Here are mine (I'm a couple of years away from the big 4-0, by the way, so I expect my pearls of wisdom will change over time):
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No man is worth your tears! (Or woman, for that matter.) So save 'em for when it really matters.
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Save, save, save. Always spend less than you earn. And save - did I mention save?
- While you are young, strong, and healthy,
work hard. Work your butt off. Learn the fine art of delayed gratification. And save money.
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Travel. Try and have the experience of spending at a few weeks or even months in a vastly different culture, at least once in your life. You'll never regret it, and you'll aways be a much better person for it. Plus, you'll always have something interesting to talk about at dinner parties later on (this matters more than you may think right now).
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Stay out of the sun. That lovely golden tan will turn to leather in a few years, take it from one who knows. And don't forget to moisturise.
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Take good care of your teeth. Ditto.
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Be tolerant of others' faults and foibles (I have to admit, I'm still working on this one, with little success so far).
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Get photographed naked! (Damn, I wish I'd done that!) Appreciate your beautiful, taut young body, it will never look this good again.
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"Things" don't matter. So don't get hung up on collecting them, unless you plan to become a professional collector of some sort. Aim to travel lightly through life. After all, as the saying goes, you can't take it with you.
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Be nice to people. And if you can't be nice, then at least try not to hurt them.
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Smile! 