I turn 32 today.

By most people's standards, this is young.

Probably very young!

I mostly agree with this.

But the life expectancy for American men is 76.5, and 32/76.5 = 42%.

If we think of life like rounding the bases, I'm almost to second base:

I'm also well aware that time seems to move faster as we age (Janet's Law), since every successive year is an increasingly small percentage of our lives.

I know people don't like to think about this topic.

But every year that passes, it motivates me more and more to live my life a certain way.

I've included four examples below.

I use it so I don't lose it.

"It" being my body.

Every week, I do mobility, jump, lift, run, and walk as much as possible.

Yes, our bodies and capabilities change with age—but this is massively accelerated when you let weeks, months, or years pass by without doing these things.

That's why it drives me nuts (understatement) when I hear people my age make jokes about being over the hill after 30.

Give your body a reason to hang onto its capabilities, and it will.

I make food decisions based on how I want my body to feel.

Aesthetics, too, of course. I'd never pretend otherwise.

But most of the time, when I'm debating whether to splurge at a restaurant, drink on the weekends, snack before bed, etc., I'm thinking WAY more about:

• How I'll feel immediately afterward
• How I'll feel when my head hits the pillow that night
• How I'll feel when the alarm goes off in the morning

Yes, life is short, and you shouldn't stay at home eating rice cakes every weekend. But life being short IS the reason I'm reasonably picky about splurging and drinking.

I have no desire to spend the short time that I have feeling stuffed, lethargic, and unhappy with the way I look.

I compliment people all the time.

Admittedly, this has been harder since I moved to Buenos Aires, since my Spanish compliment options are far more limited.

("Nice jacket," "I like your haircut," and "Cool tattoos" have been in VERY heavy rotation.)

But as we've established, life is short, and really challenging at times—and I think a genuine compliment can give people a much-needed lift. Perhaps even more than you know.

I refuse to put myself in boxes.

This wasn't always the case.

For example, when I left my home state of Massachusetts for Miami Beach in 2018, my heels were pretty dug that I was "a serious, reserved person."

But thanks to a push from a mentor, I signed up for improv classes to get out of my shell.*

The first few weeks, I legit hoped the classes would get canceled. That's how intimidated I was.

But after a few months, not only was I infinitely more outgoing and confident, but I also saw how much more life has to offer when you refuse to stay in a box.

*Seeking out new, challenging experiences like these is also the key to "slowing down" time. Compared to living the same months over and over and everything blending together.

I have no doubt there are more examples I'm blanking on, but these four were top of mind today.

Again, I know people don't like to think about how quickly we round the proverbial bases.

But I hope this email got your wheels turning, and motivated you to approach even one thing differently this week.

Sam