Life Cartography is written by Charles Porter.

Tag: 40 Life Lessons I learned before I turned 40

  • Life Lessons: 49 Life Lessons. Lifecartography, 9 years later.

    49 Life lessons learned by age 49. As I approached 40 years old, I decided to sit down and write. I wanted to write things I had learned, so that I wouldn’t forget them. Well, research says that you don’t forget as much as your library gets bigger. But that’s beside the point. So those […]

  • Why the way you apologize is wrong. Life Lesson #23

    Learn to apologize. Saying “I’m sorry” takes practice. For some, the process is akin to extracted impacted wisdom teeth. For others, the words flow out so quickly you wonder if there is any meaning associated. Ever had someone apologize to you and afterwards you felt worse? “I’m sorry you are such a jerk and I […]

  • Everyone is interesting #22

    Everyone is interesting. This is an idea that takes some time and some effort. Skip till tomorrow if relationships don’t interest you. I count as good friends a number of guys who are web coders. Add in some photographers, a UN diplomat, a number of Tanzanian and Kenyan maids and housecleaners, a couple big shot […]

  • At least learn from it. Life Lesson #21

    At least learn from it. Life Lesson #21

    What are the learning opportunities here? Jim Ferriera is a long time friend and mentor. As the dean in college, he constantly repeated the line “what are the learning opportunities here?” Life can be “the school of Hard Knocks.” Life can also be the “School of Lucky Breaks.” Here is a reality. You are living. […]

  • Have someone edit you. Life Lesson #20

    Everyone needs an editor. I may have mentioned before that I like to tell stories. I make them up easily. In 8th grade, I figured out how to help a good friend, “D” edit his report card story for his irrate Dad. D hadn’t been studying or doing his homework. D was also the best […]

  • Scuba diving makes communication difficult. Life Lesson #17

    Keep your communication above the water line. This one is a bit cultural, so you may have to contextualize. Some background might help though in understanding cultures. Culture, we often see as a geopolitical thing. Tribes in Africa, countries in Europe, regions in America. Barbeque versus Vegan type thing. But culture goes deeper than that. […]

  • Why being a Marine is better than being a narcissist. Life Lesson #13

    <<Important disclaimer. Be all you can be is the slogan of the US Army, not the Marines. But I thought the titled sounded better this way. Call it editorial license. My sincere apologies to all the offended parties.>> You can’t “be anything you want to be.” Pop mantras are dangerous and lead to disappointment. Seriously. […]

  • Don’t quit that loser job: 40 Life Lessons I learned before I turned 40: #11

    Don’t quit your job, even if it’s a bad one. My great Uncle Donny grew up in remote Arkansas. He tells of going hunting with friends for squirrels. On their way out into the woods, the boys passed Grandpa, holding his shotgun just sitting in a plastic folding chair in front of an enormous oak, […]