…’ is better still.
Human bodies are miraculous. And that’s an understatement.
Sneezing clears your nose. Coughing clears your lungs. Laughing for sure does stuff for your soul. (I didn’t say I was a scientist.)
Polished doesn’t equal superior. (True for wood. True for humans.)
For many things, ‘try it and see’ is an excellent option.
When it comes to opportunities you want, it’s up to other people to say ‘no’ to you. It’s not your job to be saying ‘no’ to yourself.
If you peel a sticker off a book cover and it leaves an annoying residue, try wiping it with a dab of WD40.
Sometimes the recipe is bad, and you legit did great.
You can take comfort in the fact that very few decisions are actually permanent.
Even questionable decisions can achieve good outcomes. (E.g. Go to mime school. Meet your future husband.)
Raccoons are vying to be the new dogs. Let’s check back in 10 years to see how this plays out.
Printers are specifically designed to test the patience of Buddhists and Saints. If you lose your patience with one, it just means you’re having a human day.
Give extra points to the foods that make excellent leftovers. Determining this is a process of trial and error.
You can make a good fake kombucha by mixing cordial, sparkling water and cider vinegar—quantities to taste.
If you’re writing scenes (or living life), it’s not just about action, you want meaningful action. (Nod to George Saunders for the writing part.)
Doing something for 2h a week for a year racks up. Trust this.
The people who say that you shouldn’t use exclamation points, that they make you sound like a teenage girl, are unintentionally paying you a compliment. Teenage girls are awesome!
If you’re stuck, there are always ways to generate more answers. But sometimes you need a better question.
You don’t have to get people to learn your ‘love language’ to feel loved. You can look/listen out for the many ways humans are already showing you their love.
Your brain will naturally tell you what you did wrong. You’ll need to prompt it to tell you what you did well. E.g. three things I did well here are…
Humour can be ‘oven mitts’ that allow you to handle hot situations. Thank goodness for oven mitts. And thank you to Andrew Kaufman for this analogy.
Your brain gets washed when you sleep. I know! I didn’t know this until last year. So, you’re welcome.
Skylights sometimes leak, but they also let in light.
Unicorns do exist. If you don’t believe me, go ask a rhino. (Gently. They have sensitive ears.)
Mixing loose-leaf teas is an everyday way to feel fancy. Personal favourite: something malty (e.g. Assam Ethelwold) with something smoky (e.g. Golden Yunnan)
If life gives you lemons, not all lemon squeezers are made equal. For an easier time, and more juice, get a crocodile-jaw clampy one, not the press-down-and-twist kind.
Humour has way more to do with truth and connection than it does deflection.
Don’t just make yourself stop doing things. Find out what you might love to do instead.
Make one of your superpowers… paying attention… to other people’s superpowers. (My sandwich-making powers quadrupled when I met my husband. Never had I seen the like!)
You don’t have to be good at everything. Learn to ask for help. Team up with people who have different superpowers to you. Love them for it.
Sometimes you need to zoom in. Sometimes you need to zoom out. Deciding and adjusting lenses is an imperfect process.
Be willing to revisit opinions and assumptions. You hated custard because you tried it cold, but hot it’s delicious. You thought you hated fruit on salad, but that’s because it was chunks of slimy tinned peaches.
Cold plunges might be good for you, but so are hot water bottles.
Stretch. Cats and dogs know where it’s at. (Note to self.)
When you see a whole big area in shade, it’s because something big is acting as a parasol. I literally figured this out the other day. The big thing at the time was a Tor. (A mini mountain.) I know. Don’t judge.
Patriot (created by Steven Conrad) is an astounding series. That’s it. (Ok, if we’re fleshing this out, one of the songs the main character sings has a practical tip: If you want to avoid revealing information while under anaesthesia, recite nursery rhymes on the countdown.)
Some people come out of anaesthesia and try to hit on the nurses. Some people come out of anaesthesia and insist that we get into it…human existence…explain it, now! Did we evolve from squid? Ask me how I know…
Reading out loud is for adults, not just for kids. (I’ll read if you drive. I’ll read if you cook. I’ll read for 10 minutes before we fall asleep.)
You can make your own rules. And change your own rules. 44 seems good. A better fit than 50.

Next it’s your turn!