As I recently turned 43, I reflect:
43 Things they should teach more at school
What is the colour of love
What is the sound of friendship, how it echoes, breaks and chimes over years
How to be curious, open-minded and have the strength but flexibility of bamboo blowing in the wind
To touch
What investing means and how to manage a budget
How to write to a politician, a CEO, a lover, and on the death of your mother/father
How to roast a chicken, steam a fish and cook mushroom risotto
How to unblock a sink, repair a washing machine, iron shirts
How to change a nappy, burp a baby, function on little sleep
Meditate
Be happy in your body
Interview people
Meaningful conversation with strangers
Travel well
How to inspire people to be the best version of themselves
How to know when is enough
How insurance works
Persistence, stamina, grit; grace under pressure
How to assess and choose good friends, good team mates, good people
Be a good friend
Make the most of a dinner party
How to listen
How to negotiate
How to manage time, schedules
How to work in flow
How to be sad and not let it destroy you; also death and grief
Empathy; what thinking through the lens of disability and other minories can show
How to spot scammers
How to speak to an audience
How to change a tire
How to de-escalate tension with words and empathy
How to start a business
How to find purpose; also how to do what you love, or love what you do
How to understand culture; also bias
How to sew, darn, and knit a scarf; also a good mix tape/list
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should
When to stand, when to pivot when to let go
How to be a mentor, how to find a mentor
Methods to manage email
Running an UnConference, citizens assembly and other participatory events; or a good party.
Resist peer pressure, especially drink and similar
Learning to learn, and the difference between testing for an exam and learning for life
How to think for yourself; critical but humble, open-minded but principled