Nowadays, I like to reflect and consider what I can learn from every encounter that surprises me (besides having a story to tell later). I usually journal these events and try to come up with a lesson that I would share near a campfire overlooking the translucent lake with stars dancing near my reflection. Sometimes, I am lucky; that lesson can be articulated in a few words. Here is a random selection of lessons in no particular order or extra context.
13 lessons I take with me
They can't all be that bad or unlucky.
Read next
The Tongue You Reach For
On the small betrayals of fluency – and what they might not be betraying at all.
They Called It Courage
"I think it takes courage," he says, "to leave a job without having the next step planned out."
The Answer That Arrived Without You
The slide deck is good. That's the part that won't sit quietly.