50

            As I sit here writing this post, Student Parking Only is only a handful of page views away from reaching 50,000.  It’s been a long ride, and not an easy one, as we saw from last week’s Facebook explosion.  Over the past 2 and a half years I’ve had the chance to do a lot of thinking.  I’ve achieved levels of introspection and an appreciation for the world around me that I could never have nourished by simply sitting in a classroom or walking around a campus.  Not everything I’ve written has been well received, and not every idea that I’ve presented has been novel, but I do believe that I’ve accumulated a small wealth of knowledge and insight that I think is worth sharing.  More than anything, this post is to show appreciation for my readers, writers, supporters, and haters.  You guys are the ones who keep my life interesting and my blog relevant, and you are as much responsible for this milestone as I am.

            So, without further ado, here’s my advice for living life to the fullest, whatever that means to you:

1. Love life.
2. Smile.
3. Don’t strive to be perfect; strive to be happy.
4. Thank your critics—they’re your best friends.
5. Reach out to the people you care about.
6. Call your mom every once in a while.
7. Relax; everyone could use a break.
8. Take a step back; see the world from a new perspective.
9. Explore your surroundings.
10. Seek out experiences, not rewards.
11. Don’t worry too much.
12. Take risks—calculated ones—you can’t get a hit if you don’t swing.
13. Hold the door open—you never know who might be behind you.
14. Be generous with compliments, not with money.
15. Dare to be bold.
16. Don’t be easily embarrassed.
17. Always keep your options open.
18. When one door closes, open another.
19. “It’s all about the networking”—A. Max
20. Be different.
21. Know who you are, and perhaps more importantly, who you aren’t.
22. Stay in touch with old friends or they’ll become old acquaintances.
23. Don’t burn bridges.
24. Take a breath of fresh air.
25. Eat breakfast—your health teacher wasn’t lying, it makes all the difference.
26. Never stop being a kid.
27. Know the proper time and place.
28. Embrace change.
29. Don’t fight with your friends.
30. Give people the benefit of the doubt.
31. Have positive expectations.
32. Forgive; don’t forget.
33. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
34. Don’t try to make life too simple—it’s not.
35. Appreciate nuance.
36. Try something new.
37. Go to a baseball game, especially if you hate baseball.
38. Climb a mountain—it doesn’t matter how big.
39. Step out of your comfort zone.
40. Read the classics.
41. Spend a day with a Rubik’s cube.
42. Take lots of pictures; moments are easy to forget, impossible to recapture.
43. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
44. Respect is the key to success.
45. There’s no better feeling than making a good first impression.
46. Be honest.
47. Be brave.
48. Make mistakes.
49. Fix them.
50. It’s never too soon to start writing your memoir.