70 Lessons I've Learned in 70 Years
What seven decades of mistakes, misfires, and small triumphs have taught me... so far.
I turn 70 on April 24th.
That milestone does something to a man. You stop performing. You start telling the truth. And one truth I’ve learned is this: wisdom doesn’t arrive in a thunderclap. It creeps in quietly, often disguised as failure, embarrassment, or a long-overdue realisation.
Most of what I’ve learned didn’t come from getting things right. It came from watching things fall apart, from saying the wrong thing, from learning too late and doing it anyway. The good stuff, the character-building stuff, usually started with a wince.
So, in honour of my 70th, I’m writing down seventy lessons. Not polished. Not pretty. But painfully true. If I had to start over, I’d want to carry every single one with me.
(And yes, it’s my birthday month, so I’m offering 40% off my self-paced course Becoming British: A Masterclass. Use code: BIRTHDAY at checkout. Because let’s be honest… British culture doesn’t explain itself. I do.)
Part 1: Lessons 1–10
The older you get, the more you realise no one has a bloody clue what they’re doing.
You’ll never regret shutting up. You’ll often regret speaking.
Most people would rather be entertained than enlightened. Give them what they want sparingly.
Age doesn’t make you wise. Listening does.
A man who cannot laugh at himself is an insufferable bore.
If someone betrays you once, it’s their fault. Twice, and it’s yours.
Anyone who claims to have all the answers is either selling something or lying.
If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
If you have to explain a joke, it’s already dead. Let it go.
Every man should know how to lose gracefully. It’s a skill most lack.
There’s more to come. I’ll be sharing these in parts, each one like a little breadcrumb trail through the chaos of growing older. You don’t need to agree with them all, but if even one makes you pause, I’ll consider that time well spent.
However old you are, however much you think you know, there’s always more to learn. And sometimes the most useful lessons are the ones you didn’t know you needed.
See you soon for Part 2.
Cheers,
Mike