Ask HN: What has the past 12 months taught you?

There is a vast, vast ocean of programming jobs beyond google and Facebook, and a huge number of those people could never even land an interview at google / Facebook. Don’t give up simply because you aren’t in the top X%

> Changed the job , stuck into since 5 Years. Learning => Make your decisions faster , dont overthink.

> Became a father of a daughter. Learning => Be happy and spend little more time with family , value time and spending time effectively.

> Bought a home with so much of efforts. Money is hard to earn, dont waste it for anything, and important if you are losing money , dont regret for it.

You can put more effort in and potentially make more money. You can not make more time, no matter how hard you try. You can pay someone to do something to free up a portion of your time, which you can then use as you see fit.

You need to prioritize how you spend your time. This is not a one-time exercise. It's an ongoing process.

You look at the things that you do in a given day, week, month, and year. You see how they benefit you, your family, friends, community, and society. You weigh that against your goals and happiness. You make little adjustments to how you spend your time.

Concreted example: I like gardening. Not any gardening, but growing heirloom tomatoes in particular. They are a finicky bunch and are often not the easy-to-grow varieties. This is OK. I fail a lot. I need to dedicate more time to this in order to succeed. People tell me to not try growing from seeds, but get some seedlings and start from there. That would not satisfy me. Unfortunately, I have other things that I value greatly so I decided that after this season, I will put growing tomatoes on hold. I'll get back to it once some of my current priorities pass and I have more time.

Over time, your life will begin to look more and more in tune with your goals and expectations, and you will be a happier person.

Fill in your own details and don't try to copy off of others. Everyone is different. And don't try to grow heirloom tomatoes with kids, a full time job, a side business, and an active social life--the day is too short for all of that.

I can recall an emotion from childhood. It's an uncontrollable burst of happiness, positive energy, anticipation, and gittiness, all rolled into one. It's that feeling you got when a friend called you up and told you they just got that one toy that you guys have been fawning over for months. You ask your mom if you can go, and she says yes. You quickly get dressed and try to walk quickly to your friend's house. You find yourself running unconsciously. You're bursting with anticipation and joy. Your mind is doing laps and your body can't keep up.

I haven't had that feeling in a long long time.

Then, my kids were born. As they grow up, I see them experiencing the types of joy and happiness as I have described above. I see them laugh uncontrollably. I see them explode with joy over the smallest of positive surprises. I see how they discover the world and experience new pleasant experiences. I see their emotions when they unbox a birthday gift. I literally feel a portion of it. It's incredible!

That feeling is back.

Is it sunlight, perchance?