As soon as you can, start a “commonplace book.” 

A commonplace book is simply a place where you keep things – or everything. 

Heck, you don’t even have to call it that. 

Anyway, Ryan Holiday calls it that and wrote about his commonplace book, here. 

I use Evernote as my commonplace book.

Notes can be made for everything you want to save and all notes are able to be categorized and tagged by topic.

In addition, everything is searchable. 

Specifically: Every book I read becomes a note in Evernote where all the passages I want to remember are stored.

Later, I make a new note for each passage, and each individual passage is tagged by topic. 

Good grief, I wish I had started my book when I was 18. 

The point is to not just read and experience life – and then press on with something else. 

It can be incredibly valuable to codify your experiences, your thoughts, and specific passages that stand out to you as you read. 

Over time, as Holiday points out, themes will come up and ideas and thoughts will be able to be more easily tied together. 

Knowledge is not worth much if it does not change your thoughts and your behavior. 

And it is less likely to do either if it is not easily accessible and organized. 

A commonplace book is a great place to start. 

I love you. 

 Be humble.

There are few personalities harder to be around than an arrogant know-it-all, no matter how much they actually do, or do not know. 

Nobody likes to be talked down to. 

In his book Resilience, Eric Greitens said it like this: 

“I begin with humility, I act with humility, I end with humility. Humility leads to clarity. Humility leads to an open mind and a forgiving heart. With an open mind and a forgiving heart, I see every person as superior to me in some way; with every person as my teacher, I grow in wisdom. As I grow in wisdom, humility becomes ever more my guide. I begin with humility, I act with humility, I end with humility.“ 

Proverbs 11:2:
When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom. 

Colossians 3:12:
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 

1 Peter 3:8:
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 

I love you. 

Do not complain at work. 

1. To those that work for you, you will sound unprofessional and less like a leader.

2. To those that are your peers – you will sound annoying.

3. And to your boss – you will sound both unprofessional, and annoying. 

Complaining about your lot in life is just a classless thing to do.

Take your worries to Christ.

And to your spouse/friends: Galatians 6:1-5

(I will listen to them all-day too.)

Philippians 2:14-16:
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 

I love you. 

-Dad