BEHIND THE MIKE

Life is not fair, but have you looked at the options? We spend too much time chasing rainbows that fade before we get there and worrying about problems we do not have.

It has been said that 90% of the things we worry about will never come to pass. So why invest all the effort? One thing is for sure, worrying will not affect the outcome.

The same argument could be made for hate. When one sees how much anger and pain is invested in hate, you must ask why? If you hate a politician that much two things are for sure- they will not care, and you get to enjoy all the pain yourself.

Social media is crammed full of people in pain trying to get other people to shoulder their burden. It is almost like a gigantic “pity party” broke out worldwide. Do not take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

I would eat less and would save more money. I tell my Gen Z audiences to save 40% of their income if they ever expect to have a retirement. I would avoid debt with a reckless abandon. Simply said, too much food and too much debt can kill you.

One of the best gifts you can give to your children or grandchildren is to be vulnerable… let them see you fall and get back up. Better than having to learn that lesson on their own. When we compare ourselves to others we do so without the knowledge of what their journey was about.

Another great gift is to remake your own childhood. It is okay to employ a do-over. I might not be able to play football every Friday night, but I can still be the ball boy for my son’s high school teams. I skip the broken legs and smashed fingers and still have the best view in the stadium.

Go after what you love in life… never taking no for an answer. Do not wait for special occasions to burn the candles or use the nice sheets or drink the best wine. I want my Blanton bourbon bottle to be near empty.—no one drinks it but me.

The most successful business advice I could give my offspring is to overprepare and expect things to go south on you. I cannot tell you how many times the lights went out and the microphones went dead on stage. A-V should not stand for audio visual but automatic virus.

Here are some rules:

The most important sex organ is the brain.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

Time heals most everything. Give time more time.

However good or bad a situation is; it will change.

Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your friends, parents and disability insurance will.

Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

To be happy and successful, find a career you love and do it to the best of your ability.

Remember to hug your children; your children are yours forever.

Don’t retire, keep working. You will be happier and healthier.

Save for your retirement. You are responsible for it, not the government.

Never spend more than you earn.

A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you are in deep water.

There are no new sins; the old ones get more publicity.

There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 am.

After 70, if you do not wake up aching in someplace, you are probably not waking up.

Always be yourself; people that matter do not mind and the ones that do do not matter.

Be very careful reading the fine print. There is no way you are going to like it.

Does anyone ever tell you: “It is only a game” when their team is winning?

Michael Aun is the author of “It’s the Customer, Stupid!” (John Wiley & Sons)