Another year's advice

You don't know what you can do until you try.  Don't be afraid to fail.  Life doesn't lay itself out as a path in front of you.
The problems of failure are hard, but there are problems with success too
People will tolerate how unpleasant you are if your work is good and you deliver it on time. They'll forgive the lateness of the work if it's good, and if they like you. And you don't have to be as good as the others if you're on time and it's always a pleasure to hear from you.
Showing up on time is a gesture of respect to the person you are meeting with

You are responsible for your own education
Too many people don't take this responsibility and stay ignorant
You can choose to be one of these people, or you can choose to fill the one life that you get

Don't waste time being shy, or worse, pretending to be shy
It's not so much if people are good or bad as it is sane or not all there
Some people will like you and some won't.  Some bosses will like the work you do and others won't.  Don't make yourself crazy trying to understand why
It's not that hard to commit an illegal act.  You'll get caught when you do it often enough to forget that it's illegal.
Some people are there own punishment in life.
Don't trust anyone who tells you that a certain time period is the best years of your life. It means they aren't doing it right.
Never stop fighting, but think about why you're fighting and if you're on the right side.
Always speak your mind, but don't be surprised if others don't listen.  You're saying it for you more than them.
Acknowledge your mistakes, but don't obsess over them.  Remember the lessons, but don't allow it to scar you.
Doing what you like is freedom.  Liking what you do is happiness.
'The world only cares about what it can get from you.   Other people do not care if you are a nice person.  That's why so many jerks succeed.
Success makes you lazy
Let go of your anger.  It feels good, but it's not worth it.  Do you want to be remembered as an angry person?
If you're jealous of one thing about a person, you have to be jealous about everything.  They may have gotten the one thing by sacrificing the rest of their life.
No one is keeping score on you but you
Walk away from a deal if you're not comfortable.

George RR Martin on Death

There is only one thing we say to death: "Not today."

Advice gained over the past year

No matter what you become in your life, treat everyone with respect.  Especially people who are in service to you.  All men are created equal.
Except for those who don't deserve your respect, and that has nothing to do with social status.
People cheat.  No one will play fair.  The biggest jerks are most often the biggest winners.  There are other reasons to play than to win.
Morality is always defined by those in power
When someone says "It's not the money," they're lying
Never bet blindly.  Know the odds and why you are wagering your money.  Don't forget how long it took you to earn that money before you risk it.
No matter what happens, don't get too comfortable in life.  Stay prepared.  You never know when circumstances will change, or how.
No matter how big and wild and crazy and wonderful a job sounds, it’s probably just a job to the people who do it.
The biggest threat in any crisis isn’t whatever’s going wrong, it’s the stupid ways people react to it.
If you’re stuck in a bad situation, it helps if you can keep your sense of humor.
Greed and selfishness are ultimately the root cause of all of society’s problems, even the ones that seem minor and unconnected.
Words only have power if you let them
You can judge a man by his enemies
Don't be afraid to piss people off.  Fight the institution, but pick your fights.  Make damn sure they're your fights, and not someone else's.
There's no such thing as evil, just greed.  No one is a bad guy.  At least not in their own minds.
Don't wait to be told what to do.  You're not a drone.  
In the corporate world, management is looking out for management.  Not for you. They will give you as little as possible.
If you work hard, and become successful, it does not necessarily mean you are successful because you worked hard, but you will not be successful if you don't work hard.  Or get very lucky in life.
Your life will be a series of small decisions.  You can let it take you where it will, or you can have a goal.
I never wanted to be a great success, just to enjoy my life on my terms.
Money was a means to an ends.  I never worked just for the sake of working, but wanted to provide the best life for our family.
Your mother kept me on track or what I really wanted.
Never get married for money.  You will end up working for every dime.
It's also just as easy to fall in  love with someone rich as with someone poor.
Shared values and goals are what you should look for.
Events reveal people’s characters more often than they determine them
You can’t fake love.
Think it over, then take the risk
Think about what you're doing.  Pay attention
You can't change other people
Sometimes people use the excuse of wanting "true love" to avoid being in a real relationship with all of the attendant flaws
Don’t take anything personally. When people criticize you and your actions, it’s not about you — it’s about them
Don’t make assumptions. The flip side of not taking anything personally is to not assume you know what’s going on in other people’s heads, to not assume you know the motivations for their actions. Just as their reality doesn’t reflect your reality, your life is not theirs.
Have the courage to pursue your dreams. If you want something, go after it. Don’t allow yourself to be trapped in a life filled with shoulds. Don’t do things just because others expect you to do them. Choose what you want
Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s bad. Pursue your passions, and let others pursue theirs. If you don’t like something, fine. There’s no need to make a big deal about it
Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t let one slip-up drag you down. One key difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is the ability to recover from a setback and keep marching toward a goal
Chances are that you'll have either time or money, but not both
Action beats inaction. It’s easy to put things off, but the sooner you start moving toward your goals, the easier they’ll be to reach
Along similar lines, it’s not what you say that matters; it’s what you do
Look at what others do, not what they say
If you really want to know what someone considers important (including yourself) look at how time is spent
Don’t compare yourself to others
The best way to think about someone you believe is lying to you is to ask why they would.
The reasons could be completely mundane, like they don't want to be bothered.
More often it is about getting your money into their pocket.
Try not to care what other people think.  Especially people who's lives don't matter to you.

More advice that no one is reading

Wait a month to decide if you really want to buy something. If you still want it, it's yours. When you don't want it anymore, get rid of it.
Pay yourself first. Have some savings. Don't go into debt.
Don't follow the herd-think for yourself! That doesn't mean that you have to be everyone's leader, but be your own. No one is your master.
Work is more often than not, not worth giving up your time for. Financial independence makes it worth your while. Never put yourself in the position of relying on someone else financially.
The ability to do something is the only justification that the universe requires.
You make your own momentum. Good things happen when you stay busy. It can take a long time to build momentum, and you can never stop.
Always have a contingency plan.
Don't be afraid to walk away. There are some people you just don't need in your life. People who take more than they give are prime examples.
Don't wait for your real life to start. This is it.
There is a difference between and excuse and a reason
People at work are not your friends. Those at the top do not care about you or your career.
In a negotiation, the power lies with the side that is willing to walk away.
There is no finish line in life. No one is going to give you a prize that matters unless you're giving it to yourself.
	The real triumphs are in the small moments that you do for yourself.
Hold on to your freedom
Productivity hint: Do one thing at a time, do the most important first, the only way to get done is to get started, so get started now
It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.
Hard work and talent only get you so far. The rest is pure luck. No, its not fair, but neither is life.
	The sooner you realize that life isn't fair, the better off you'll be.
It is very difficult to get people to give you money. They don't want to pay you for your work, but sometimes it seems like half the world has their hand in your pocket.
You can't be self-reliant in everything, but you can learn to do a lot for yourself. Don't become reliant on anyone unless you trust them completely.
Don't let anyone intimidate you.
Always try to gain new skills at work. You might not need them for this job, but they could be useful in getting the next.
It's not easy to get someone to give you money for work. They're usually trying to get more than your fair value. Sometimes a lot more, especially early in your career.
Don't retire. You'll promise youself that you will keep busy, when all you'll do is get ready to die.
Motivation at work means that your boss wants you to do something, but has no desire to pay you for it.
	The only true motivation is personal. If you want to do something, know why you want to.
Sucking up will get you ahead. It's unpleasant, and a skill I never learned, but it's effective. People are easily manipulated.
	The other keys to being a good manager are patience and the ability to put up with mediocre work while doing none yourself
	I have never been able to suffer fools
I exercise to stay in shape so I can live longer. The only reason I want to live longer is that there is more to eat and wine to drink. And books to read.
Resentment is like eating poison and expecting your enemy to die
Money and power don't change you, they just make you more of what you are.
Ideas are not worth as much as execution. Take others ideas, but never let them execute yours.
If you're working for someone, be careful about letting them know you are smarter, or better traveled, or even paid more

Christmas always makes me wonder why so many Christians know nothing at all about their own religion and can't be bothered to follow the most basic teachings of it.

Some days

I feel like I can't let my guard down.

Why the hell are there so many businesses that want to do nothing but separate you from your money? I took the kids to DisneyWorld. All of the people who spent $70 each to get in that spend a good chunk of their day shopping in the stores.

I worked in a casino, so I should know better. Those places are expert at separating you from your money as quick and painlessly as possible.

What kills me about it is that no one wants to pay reasonable amounts for good service. I feel like I'm always being overcharged, but as a highly skilled professional I can't get companies to understand the difference between my services and some guy fresh off the plane from India.