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- Sep 17, 2006
NT fam... turned 31 today... yes, I'm old but I have learned some crucial things along the way.
Here are 31 pieces of advice that hopefully you can take something away from.
To make things more interesting, if you quote ONE of the pieces, and put up a blurb AND pic about how you agree/disagree/have used it already in your life, your name will be entered to win $31 via paypal. ONCE A NUMBER IS USED, IT MAY NOT BE USED AGAIN. Once each the 31 are quoted and spoken for, I will randomly draw a number, and the funds will be sent.
31 PIECES OF ADVICE, FROM A NTer WHO JUST TURNED 31 TODAY:
SHOES:
1. Don't spend all your money on GR's. The impulse of buying a shoe makes you a puppet to Nike/JB. For every 3 releases you resist from ($150 X 3 = $450) you could instead go on eBay and hunt down one of your old grails in DS to VNDS condition.
2. Shoes crumble away... the trick is getting rid of them before you get the Dikembe McCrumble.
3. The only person you are going to impress with your kicks when you go out, is another dude. Rock what you like, no female will ever be on your jock because of your shoes, and if she is, imagine what she did last weekend when she saw a pair she liked.
4. If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is. We have all been burned by fakes, and each time there was a tiny voice in my head that warned me.
5. Do not get sucked into the RETRO VORTEX. If all you are chasing are shoes from a segment of your childhood, imagine all the great stuff you are missing out on now.
SCHOOL:
6. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. I had a 2.3 in high school. I had a 2.1 in college. But in the end, I got a 4.0 in my masters program and that's all people see now.
7. Every year, find one teacher who you respect and can learn from. Let them know that. Learn from them. Absorb all you can from them. Most importantly, keep in touch with them. Those are the refs you want when it comes to job search time.
8. Procrastinate writing a paper, not researching it. Research weeks ahead, and keep loading info for the big paper that is due. However, take time aside to write it in one sitting. The mind flows better and essays tend to be more readable when completed in one fluid session.
9. Enjoy your school lunches. High School, and College. It may seem terrible now, but the convenience factor is absolutely insane, and something you may never get again in your life.
10. Know your admin. Be sure that your principal, dean of school, head of your department you are majoring in, basically SOMEONE in a higher position at your school knows who you are and can see the positive that you bring to the school. Again, resume insurance should you need something down the line.
FRIENDS
11. Listen to your friends. I don't mean take advice. I mean LISTEN to them. 90% of the time guys are just preloading what our response will be while someone is speaking, or your reply to a buddy will start with "I". Instead, be that dude in your crew that genuinely has conversations with friends where you let them speak, and you are that person whom they can rely on. You would be surprised how rare that is.
12. Your high school crew won't last forever. Don't get me wrong, you will stay close friends with a lot of them. But ages 14-18 do not define who you are, and you will change and drift apart over time.
13. Your college crew won't last forever. This one is usually more demographic separation, however these are the guys who you built a solid bond with and who's weddings you will be attending. Enjoy every minute of it.
14. Know your friends parents/families. The parents of your best friends will love you too like a son if you respect them as your own parents. These are the life long friends you will keep.
15. Don't ever date/sleep with a buddies x girlfriend. He will never admit to you that it bothers him, or that he cared for her, but it's flat out disrespectful and just makes you look bad.
WOMEN
16. Be nice to attractive females. Be even nicer to non attractive ones. Women notice how you treat other women, be a gentlemen at all times, but leave looks out of it. The most beautiful ones will notice.
17. If she let's you hit the home run on the first night, she's not a bicycle... but if she goes the dome route she probably is.
18. Majority of all strippers have Daddy issues. If you end up having a daughter, don't contribute to the problem.
19. You will not marry your high school sweet heart so don't base your college decision on her.
20. If you can have a beer with her around your buddies, bring her to family dinners, have a blast with her when you are alone, and not be worried one bit when she is alone with other friends... she may be the one.
BASKETBALL
21. You are eventually going to lose your hops, but your jump shot will always stick around. Do not rely on being a high flyer and expect to stick around gyms all your life.
22. The pick and roll is the most devastating thing to bust out in pick up games. If you and another player on your team can speak the language and read what the defense is giving you, you will be on the court all night.
23. Help side defense is KEY. If you are that dude who talks and can see everything on the court, and communicate that to your team, you will always have a spot on a coaches roster.
24. It is better to hurt your ankle than your knee.
25. When your shot is not falling in a game, DO NOT try and force up more shots. Instead, attack the rack and get to the free throw line. This will get you back in rhythm.
ADULTHOOD
26. Build good credit, marry someone who also has good credit, and establish ownership of a property as soon as possible. Paying rent will only stall the process towards being a home owner. Nobody is ready at first, but your mortgage will always be the same, and your salary will always go up.
27. When you become a parent, that becomes your number one job. Once you bring life into the world, you are now #2. Every choice you make from there on out should always have your child in mind, if not, who will?
28. Always find a job that is a resume builder. If it is not something that will help you advance in the work force, don't do it. Once hired, NEVER BURN ANY BRIDGES. Keep moving up the latter.
29. Have a #1 for all of your attire. A nice suit that fits perfect. A going out shirt. A solid tee shirt. Perfect fitting jeans. Swim shorts that fit exact. Gym shorts where your phone doesn't fall out. Having a loaded closet of the same type of clothes is a bonus, however as an adult you need a #1 of all your essentials and keep them updated to rotate. It's better to spend $300 on one pair of jeans than going to Old Navy and spending $200 on ten pairs.
30. Work. Marriage. Kids. All the "adult" stuff needs to be BALANCED. Have a hobby. Something you enjoy doing that's totally YOUR TIME. Join a fantasy football league. Go to the driving range once a week. Have some sort of hobby that when life starts to pile things on your plate, your wife, kids, family all know that it's YOUR TIME of the week to go enjoy what you enjoy doing. This will maintain balance and keep perspective in how far you made it.
FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE
31. I was told this formula from my uncle growing up, and it hasn't failed me yet. Follow these steps, and you will be solid too: go to college, have the most fun you can possibly have and never get serious with a girl, get a degree, find a career, date marriage materials only, move in with a good girl, get engaged, buy a house, have a kid.... you go out of order, you will be okay, but follow that order and you will be GOLDEN.
Well, hope this helps some of the up and coming NT brethren
View media item 946175
rayray3thousand
4/30/83
Here are 31 pieces of advice that hopefully you can take something away from.
To make things more interesting, if you quote ONE of the pieces, and put up a blurb AND pic about how you agree/disagree/have used it already in your life, your name will be entered to win $31 via paypal. ONCE A NUMBER IS USED, IT MAY NOT BE USED AGAIN. Once each the 31 are quoted and spoken for, I will randomly draw a number, and the funds will be sent.
31 PIECES OF ADVICE, FROM A NTer WHO JUST TURNED 31 TODAY:
SHOES:
1. Don't spend all your money on GR's. The impulse of buying a shoe makes you a puppet to Nike/JB. For every 3 releases you resist from ($150 X 3 = $450) you could instead go on eBay and hunt down one of your old grails in DS to VNDS condition.
2. Shoes crumble away... the trick is getting rid of them before you get the Dikembe McCrumble.
3. The only person you are going to impress with your kicks when you go out, is another dude. Rock what you like, no female will ever be on your jock because of your shoes, and if she is, imagine what she did last weekend when she saw a pair she liked.
4. If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is. We have all been burned by fakes, and each time there was a tiny voice in my head that warned me.
5. Do not get sucked into the RETRO VORTEX. If all you are chasing are shoes from a segment of your childhood, imagine all the great stuff you are missing out on now.
SCHOOL:
6. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. I had a 2.3 in high school. I had a 2.1 in college. But in the end, I got a 4.0 in my masters program and that's all people see now.
7. Every year, find one teacher who you respect and can learn from. Let them know that. Learn from them. Absorb all you can from them. Most importantly, keep in touch with them. Those are the refs you want when it comes to job search time.
8. Procrastinate writing a paper, not researching it. Research weeks ahead, and keep loading info for the big paper that is due. However, take time aside to write it in one sitting. The mind flows better and essays tend to be more readable when completed in one fluid session.
9. Enjoy your school lunches. High School, and College. It may seem terrible now, but the convenience factor is absolutely insane, and something you may never get again in your life.
10. Know your admin. Be sure that your principal, dean of school, head of your department you are majoring in, basically SOMEONE in a higher position at your school knows who you are and can see the positive that you bring to the school. Again, resume insurance should you need something down the line.
FRIENDS
11. Listen to your friends. I don't mean take advice. I mean LISTEN to them. 90% of the time guys are just preloading what our response will be while someone is speaking, or your reply to a buddy will start with "I". Instead, be that dude in your crew that genuinely has conversations with friends where you let them speak, and you are that person whom they can rely on. You would be surprised how rare that is.
12. Your high school crew won't last forever. Don't get me wrong, you will stay close friends with a lot of them. But ages 14-18 do not define who you are, and you will change and drift apart over time.
13. Your college crew won't last forever. This one is usually more demographic separation, however these are the guys who you built a solid bond with and who's weddings you will be attending. Enjoy every minute of it.
14. Know your friends parents/families. The parents of your best friends will love you too like a son if you respect them as your own parents. These are the life long friends you will keep.
15. Don't ever date/sleep with a buddies x girlfriend. He will never admit to you that it bothers him, or that he cared for her, but it's flat out disrespectful and just makes you look bad.
WOMEN
16. Be nice to attractive females. Be even nicer to non attractive ones. Women notice how you treat other women, be a gentlemen at all times, but leave looks out of it. The most beautiful ones will notice.
17. If she let's you hit the home run on the first night, she's not a bicycle... but if she goes the dome route she probably is.
18. Majority of all strippers have Daddy issues. If you end up having a daughter, don't contribute to the problem.
19. You will not marry your high school sweet heart so don't base your college decision on her.
20. If you can have a beer with her around your buddies, bring her to family dinners, have a blast with her when you are alone, and not be worried one bit when she is alone with other friends... she may be the one.
BASKETBALL
21. You are eventually going to lose your hops, but your jump shot will always stick around. Do not rely on being a high flyer and expect to stick around gyms all your life.
22. The pick and roll is the most devastating thing to bust out in pick up games. If you and another player on your team can speak the language and read what the defense is giving you, you will be on the court all night.
23. Help side defense is KEY. If you are that dude who talks and can see everything on the court, and communicate that to your team, you will always have a spot on a coaches roster.
24. It is better to hurt your ankle than your knee.
25. When your shot is not falling in a game, DO NOT try and force up more shots. Instead, attack the rack and get to the free throw line. This will get you back in rhythm.
ADULTHOOD
26. Build good credit, marry someone who also has good credit, and establish ownership of a property as soon as possible. Paying rent will only stall the process towards being a home owner. Nobody is ready at first, but your mortgage will always be the same, and your salary will always go up.
27. When you become a parent, that becomes your number one job. Once you bring life into the world, you are now #2. Every choice you make from there on out should always have your child in mind, if not, who will?
28. Always find a job that is a resume builder. If it is not something that will help you advance in the work force, don't do it. Once hired, NEVER BURN ANY BRIDGES. Keep moving up the latter.
29. Have a #1 for all of your attire. A nice suit that fits perfect. A going out shirt. A solid tee shirt. Perfect fitting jeans. Swim shorts that fit exact. Gym shorts where your phone doesn't fall out. Having a loaded closet of the same type of clothes is a bonus, however as an adult you need a #1 of all your essentials and keep them updated to rotate. It's better to spend $300 on one pair of jeans than going to Old Navy and spending $200 on ten pairs.
30. Work. Marriage. Kids. All the "adult" stuff needs to be BALANCED. Have a hobby. Something you enjoy doing that's totally YOUR TIME. Join a fantasy football league. Go to the driving range once a week. Have some sort of hobby that when life starts to pile things on your plate, your wife, kids, family all know that it's YOUR TIME of the week to go enjoy what you enjoy doing. This will maintain balance and keep perspective in how far you made it.
FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE
31. I was told this formula from my uncle growing up, and it hasn't failed me yet. Follow these steps, and you will be solid too: go to college, have the most fun you can possibly have and never get serious with a girl, get a degree, find a career, date marriage materials only, move in with a good girl, get engaged, buy a house, have a kid.... you go out of order, you will be okay, but follow that order and you will be GOLDEN.
Well, hope this helps some of the up and coming NT brethren
View media item 946175
rayray3thousand
4/30/83
We (all 4-5 of us) would always chill after school, hoop, hit the mall, etc. 
