42 birthday truth bombs: older and wiser edition

Find Your Superpower newsletter 112

Read time: 5 minutes

Topics covered: It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to...

Hey there, it’s my birthday weekend! 🎉

To celebrate my 42nd revolution around the sun, I’m continuing my annual tradition of sharing 42 truth bombs I’ve learned the hard way.

I’m heavily influenced by the brilliant people I listen to and read about, so consider this one giant alphabet soup of their wisdom.

I hope some of my truth bombs resonate with you:

1. Waking up early is a superpower. Starting 1-2 hours ahead of everyone gives you more time for deep work and calm reflection.
2. Being able to say “no” is a superpower. Many of us, especially women, were raised to be agreeable, to be nice. Saying “no” requires us to unlearn some of that.
3. Being able to accept “no” is also a superpower.
4. All of us could use a good therapist. Mental fitness is like physical fitness.
5. Practicing gratitude daily is a free way to fight depression, sadness and anger.
6. Never make a decision after midnight. Sleep on it to gain a better perspective.
7. Many of our adult wounds originate from childhood traumas. Recognize when your inner child is hurting.
8. Recognize when you’ve made a good decision (a diversified investment portfolio) versus obtained a good outcome from a poor decision (a crypto windfall).
9. You already know what you want. Stop asking everyone else for permission to pursue it.
10. If someone has an issue with you and they’re telling everyone but you… they’re just using you for attention.
11. Heroes and villains have the same origin story. Both undergo incredible suffering, but the hero focuses on eliminating pain, while the villain focuses on increasing pain.
12. An abundance mindset is powerful because you enlarge the pie which provides plenty for everyone around you, versus a scarcity mindset where you fight for crumbs of a tiny pie with everyone around you. 
13. “Every storm runs out of rain.” (Maya Angelou)
14. A magnet both attracts and repels. If you want to attract, you also have to repel. Get used to people not agreeing with you.
15. Every woman needs a squad. If you have a friend who is even slightly insecure when you succeed, I’m sorry but they aren’t your friend; they are your frenemy. Find better friends.
16. Don’t dim your light just to make someone else feel less uncomfortable with you. (Sarah Blakely)
17. Get good at distinguishing a giver from a taker. Work exclusively with the former group, and run as far as you can from the latter group.
18. Moms, please take care of yourself first. When mom is happy, everyone is happy.
19. New moms, listen to me carefully. You shall only have three goals every day: get enough sleep, feed the baby, and finish your work. Stay focused on these three basic objectives and you will survive the first year.
20. Moms, let’s stop feeling guilty all the time. We are superheroes. Stop this mom guilt right now!
21. If you don’t make time for your wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness.
22. Women in your 40s: start strength training now or we’ll pay the price in our 60s.
23. Our health can’t wait: let’s get ourselves screened for cancer every year.
24. Study the laws of detachment. Learn how to detach yourself and have zero expectations about other people.
25. People will work on themselves if and when they want to, not because you want them to.
26. Be careful of gurus. The smartest person is the one who appreciates how little they know. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” (Socrates)
27. Real wealth isn’t money or fame, but owning your time. Wherever possible, don’t sell something that you can never buy back.
28. You will never run out of job offers, promotions or clients if you provide more value than what you expect to be paid.
29. Pick yourself. Choose yourself. Don’t wait for The New York Times or Wall Street Journal to feature you. You can tell your story better than anyone can.
30. Success in one’s career is sometimes as basic as this: “Just learn how to get stuff done.” (Barack Obama)
31. Everyone is sick of hearing about AI, but get in now like when Bitcoin was $100, not when it hit $100,000.
32. Information will be infinite in the AI era; but strategic thinking is what will set you apart.
33. Instead of juggling 5-10 different ideas and projects, consider focusing on one and bringing it to completion. Focus is a superpower.
34. The most successful people aren’t necessarily the most talented or gifted. They are sometimes the most consistent. Consistency compounds, just like the S&P 500.
35. Winning is an inside job. You can have a million dollars and constantly feel like the odds are stacked against you, or you can have barely enough and feel like a million dollars.
36. When you have a growth mindset, you win or you learn. You never lose. (Adapted from Nelson Mandela)
37. There is no clear winner in the soft skills vs hard skills debate. Having a little of both is probably better than being clearly deficient in either.
38. Mask your weaknesses by working with people who complement your weaknesses, instead of those who are similar to you.
39. We only need one or two superpowers to be really successful in life. Thor has just one superpower and he’s doing fine.
40. Make a bucket list, pin it to your desk, and start manifesting. Life has a remarkable way of turning our deepest desires into reality.
41. 40s are the new 30s.
42. It does not matter how long we live, but how well we live. Santé!

SOME AUGUST UPDATES: 

🎉 Find Your Superpower Summit 2025 (VIP tickets sold out!)

I’m thrilled to announce our Find Your Superpower Summit is returning on 31 October with the theme: “Human First: The New Rules to Win in the Age of AI.”

Join hundreds of growth-minded professionals for a day of powerful insights on building your personal brand, speaking with authority, and monetizing your expertise.

All of our VIP tickets have sold out, and 60% of our general tickets have been snapped up. Get your ticket now!

 
🚀 12-month Brand Builder Mastermind 

Enrollment for my VIP community opens on 14 August for our next cohort. If you’re ready to build signature content, speak with authority, and monetize your expertise, waitlist here. Join 200+ industry experts inside!

🎨 Executive Workshop: Your Brand in Full Color

If you’re based in Singapore and want to take your executive presence to the next level, join me on Saturday, 30 August for a 90-minute masterclass led by Sheryl Koh, a professional color expert and founder of Something About Colour.

This beginner-friendly workshop will help both male and female professionals discover how to harness the power of color to elevate your executive presence, sharpen your personal brand, and express your leadership style with intention. Find your color now!

WOO HOO... what are you waiting for?

Come celebrate my birthday with me in style!

With love and big birthday energy,
Juliana your rocketship captain 🚀