As I start the last year of my 30’s, I wanted to do something completely unoriginal and write a list of 39 thoughts that have resonated with me for the past 14235 days.

  1. Be kind, even when nobody is looking
  2. Invest in yourself by investing in others
  3. Some things are worth paying for
  4. In an ever increasing world of tech, carry a notebook and pen
  5. It’s healthy to talk about mental health
  6. Meditate – the one constant that we can never fully learn but always appreciate
  7. Breathe
  8. Love yourself and the love of others will find you
  9. Create
  10. It’s ok to be alone
  11. Find small pleasures in the mundane
  12. Tell your family you love them – even if you can’t stand them at times
  13. Walk
  14. Work sucks but life doesn’t have to
  15. Forgive
  16. Be yourself
  17. Travel – no distance is ever too short
  18. Discover yourself by discovering what’s around you
  19. Give and expect nothing in return
  20. Trust your gut
  21. For whatever you carry everyday, invest in a great bag
  22. Find time for the people who find time for you
  23. Just because they don’t stay in touch, doesn’t mean they don’t care about you
  24. Every scar is a lesson if you are willing to learn from it
  25. It’s ok to repeat a mistake
  26. Ignore your ego and say sorry
  27. Not everything will work
  28. Not everyone will stay
  29. As a photographer I’ve learnt that not every moment needs to be captured
  30. Not everything needs to be shared
  31. Advice is more about listening than speaking
  32. Stay healthy but eat that doughnut
  33. It’s ok to say no
  34. Keep your promises
  35. Fate won’t find you unless you make some effort to look for it
  36. Lists are awesome
  37. I have found nothing more entertaining than a great book
  38. Remember that there is a difference between being confident and being overconfident
  39. At a certain point, age is just a number

6 Comments

  1. Hussain Karimjee Reply

    Excellent thoughts. What a lovely picture. Send more pictures.

    • Shakir Ahmed Reply

      Thank you Adnan. Really enjoyed reading these thoughts. Number 4 really struck me because lately peer pressure has been getting the best of me and I had abandoned my notebook. But I also realise that a notebook is for some reason gets the best out of our thoughts. Not sure what it is

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.