38 Comments

While this is beautiful, the advice you didn’t give that I really want from you is your skincare routine as I thought you were a decade younger.

Happy birthday, Justin. I’m so glad to know you x

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I was going to say I look 100 in real life but you actually know me in real life so I’ve no idea where to go with that particular branch of self-deprecation. Instead, I’ll say thank you for your kind words! x

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Hate when real-life facts get in the way of online jokes x

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Happy birthday!!! 49? You look 35! (Not that it matters!)

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Haha thank you! I feel 187 unfortunately.

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Happy birthday Justin. I turned 49 in November and it's really interesting to read your thoughts on this. You've articulated how I feel but couldn't put into words myself. I read your comment further up about your 40s being a bin fire and at first I thought oh no mine have been fine (I earn more money and am more settled & less conflicted than my 30s) but on reflection, yup it's been a bin fire. I think 40s can be actually pretty challenging. Anyway have a lovely Christmas and thank you for all your writing which I enjoy so much. 😀😀

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Thank you, Iona. I’m so glad to hear you enjoy my writing. This hasn’t been a great decade but maybe it would all have felt worse had I been in my 30s? I guess we’ll never know. Have a great Christmas. ❤️

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This is a wonderful episode, Justin, and you're wonderful, too. Happy birthday!

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Thank you so much, Benjamin! x

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Love this Justin. I'm 39 tomorrow and I'm going to make sure I take a good photo of my hair. Happy Birthday - I hope you've had a lovely day. X

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Thank you Katie! And happy birthday! x

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Happy birthday

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Thank you!

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“And wouldn’t guiding a past version of you in an opposite direction lead them away from who you are now?” This sentence 🙌🏻 Happy Birthday to You!

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Thank you!

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Happy birthday! I loved the structure of this bit of writing too, what a lovely read x

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Thank you!

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I read somewhere recently that instead of offering advice to our younger selves we should instead ask ourselves what our younger selves would do – carefree and unnumbered by baggage as they were. Loved this piece, even if it’s made me realise I’ve had the same hair style for 25 years.

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Haha good idea.

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*unencumbered!

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Happy Birthday!

Your hair always looks nice. Admittedly I never saw it in the noughties. x

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It was a garbage fire. Thank you!

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Happy birthday Justin! I hope you have a lovely day, whatever your plans are :) Btw I quite agree with you regarding advice to our younger selves - I get the idea behind it but it also doesn’t make much sense to me as an exercise, for at least some of the reasons you’ve outlined!

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Thank you! And, yes, why not give some advice to your future self instead.

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Happy Birthday, Justin! One of the best gifts I've given myself is getting to know you.

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That’s sweet of you to say, thank you.

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Happy birthday to you. Brilliant post! X

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Thank you!

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Happy birthday Justin! You’re doing great! I remember you writing about being 39 and dreading being 40. It hasn’t been so bad after all has it? I’ve enjoyed all your books since then. It’s all worked out pretty well eh? And Happy Christmas 😀x

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Tbh my forties have been a bin fire. But I think that’s just a coincidence and not age-related. Thank you for reading!

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Happy birthday, Justin!

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Thank you!

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Happy birthday Justin! Love this idea and I’m now lying in bed documenting my past hair styles in 7 year increments

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Haha thank you! Our hair styles are a DIARY.

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