The Big Six-Oh-My-God.

I had a birthday this week. My sixtieth. Nobody was more surprised than I. It still feels weird not to be 23.

But there is some upside.

You hang around long enough, and you learn some things. I thought I’d write them down for you in no particular order.

I took up writing because of the freedom it offered, but I only truly became a writer after I accepted that discipline and process gave me the freedom to write.

If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to write.

You can't force a good idea to come, but you can lure it.

The story you most want to believe is the story you should most doubt.

Of journalism, Hunter Thompson wrote they'll beat you when you're wrong, and they'll beat you when you're right, but it hurts less when you’re right. It works for stuff besides journalism too.

Information is not meaning.

I never quite understood plagiarism, because citing all your sources makes you look so much smarter and hard-working.

Writers are important, but so are cleaners, and if we both disappeared, you would miss the cleaners first.

You should have a plan, and part of that plan should cover what you do when your brilliant plan goes wrong.

The real risk isn't failure; it's disappointment.

When I was younger, I was pretty confident I knew it all, but the more I learned, the more that confidence failed me.

Just because something is simple doesn't mean it's easy.

Listening is simple and powerful, but listening well is incredibly hard.

Nothing endears you to people like admitting you were wrong.

A young man should take the time to practice apologizing. Like driving and barbecuing, it is an acquired skill, and he should master it.

You only get so many fucks to give. Spend them wisely.

If you want to be remembered well, treat other people kindly.

Even so, you will make enemies. Living well is still the best revenge.

You can be the life of any party you walk into if you remember these two things. Everyone loves a compliment. And the thing most people are most interested in is themselves.

It's funny how, in time, the one that got away becomes the bullet that you dodged.

Parenthood, man. The days are long but the years are short.

Also parenthood: the original showing, not telling. Because what you do is way more important than what you say.

For a long time, I self-medicated with food the way some people medicate themselves with drugs and alcohol. Baked goods were my heroin.

It was a control thing. When shit got out of control, I'd dose myself with a pastry or a donut. For the two minutes I was pushing that thing into my face, it felt like I was getting what I wanted. It felt like I was finally in control.

The donut was in control.

As a student, I drank cheap whisky because it was cheap. But it taught me to drink whisky, and that is a drink you can take anywhere, from the lowest dive bar to the finest club.

Most men are scared of dressing well because we don't know the first damn thing about it.

If you're feeling down on yourself, ask your dog what they think of you.

Walking is good. Walking with a dog is better. Walking a few miles with a dog into a pub where you are welcome is the best.

Cats can be just as loyal and loving as dogs, but they are more particular in their choices.

I have practised a martial art for most of my adult life. It has saved me twice. Once, when I tripped over my dog and performed a perfect forward roll. And later, when my father died and I fell into clinical depression.

Any physical pursuit that takes you out of yourself can be a form of escape. But only for a while. You will still be there when you're done.

The same truth lies at the heart of every martial art. Don’t get hit.

Whether you're writing your novel or working out at the gym, consistency is king. Nothing beats turning up every day and putting in the reps.

One day, you won't be able to run or jump or lift some weight high up off the ground, and when that day comes, you will give anything to be able to do those simple things again. So do them while you still can.

You will feel so much better after reading a book for an hour than you feel after scrolling shit on your phone for the same amount of time that I can't believe reading isn't a prohibited drug.

Thanks for reading this.

If you’re looking to give your old mate JB a birthday present, go grab a copy of Felafel or leave me an 88-star review if you’ve already done so.