ROBIN UTRECHT/Startraksphoto.comWe'll have what he's having.
It's safe to say that George Clooney knows what he's doing by now. And that can refer to most anything: acting, directing, traveling, activism, living the life and, now that he's a married man, romance.
The Oscar winner is celebrating his 55th birthday today, so what better time to mine a little of that salt-and-pepper wisdom he's acquired over the years for the rest of the world?
So in honor of our favorite Nespresso pitchman, here are nine life lessons the man himself has taught over the years:
On relationships...
Give in to love: In 2000's O Brother Where Art Thou? Clooney's Golden Globe-winning portrayal of escaped convict Everett warns against trying to make sense of falling in love:"It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart." Fast-forward 14 years later, the presumptive lifelong bachelor finally went for it again, tying the knot with esteemed human rights attorney Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin).
Choose your battles wisely: While we're on the topic of Amal, let's hear the birthday boy's sound advice on conflict management. "The only way we resolve anything is by arm wrestling," he joked with The Late Show's Stephen Colbert. "That is my only chance of winning anything with her because if it's an intellectual battle, I would lose. She's the smart one in the family."
Don't kiss and tell: When it comes to Clooney, the hottest conversation topic, second only to his legendary escapades, is his love life. Rarely one to disclose steamy details from ghosts of girlfriends past, it's George's penchant for privacy that makes him even more admirable. "I don't talk about [relationships] because I don't think about it," he told Esquire in 2011. "I don't ever question other peoples' versions of how they live their lives or what they do."
On career...
Keep it all in perspective: Clooney is no stranger to failure. Of the 120 award nominations George has received over the years, he's gone home a loser 53 times. (Hmm, that actually still seems like a lot of wins...) While accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 2015 Golden Globes, the Tomorrowland star touched on the art of gracefully losing (and brought the room's biggest egos straight back to reality). "If you are in this room, you have caught the brass ring. You get to do what you've always dreamed to do and be celebrated for it. And that ain't losing," he explained. Can't argue with that one, George.
Fake it 'till you make it: "I learned early on as an actor that confidence can be faked and it's not always a terrible thing to do. A lot of times if people feel you're confident then they're confident," Clooney shared in a 2012 interview with Omega's Lifetime magazine. Though it's hard to believe this silver fox ever dealt with insecurity issues, Clooney's honest admission makes it almost OK for all of us to keep pretending like we know exactly what we're doing. If Clooney made it work for him, you can too.
Listen up: "You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak," the eloquent actor has been quoted as saying. To put it simply, keep your mouth closed and your ears open. There's a lot to be learned from observation.
On aging...
Embrace it: Clooney has spoken candidly about his aversion towards anti-aging techniques like plastic surgery and hair dye, telling BBC's Radio 4, "You have a couple of options, which is get older or die... You just have to try to look the best you can at the age you are and not worry about it." Though easy for George to say, have you seen this guy lately?!
Go back to the basics: When the filmmaker hit the widely dreaded 5-0, Clooney revealed to Parade that he wasn't afraid to scale back. "I find that as you get older, you start to simplify things in general. By the time you get a subscription to AARP, which I just got, you have some idea of who your friends are, at least," he mused. And Clooney's company ain't too shabby—his new-age Rat Pack includes Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock, to name a few.
Find new passions: "The truth is, your development, you hope, is the same as everyone—succeed some, fail some and keep slugging away at it. It is fun; I really enjoy it. I like directing more than acting now," Clooney told The Christian Post in 2014. George flipping the script on his career aspirations is a testament to the notion that it's never too late to explore your interests.
Overall, everyone could learn a thing or two from Mr. George Clooney.
Happiest of birthday to the unofficial spokesman/statesman/reigning-hunk of Hollywood. May we continue to run into him frequently in theaters.