I hadn't thought of those things as traditions but through the years they have become just that.

我之前没有把那些东西看作是传统，但经年累月，它们确实成了传统。

youdao

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me — about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want.

当我还年轻的时候，我认为生活就该绕着我转：我如何在这世上得心应手，成功立业，得到我想要的。

youdao

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me -how do I make my way in the world, and how do I become successful and how do I get the things that I want.

我年轻的时候，我想到的生活就是关于我——我如何为自己在世界闯出一条路来，我如何取得成功，以及我如何获得我所要的东西。

youdao

If you think about it, this is another way of saying that for ourselves we should give thought to our choices by putting first things first, and not letting second things become first things.

FORBES: Is There Really a Tradeoff Between Meaning and Money?