In no particular order…

1. Hay un mundo más allá de tu nariz. Don’t grow up with a provincial point of view.

2. Whether you like it or not, alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot, so learn to restore yourself when you are alone. Reconoce la importancia de la soledad y regocíjate en ella tantas veces como sea necesario. 

3. Love fiercely. Acknowledge how much love you can give just as much how much love you expect to receive in return, however always keep in mind that just because someone doesn’t love you exactly how you want them to, that does not mean they don’t love you (or they love you less). Hay que querer y amar fuerte; pero teniendo presente que solo porque alguien no te quiera o ame exactamente como lo deseas, eso no significa que no te quieran, o que te amen menos. 

4. You are as far away from people as you really want to be. People are as far away from you as you really want them to be. La distancia no es más que un número. 

On that note: people only die when you forget about them. La gente realmente muere cuando uno se olvida de ella. 

5. Call your parents -and if you are lucky enough, your grandparents- every day. Llama a tus papás – y si eres lo suficientemente afortunadx- a tus abuelos, todos los días. 

Re: your parents. At some point in your life it’s important that you re-evaluate what they taught you. Unlearn the things that no longer serve you and let go of the principles that no longer apply to the way you see, perceive, understand, and navigate the world. 

A propósito de los padres. En algún punto de tu vida es importante que evalúes lo que tus padres te enseñaron. Olvida lo que ya no sirva, encaje, o aplique a tu manera de ver y comprender el mundo.

6. There will be times in which decisions you take in order to benefit yourself will hurt others. En la vida habrá ocasiones en las que tomarás decisiones para tu beneficio que lastimarán a otros. 

7. Don’t waste time being ambitious about the wrong things. Be ambitious about things that matter, but don’t ever let your ambitions become bigger than you. Ambition can be blinding. No pierdas el tiempo siendo ambiciosx por las cosas equivocadas y, sobre todo, no permitas que tu(s) ambición(es) sean más grandes que tú. La ambición ciega. 

“Ambition is energy with a purpose”.

8. You do not need any sort of religion -or God, for that matter- in order to have faith. No necesitas ningún tipo de religión para tener fé. 

9. Atrás, ni para agarrar vuelo. The only way is forward. 

10. ‘Home’ and ‘Love’ are two concepts that do not have absolute definitions, they evolve through time. ‘Casa’ y ‘amor’ son dos palabras cuyas definiciones no son absolutas.

11. Learn to forgive the people that never asked to be forgiven. Aprende a perdonar a aquellas personas que no te pidieron una disculpa. 

12. Cuando te toca, ni aunque te quites; cuando no te toca, ni aunque te pongas. What is meant for you won’t  pass you by (Whit’s Fur Ye’ll No Go By Ye).

13. Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Follow it… but take your brain with you. Sigue a tu corazón…pero lleva a tu cerebro contigo.

14. Good things come to those who wait but also good things come to those who are willing to get up and get shit done. Good things come to those who hustle. Hay que chingarle.

15. Trust, but verify (Doveryay, no proveryay). Confía, pero verifica. 

16. People respond well to those that are sure of what they want. La gente responde y reacciona bien ante aquellas personas que saben y están seguras de lo que quieren en la vida.

On that note: you are your own PR machine. Know your worth… then add tax.

17. Say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’. Be polite and have good manners. Be grateful and do not take anything for granted. Dí ‘Por favor’ y ‘Gracias’. Sé educadx y ten modales. Sé agradecidx y no des nada por hecho. 

18. Cooking, saving money and knowing your drink limit are equally important -and vital- life skills. Cocinar, ahorrar y saber cuándo no servirte/pedir más alcohol son habilidades vitales. 

19. You’ve got to know the rules to break them. Hay que conocer las reglas antes de/para saber romperlas. 

20. There’s only one very good life and that’s the life that you know you want and you make it yourself. La buena vida es una: la que haces tú. 

21. My body is my body. Every part of it. 

On a similar note: protect the skin you are in. 

Protege y respeta tu cuerpo. 

22. Choose your idols and role models (living or dead) wisely. Look up to them, but scrutinize them accordingly. Elige bien a tus modelos a seguir. Admíralos, pero hazlo de manera crítica.

23. The most important relationship you have is the relationship that you have with yourself. La relación más importante que tienes, es la relación que tienes contigo mismo. 

24. Piensa -y toma decisiones- con la cabeza fría. Keep a clear -and a cool- head. 

25. Recognize and acknowledge when things end. Only a few things in life are meant to last forever (and that doesn’t mean the ones that don’t are less beautiful, valuable or valid). Todo en esta vida tiene fecha de caducidad.

26. La suerte la reparten a las seis de la mañana. Early bird gets the worm. 

27. Perfection is just not about control, it’s also about letting go. Dejar ir es otra manera de perfeccionar.

28. Stressful situations don’t last forever, have enough perspective to deal with them and don’t dwell on those things that unfortunately you cannot change. Hasta el peor día tiene solo 24 horas. Estresarse ante una situación resuelve nada.  

29. Learn how to be a friend, a son, a grand-son, a sibling, a partner, a lover, a co-worker, a colleague. Be the type of person who offers support and thank the people on whose shoulders you stand the tallest and whose arms are there to catch you when/if you fall. 

30. Stay true to who you are. Talk the talk, walk the walk. “Tell the truth. To yourself first.” Live a life that you are proud of, and if at some point you find out that you are not, have the strength to start all over again.

31. What you do for work is not who you are. It’s a very thin line to walk, do it consciously. Your are more than the job you do. Having said that, it’s important to recognize the importance of being passionate about what you do. “You have to have something to put your work in, otherwise it’s not valid”.

Tu vida laboral no es tu vida privada/personal. Tu vida laboral no debe definir tu vida personal.