Friends - meet Jonny. We've been chatting back and forth for some time now and the other day he sent me this awesome piece. What i love most about it is how desperate it is. And i say that in the best possible way. As Jonny is months away from turning 30, he punches out 29 of the most honest and endearing things that he has learned - things that he strives to carry with him into the next decade. Read and chat back what you think in the comment section below!

February 25th was my half birthday. So after a night of steak, cake, and champagne, I came home to the realization that I had six months left in my 20s. Basking in the afterglow of excess and reflection, I decided to write down some things I’ve learned across the past decade…

At every crossroad, be the man your father wanted you to be.

If you’re ever in a car accident, the few who come running to the hospital are your best friends.  Everyone else are just people you know on Facebook.

Be the guy who shows up.

Life’s too short to be an asshole. Trust me, I used to be a huge one. And it did very little for anyone, especially myself.

When you’re cutting through traffic and someone lets you in, wave a thank you.

People will disappoint you, but that doesn’t mean they have failed you.

Look at the whole board. If you’re only thinking about your next move, you will lose.

Remove the negative people from your life.  It’s a plight that is their own, not yours to bear.

Smile at people.  Sometimes it’s a shitty world and a smile is all it takes to make it a little better.

If you do something great and a friend can only say something snarky, they’re not really your friend.

The best part of being honest is not having to remember all the lies you’ve told.

Rely on people, but never use them.

Be romantic. Fly across the country to take out a girl you met once just to see what if…  Is she the love of your life? Probably not. But it’s worth the plane ticket to find out.

It’s okay to answer honestly when someone asks “How’re you doing?”

Remember peoples names. This is more important than you could ever imagine.

Stop pushing down your emotions.  They’re not here to imprison you.  They’re here to enlighten you.

Tuck your shirt in. You’re not a frat boy anymore.

Your family is everything.  Doesn’t matter who said what.

Forgive everyone.  Even those who hurt you the most.

No one gets to determine how you feel about yourself.  That’s up to you.

Don’t be bitter over the success of others.  You have no idea what it took for them to get where they are.

Find someone you want to share your secrets with and tell them everything… especially the bad stuff.

Read the biographies of the people you admire.  Find comfort in their journey and use it as a compass for your own.

Make adventure important. The world is filled with wonder.  Go see as much of it as you can.

Have conviction and stand by it.  Even if it costs you.

Work harder than everyone else.  The second you stop, there’s no end to the people who will pass you by.

Don’t put off being happy. Waiting for “one day” will be waiting forever. Go for what you want now and watch how quickly things change.

Know that you cannot fail if you never give up.

And finally, remember that most things don’t matter. Let go of all the nonsense, and what you have left is what truly does.

Jonny Umansky is a writer, adventurer, and celebrated lover. He was raised in the Midwest, educated in the East, and made a career in the West. When he’s not making up stories for money, Jonny enjoys traveling the world, grand gestures, and drinking champagne. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his puppy Maisie. For up to the minute stalking, follow him on twitter and instagram @jonnyumansky.

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