First 28

I started writing this about a week before my birthday. Thoughts kept piling up - ideas I didn’t want to lose before turning 28 on August 28. So I called it First 28: years of living, lessons, concepts, and reminders I want to carry forward.

It is mostly a letter to myself. But maybe you’ll find something here that fits into your own story. At the end of the day, I’m just a 28-year-old guy learning to be okay with myself – and hoping to share a little positivity and kindness along the way.

So let’s begin.

1.Your Reality Is Mostly Shaped By How You Interpret Things/Situations/Moments - (Master Thought)

Two people live the same day. One calls it a disaster, the other calls it a lesson. Reality isn’t what happens—it’s how you frame it. Train the lens.

2.We Are Living In The Era of Abundance

Knowledge, tools, and opportunities are at your fingertips. Your grandparents had to fight and even die for information. You can Google/GPT it for free. No excuses.

3.Gotta Love The Hustle

Work will either drain you or fuel you - it depends on whether you see it as punishment or play. Hustle becomes joy when it aligns with your curiosity.

4.Less Is More

Clutter steals energy. More apps, more noise, more “shoulds” don’t equal progress. Minimalism isn’t about having less - it’s about having room for what matters.

5.Accept Who You Are, To Become Who You Want To Be

Change starts from self-acceptance. You can’t build a mansion on ground you’re ashamed of. Own your starting point.

6.Own It

Mistakes? Own them. Wins? Own them. Your word, your work, your life—yours. People respect responsibility more than perfection.

7.It Is All Ok, Unless You Are Dead

Most things you call “life-ending” are minor inconveniences. As long as you’re breathing, you’ve got another chance.

8.Call You Parents After You Finish Reading This

Nothing teaches presence like a parent’s voice. Someday you’ll wish you had picked up more often, trust me.

9.New Levels, New Devils

Growth feels like chaos because every new stage comes with new problems. That’s not failure - it’s proof you’ve leveled up.

10.Share>Posses

Wealth isn’t in what you hold, but in what you share. Stories, experiences, time - that’s what compounds.

11.Who Said It Will Be Easy?

If it was easy, everyone would do it. Stop expecting shortcuts. The difficulty is the filter that makes success rare.

12.You Need More Photos And Videos

Memories fade. Photos don’t. Don’t just live life - document it. Your future self will thank you.

13.If You Think Anyone Cares - Chill

99% of people are too busy worrying about themselves. Stop performing for an audience that isn’t even watching.

14.People Will Make Your Life Great Or Miserable

Choose wisely. One person can turn life into paradise - or hell. Curate your circle like your future depends on it. Because it does.

15.Action Is The Best Cure For Anxiety

You can’t overthink your way into peace. Move. Call. Write. Lift. Action cuts anxiety like a knife.

16.Everything You Have In Life Is Only Your Choice And Responsibility

Blame is comforting. Responsibility is power. The moment you say “it’s on me,” you get the steering wheel back.

17.Don`t Hate The Game, You Are In It, Love It

Life has rules. Learn them. Play them. Bend them. Don’t waste time whining about the board - you’re already a player.

18.Embrace The Struggle

Struggle is resistance training for the soul. Every rep builds you into someone stronger.

19.Time Flies

Five years ago feels like yesterday. Blink and you’ll miss it. Pay attention. Presence is wealth.

20.Family Matters

When everything else breaks - business, health, money - family remains. Protect that foundation at all costs.

21.Believe

Belief is the original leverage. Nobody else will see it until you prove it, but you can’t prove it until you believe.

22.Creating Is Cooler, Than Consuming

You can scroll for hours and leave nothing behind. Or you can create something that makes people feel, think, or move. Which one outlives you?

23.You Lose Some To Get Some

Every gain requires a trade-off. Time for money. Ego for love. Comfort for growth. Don’t fight the exchange - choose it wisely.

24.Love Will Save Us

Romantic, platonic, self-love. All the tech, money, and power in the world won’t heal what only love can.

25.Zoom Out Sometimes

A bad day feels like the end of the world - until you zoom out to the scale of your whole life. Perspective is medicine.

26.Move Daily

Walk. Stretch. Lift. Dance. Movement clears the mind faster than any motivational quote.

27.Write It Down

Memory is a liar. Writing turns thoughts into clarity and clarity into action. Keep a notebook—it’s the cheapest therapist you’ll ever have.

28.When You Hit The Rock Bottom, The Only Way Is To Go Up

Pain clarifies. When you’ve lost everything, you’re free to rebuild without baggage. Rock bottom isn’t the end - it’s the foundation.

29 (Bonus). She/He Will Find You, When You Expect The Least

Love shows up when you stop hunting it. The right person will see you when you’re too busy being you.

That’s it - 28 thoughts for 28 years. None of them are perfect truths, just reminders I keep close as I try to figure out life. Writing them down is my way of searching for a little clarity out of the chaos.

If any of these ideas made you pause, smile, or think differently - even for a moment—then this letter to myself did its job.

I don’t know what the next 28 years will look like. But I know this: time moves fast, love matters most, and the only real game is showing up every day with courage, kindness, and curiosity.

So here’s to building, learning, failing, laughing, and trying again. Nanakorobi Yaoki - All The Way!

See you!