{"id":3501,"date":"2011-08-04T05:45:45","date_gmt":"2011-08-04T09:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.communify.me\/newvinegrowing\/?p=3501"},"modified":"2019-06-07T13:40:29","modified_gmt":"2019-06-07T17:40:29","slug":"40-things-i-have-learned-at-40-by-lisa-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.communify.me\/newvinegrowing\/40-things-i-have-learned-at-40-by-lisa-g\/","title":{"rendered":"40 Things I Have Learned at 40, by Lisa G."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
Lisa turned 40 this spring and celebrated at a surprise party thrown by friends. Today she shares 40 things she has learned at 40.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nToday’s Things I Have Learned list comes from Lisa G., one of my best New York pals and a fellow recent inductee into the 40-and-over club. She’s a return guest blogger on Newvine Growing, having shared thoughts about her mother’s death in 2009<\/a>.
\n<\/em>
\nLisa was one of the first to say yes to participating in this series, and true to her type A personality, she was the last to submit because she invested a lot of time in making sure she got her list just right. She completed it on a recent international trip for work that gave her many hours on airplanes.<\/em>
\nLisa is a Michigan native who moved to New York eight years ago for a corporate job and a new chapter in life. She’s recently packed away her suits to become head of human resources for a global nonprofit and she’s preparing for the New York Marathon for the first time with a program that mixes biking to work, running in Central Park and drinking Guinness.<\/em><\/p>\n
    \n
  1. Being alone is better than staying in the wrong situation.<\/li>\n
  2. Try any dish once: worst case, you don\u2019t like it and stop after one bite.\u00a0 As a result, you\u2019ll discover so many incredible ingredients and flavors.<\/li>\n
  3. Related to the above, don\u2019t waste calories or fat on unworthy food, but don\u2019t fear them when the food is worth it.<\/li>\n
  4. Being underestimated gives you a unique advantage in a new situation; fight the initial urge to be offended and insulted and rise above it to seize the opportunity.<\/li>\n
  5. Get over yourself: no matter how many degrees you have, how much money you make or how big your title is, most of us are not saving lives, curing disease or brokering world peace.<\/li>\n
  6. Whenever that little voice inside begins to doubt whether you are capable of doing something, go DO IT.<\/li>\n
  7. That goes double \u2013 maybe even triple \u2013 for telling the people you love how you feel about them.<\/li>\n
  8. Be kind to everyone \u2013 not because you think they can do something for you, but because it\u2019s the right thing to do.<\/li>\n
  9. There comes a point in your career when making more money \u2013 or even the same amount of money \u2013 isn\u2019t the most important criterion in deciding your next move.\u00a0 Don\u2019t miss it.<\/li>\n
  10. Coffee with Bailey\u2019s is one of the most versatile drinks ever:\u00a0 part dessert, part warmer-upper when you\u2019re chilly, part pick-me-up when you need that second wind at night.\u00a0 Oh, and it tastes great.<\/li>\n
  11. Let your friends be friends to you.\u00a0 You will be disappointed by some who let you down, but it\u2019s worth the realization of who IS there for you and the more substantial connections you\u2019ll develop with them.<\/li>\n
  12. Related to the above, be a friend.\u00a0 When they need you the most, it might not be obvious and will inevitably be at the least convenient time for you.\u00a0 You may have to listen, as their silence might be the signal.<\/li>\n
  13. Your doctor may have more medical training than you and more degrees on the wall, but never forget that you are the one who lives in your body. Don\u2019t hesitate to get another opinion and don’t talk yourself into accepting an answer from him\/her that doesn\u2019t feel right.<\/li>\n
  14. Some items (shoes, handbags) are worth every penny you spend on them and can make an outfit.\u00a0 Others, like solid color T-shirts or cutting-edge trends that will be out of fashion next year, are not.\u00a0 Get them on the cheap and mix them in with your quality stuff.<\/li>\n
  15. Losing a parent sucks and impacts you deeply and forever, no matter how old you are when it happens or how long you knew it was coming.<\/li>\n
  16. Black is the best color ever for clothing\/accessories:\u00a0 it is slimming, coordinates with all other black items, and doesn\u2019t show dirt\/scuffs\/sweat.<\/li>\n
  17. Related to the above, there is no such thing as an invisible underarm deodorant\/antiperspirant.\u00a0 Don\u2019t believe me?\u00a0 Put some on and then wear a black tank top\u2026 just pulling it on over your head will probably prove my point.<\/li>\n
  18. Travel.\u00a0 A lot.\u00a0 In whatever way you can afford.\u00a0 Keep putting yourself in new places on a regular basis, even just for a little while.<\/li>\n
  19. Whenever you catch yourself saying, \u201cMaybe someday I\u2019ll….,\u201d find some way to do it or start it or plan it NOW.<\/li>\n
  20. Family secrets\u2026. just. DON\u2019T. have. them.<\/li>\n
  21. Drink water.\u00a0 Lots of it.\u00a0 The benefits far outweigh the additional trips to the bathroom, though I\u2019ll admit that part is a nuisance.\u00a0 One of the best things I ever did for myself was stop drinking soda (that\u2019s \u201cpop\u201d to my fellow mitten-people) and start carrying a bottle of water with me at all times.<\/li>\n
  22. Not sharing your true feelings in a relationship should only happen in sitcoms and movies, where it can serve some purpose as a plot point.\u00a0 Swallow your pride, open yourself up, and talk.\u00a0 Even if it doesn\u2019t lead to the result you were hoping for, I promise that you\u2019ll be better off for doing it.<\/li>\n
  23. Remember those SNL skits with \u201cDrunk Girl,\u201d who slurs gibberish and cries for no known reason?\u00a0 Check it out HERE<\/a> if you don\u2019t know what I\u2019m talking about.\u00a0 Point is, try not to be that person.\u00a0 Having a glass of water between each beer\/wine\/cocktail is a great way to enjoy yourself without getting sloppy, not to mention avoiding a hangover the next day.<\/li>\n
  24. Learn to apologize.\u00a0 Sincerely.<\/li>\n
  25. Related to the above, if you get too comfortable apologizing, you might be doing it too often.\u00a0 Figure out why you keep needing to say that you\u2019re sorry, and then try to stop doing whatever\u2019s putting you in that situation so frequently.<\/li>\n
  26. Did I mention to drink lots of water?\u00a0 Twice already, you say? No matter, it deserves repeating.<\/li>\n
  27. Your bucket list should be constantly evolving in BOTH directions \u2013 adding new experiences and destinations to the list, but also accomplishing some along the way.<\/li>\n
  28. Laugh as much as possible.\u00a0 Just not AT<\/span> people.<\/li>\n
  29. Complete laryngitis, which I’ve had several times now, is an opportunity to focus instead on listening skills, and to more carefully decide what is so important to add to the discussion that it is worth the combined (and frustrating) effort of squeaking and charades.<\/li>\n
  30. Handwritten notes are an endangered species.\u00a0 Help bring them back.<\/li>\n
  31. Follow the \u201ccringe rule\u201d when you are at a crossroads: whichever course of action makes you sort of cringe at the thought, the one you least want<\/span> to do, is probably the best choice.<\/li>\n
  32. As often as possible, pay your credit card balance(s) in full each month.\u00a0 You\u2019ll avoid the downward spiral of fees and interest rates that can suck you in like quicksand when you make just the minimum payment, and then the credit will be there when you truly do need to carry a balance.<\/li>\n
  33. Peanut butter always tastes better on a spoon.\u00a0 Unless you\u2019re using a piece of chocolate to scoop it out instead.<\/li>\n
  34. Just as romantic relationships sometimes do, it\u2019s OK for some of your friendships to end or scale back to more of an acquaintanceship.\u00a0 You might even have to be the one to realize it first.<\/li>\n
  35. Read the book before you see the movie.<\/li>\n
  36. One of my worst bosses ever gave me one of the best pieces of advice ever (maybe unintentionally) when he said, \u201cYou\u2019ll never get everybody to like you, so stop trying.\u201d I am still working on this.<\/li>\n
  37. Reading as an adult the \u201cclassic\u201d books assigned to us in school, but now without the end game of a paper or test at the end, makes them a completely different experience.<\/li>\n
  38. Start your interactions with people by making eye contact, smiling and saying \u201cGood morning (afternoon\/evening\/etc.)\u201d before launching into why you\u2019re there and what you need.\u00a0 It takes no additional time at all, and is amazingly effective.<\/li>\n
  39. Whenever you feel like the world is against you, nothing is going your way, and you just can\u2019t see the light at the other end of the tunnel, keep going.\u00a0 You may not recognize this at the time, but you have been given the tools and resources you need to get through it.<\/li>\n
  40. Snoopy and Guinness rule.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Lisa is the eighth contributor to the \u201cThings I Have Learned\u201d series, running each Thursday on Newvine Growing. Previous lists have come from:<\/em><\/p>\n