1. Nothing is a day too late. Existence itself is too serendipitous for things to ever be truly askew. 

2. Less friction. It’s alright to loosen your grip on things. Water will continue to flow, winter will eventually melt into spring, and the wind will kiss your cheek anyway. Not everything needs to be controlled. Some things come to you on their own.

3. Let them be wrong about you. Let them be disgusted, even. No one’s projected opinion is worth sacrificing your truth.

4. Easy. You shouldn’t have to grind and gnaw off parts of yourself to chase after anything.

5. The art of noticing the unseen — the cracks, the traces, the proof.

6. Last season’s fruits may rot and fall before you can pick them, but another season will always bring in a new batch to harvest.

7. Everything happens and exists in cycles. Learn how to read patterns and go with nature’s flow.

8. The universe does not care if you’ve existed for 20, 40, 60 years — you are a spark, a twinkle in the cosmos! Spend your time and money how you want to spend it! Be as whimsy as you fucking can!

9. There is nothing casual about this, actually.

10. Eventually it’ll all settle, and you’ll have no choice but to sink wherever you’re standing.

11. You don’t need permission to be too many things at once. 

12. The power of Flow State.

13. There is gentleness is cruelty, just as there is cruelty in gentleness.

14. Be more intentional with your actions, the things you consume and what you tolerate.

15. Life is not measured by productivity — instead ask yourself, what did you experience today that made you glad to be alive?

16. Ask more.

17. Ask for more.

18. The choice is always yours.

19. Learn to be okay with being still. Time spent with the world is never time wasted.

20. Consistency > Perfection

21. Less guilt about indulging. After all, isn’t this what life is all about in the end? You are living the dream you crawled out of hell for—the least you can do is enjoy it!

22. Trust that you’ve learned enough and that you’ll always learn more along the way.

23. Live and be present in the in-betweens a little more.

24. Nostalgia can save you, but alas, you cannot stay here. You have to keep walking to where you need to go.

25. At the core of all this desire and aching, what is it that feeds you?

26. Always move with intention and unshakeable trust in yourself, and the innate knowing that whatever you’re pulled towards is what’s written in the stars for you. You dream because you recognize what’s already yours. Time just needs to catch up and bring you there.

27. Once you’re ready, life will open up, and love will meet you again where you left it.

28. To bloom regardless — despite the rot, despite it all.

28 Things I Learned at 28

2026

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© Rizu Lu

All Rights Reserved.