1. Life has no inherent meaning. Give it whatever meaning you want. Start today.

2. Death is an interesting subject, and we should talk about it more openly. We’re all going to experience it, and most of us are afraid of it.

3. Sometimes we think we’re the only ones struggling with something. Then we talk about it and realize that other people have the same problems, sometimes even the people closest to us. Sharing what we’re going through has a strange way of making us feel closer to each other.

4. Take care of your body. It carries all the tension, habits, and consequences of the life you choose to live. Stretch, move, get out of the chair.

5. One day, the people who watched you being born won’t be here anymore. The world around you will change beyond recognition, and things that once felt familiar may suddenly feel strange.

6. But no matter how old you are, keep opening yourself up to the world. Keep looking for what feels real, even when everything around you feels unfamiliar.

7. There is no such thing as being an adult. You’re responsible for your actions regardless of your age. You stop being a child because you stop playing. Never stop playing, but clean up your things afterwards and don’t bother anyone.

8. Nobody will make you happy. Nothing will make you happy forever. Stop chasing happiness and try to build a life you’re content with. You’ll probably find plenty of happy moments along the way.

9. Write about things that matter to you. You can’t make people care about what you write, so at least make sure you care about it.

10. Your environment has a huge impact on you. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t support what you want to do or accept the person you want to become, getting there can be difficult, if not impossible.

11. Being close to the things you love gives you more opportunities to be happy. It sounds obvious, but if you love surfing and live somewhere with good waves, where you can go often, you’ll probably have many more happy moments than if you don’t.