29 Years, 365 Days

Sit up straight and face forward.

Eat life.

Work hard in silence and let your success be the noise.

To never give it [life advice]. AND, 'This is not a rehearsal. This is the play. You’re on stage now.'

Let yourself be happy. Like: let yourself enjoy the things you enjoy without guilt or comparison to others and their apparent experiences. And know that you're a grownup now you can do what you want and can let go of your parents' ideas and expectations. Also know that no one gets those things totally right.

This works for [life advice] and sex - You do you.

I'll quote Joseph Campbell: 'Follow your bliss, and doors will open where you did not know there were doors.' If you're working to please other people's visions, your passion won't be engaged. I've always tried, even when working on other people's properties, to find something in every piece that would make it mine, something I would do with it for me. In 1994, after years working in advertising, I decided I'd painted enough beer cans and satellite dishes, and I'd dealt with too many domineering ad-world assholes. I was going to get a better class of work or hang up my brushes and get a real estate license. I ended up at TSR two years later, then Wizards of the Coast. The point is that I'd been doing what I thought I was supposed to do to care for my family and make a living. But I hated it. My passion—art and story and invention—had been bogarted by an industry of users. It wasn't until I took my career into my own hands, fired my agents, and struck out in search of the career I wanted that I found my niche.

Always conduct yourself civilly, don't let emotions like anger or envy get in your way. Hold fast to your convictions and your self-respect, be a good teacher, but don't snap back in anger. Anger, resentment, [and] indulgence in recriminations waste time and sap energy.

Be about something that's big enough to be about.

Don't be a afraid to fail. I've failed many times and look where I ended up.

Be happy and control yourself and your mood. Breathe deep.

Don't be afraid to do something you want to. There is always an excuse not to do something amazing and life changing; you just have to be brave enough to do it anyway. Growth is in the direction of fear most of the time.

There is so much goodness in the world — all we have to do is remind one another of it, show up for it, and refuse to leave.