What would you tell your 20-30 year old self?

[Scott]

If you could go back in time and talk to your 20-30 year old self, what would you tell yourself?

Buckle up tight, keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, because it's going to be a hell of a ride.

 

[drbill]

I'm guessing my twenty-something self wouldn't listen anyway so it wouldn't matter. In the exceptional words of mythologist Joseph Campbell "Follow your bliss." I've done that most of my life but worked too hard at it at times.

 

[Rhone Man]

Be kinder to your parents. As much as they irritate you now, you will miss them like crazy when they are gone.

But as Dr Bill said: I doubt 20 year old me would have listened anyhow... he was a bit of a dick.

 

[drbill]

Good point. I had issues mainly with my father over our differences in politics and career choices (he wanted me to be a highly successful businessman.. or president). I'm so very glad that towards the end of their lives, I was able to get close again and reconcile our differences. I also learned from that experience and do not try to direct my son's life (he got the business gene, so it must have skipped a generation).

Be kinder to your parents. As much as they irritate you now, you will miss them like crazy when they are gone.

But as Dr Bill said: I doubt 20 year old me would have listened anyhow... he was a bit of a dick.

 

[WeRtheOcean]

Stop confessing what you're "supposed" to believe, and just embrace what you actually believe. Because you're not going to change your mind by saying it enough times.

 

[TMHeimer]

Invest your first real paycheques in Mutual Funds at age 23, not 31. When able, then borrow money using the funds as collateral and invest the loan $ into more mutual funds (of course, deduct the loan payments as it's an investment loan). Retire even before age 42 and become a DM to make a little $ that you don't need. My 23 year old self WOULD listen to me. I was just as "frugal" then, just wasn't investment savvy.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hindsight's 20/20. You can't worry about history because you can't change it, learn from it.
Just do the best you can. Never allow yourself to get bored. Inaction and procrastination are your worst enemy.
Don't sweat the small stuff.

The short answer: Everything happens when it happens. If I was able to go back and tell myself something it could have disastrous results on the future. I could have missed out on something glorious that happened and my life could be a lot worse as a result.

If you think your life is bad or could be better because of a bunch of bad decisions in the past then what makes you think you wouldn't tell yourself something just as idiotic now?

 

[chillyinCanada]

While I agree with Eric, it would have been nice if my 30 year old self had have listened to "take better care of your body, it's going to be put through some bad stuff. You're going to need to have strength".

 

[Littlerayray]

I would tell my 20 something self to find the woman I am with now she is the love of my life and we have been seeing each other for over a year now and have never been happier we keep saying to each other where were you 12 years ago

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Take a lot of pictures... it is only downhill from here. Oh yeah, and don't sell Apple just because they fired Jobs!