Now I'm 50

Ninety percent of life is showing up. ~Woody Allen

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. ~Goethe

Experience is the name we give our mistakes. ~Oscar Wilde

I only cringed a couple times when I went back last night to take a look at what I wrote here on my birthday 2 years ago. Overall, I'm happy to report I stand by every word, even as I regret some of my verbosity.

Now I'm 50. I think it's a milestone that permits me the indulgence to offer a piece of unsolicited advice.

That's a long time to have lived, don't you think? Fifty years? I've seen half a century. I've lived in historic times. I should by now know most of what I'm ever going to know about life. I've still got my health. I love my work. This should be my time, baby!

Here's one thing I know: Goethe was right, there is magic in boldness. If 90 percent of life is just showing up, then I'd say another 9 percent is boldness.

Of course boldness must be formed from something; otherwise it's just brashness or, worse, its even more embarrassing cousin, braggadocio. I've found you do need at least a little genuine, deep-down confidence to pull off boldness, and that, for me at least, can only come from experience or out-of-this-world innate talent. Since I never discovered my world class talent, I'm left to rely on experience. 

I'd say that 90 percent of boldness comes from that confidence. And 90 percent of that confidence comes from experience.

And experience is the name we give our mistakes.

So, you know, show up and make some mistakes before it's too late.

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