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What Advice Would You Give To Your Younger Self?


Mark L

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I think about this every now and then, and conclude that it's probably best that I can't give advice to my younger self. :lol: In general, the decisions I made then turned out fine and I wouldn't have done it any other way, but some of the results of my decisions took a long time to come to fruition, and my younger self was too impatient to have been able to deal with that notion properly. :lol:

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I try not to think about things like that. It's too depressing.

 

The fact is; most of us would like a second crack at our youth. The ones who wouldn't are damn liars. :D

 

Sure, I'd do a lot of things differently. But then, would the results have been better or worse. Something I'll never know.

 

There are so many roads to choose from. No way of knowing where they'll lead.

 

John :)

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The fact is; most of us would like a second crack at our youth. The ones who wouldn't are damn liars.
:D

 

I can honestly say I wouldn't, like I said above. But then, I never particularly thought youth was the greatest time of life. I was actually pretty happy to turn 30 when I did, and turning 40 didn't bother me either. I still do most of the same fun things now that I did when I was younger, only I'm not as broke, and I'm mostly dealing with other people who are likewise more mature and less freaked out about everything than we all were in our teens and 20s. So... I don't see what the problem is. :lol:

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The same advice I'm giving my kids on career choice. If you have a passion for something, you know you are reasonably good at it, it's not illegal immoral or unethical, pursue it with everything you've got. You know that saying about if you do what you love for your career you will never work a day in your life? I point that out to my kids on a regular basis.

 

I wish someone had told me this when I was in high school.

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1. Buy Apple stock.

2. Keep playing that guitar.

3. Stop drinking and using drugs as much.

4. Stop dating psycho chicks.

5. Don't start smoking.

6. Be more open to new/different musical styles.

7. Treat your friends and family like they won't be around forever.

8. When you have an opportunity to experience new things and new places, enjoy the hell out of them, because you might not get the chance again.

9. Wear sunscreen.

10. Do everything exactly as you're doing them, because things don't turn out too bad for you at all. :)

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I probably wouldn't listen to myself.

 

Really, I don't think I've made many choices RANDOMLY that I regretted. The things I regret are usually personality-based, so given another chance I'd probably make the same choices, even the bad ones.

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1. Buy Apple stock.

2. Keep playing that guitar.

3. Stop drinking and using drugs as much.

4. Stop dating psycho chicks.

5. Don't start smoking.

6. Be more open to new/different musical styles.

7. Treat your friends and family like they won't be around forever.

8. When you have an opportunity to experience new things and new places, enjoy the hell out of them, because you might not get the chance again.

9. Wear sunscreen.

10. Do everything exactly as you're doing them, because things don't turn out too bad for you at all.
:)

 

You stole my list!

 

I really stopped dating Psychochicks!!!! I married the last one I dated.

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As a working principle, assume you're wrong about exactly 50% on everything you think you know, but you have no idea exactly which particular things are in actuality wrong.

 

Therefore you won't assume you're right more often than not (which keeps you humble) but then you won't assume you're wrong more often than not (which keeps you going).

 

nat whilk ii

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Don't date or go anywhere near Energy Vampires

Don't loan money to Energy Vampires or very many other people

 

Good point. I needed to know that one. But at least the vampires I knew were somewhat interesting, and I ditched 'em before they did too much damage. Plus I've always eaten a lot of garlic. :D

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Good point. I needed to know that one. But at least the vampires I knew were somewhat interesting, and I ditched 'em before they did too much damage. Plus I've always eaten a lot of garlic.
:D

 

I was a dummy who couldn't say no and got sucked down into the world of the Energy Vampire. I definitely learned my lesson after one bad relationship, and haven't done it since. I really wish I could go back in time and nip that in the bud. One of my biggest regrets.

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Well, I think anyone who says they have no regrets are lying through their teeth for various reasons: 1. they either don`t think much 2. they just don`t want to feel that pain in the chest. We all know that feeling and it sucks.

 

The older I get, I realize that I always have a choice and any stress that I am feeling is my own response to a situation and nothing else. I would tell my younger self to spend more time on things that truly matter and learn to say "No" to more people and projects when you know/feel they are going to zap your energy.

 

Just this evening, my wife asked me if I would like to go into her school tomorrow and read a book to a class in her school. I instantly said "No, thanks". Even though I know this disappoints her and the "right" thing to do would be to go in and read to some kids, the truth is being around school kids stresses me out. I hated my years teaching and I don`t ever want to do that again so... I`ll spare myself and the kids.

 

So, if I had the chance to talk to my younger self, I would say tell myself...

 

"Be more open to life. Whenever you are making a choice in life, ask yourself if you`re making a decision from love or fear. Love opens us and fear closes us so... life is wonderful when we are open.

 

Those trips to Europe you can take during the summer while in college: TAKE THEM.

 

You have to feel strongly about something to make it happen, if your hearts not in it, its not going to happen."

 

 

There are a lot of things that have worked out for me. If you told me when I was 18 that I would still be doing the same thing I was doing then, I probably would not have believed it but looking back, music has always been part of my life and the blessings in my life have all stemmed from music. Thats amazing.

 

Sometimes I think about how my life could have been if I pursued a "normal" career... then I realize, there is no such thing as normal. We are all living our own unique lives, doing the best that we can do and at the end of the day, its about making life better for everyone, starting with ourselves, then family and friends, then community and outward.

 

Lifes a learning process. Sometimes I think I got it all figured out but then I remember being in my 20s when everything felt possible and I felt unstoppable... I try to tap into that energy level and I do at times but I remind myself... this all will pass.... the good, the bad. From dust, to dust. We become the ground our great grandchildren will walk on, just as we walk on our ancestors. Its a cycle and we`re all many parts in this larger than we can possibly imagine universe.

 

Enjoy the ride.

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Regrets, I've had (more than) a few...There are many, many things I would change, had I the opportunity to do so. I would then be a different man than I am today. Opportunities were missed. The Road Not Taken sometimes should have been, while other times, not. There is a certain sadness now that absorbs too much of my being. There is a boat that I have missed; an abyss that I have not.

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Well, I think anyone who says they have no regrets are lying through their teeth for various reasons: 1. they either don`t think much 2. they just don`t want to feel that pain in the chest. We all know that feeling and it sucks.

 

 

Or they may have actually thought it through a lot and gone through a lot of pain to conclude that they have no (or very few) regrets.

 

Don't presume to read other people's minds, let alone "anyone who says they have no regrets."

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Regrets, I've had (more than) a few...There are many, many things I would change, had I the opportunity to do so. I would then be a different man than I am today. Opportunities were missed. The Road Not Taken sometimes should have been, while other times, not. There is a certain sadness now that absorbs too much of my being. There is a boat that I have missed; an abyss that I have not.

 

 

Glad you`re taking this serious. We all have regrets, no sense in denying it.

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Or they may have actually thought it through a
lot
and gone through a
lot
of pain to conclude that they have no (or very few) regrets.


Don't presume to read other people's minds, let alone "
anyone
who says they have no regrets."

 

:lol: I knew you would respond to that specific statement. I know you by now.

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To use the word "regret" alludes to the idea that we can't use the lesson today. That somehow it's a closed case. I don't think in terms of regret as much as lessons learned. We're not dead here. :)

 

I, for one, and from personal experience can say, it feels GREAT to apply these lessons to my current life. I've finally figured out how to keep the machine running happy.

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