I'm in my very early 20s and can be considered a youngling.
I'm wondering what's the biggest "If I only knew that when I was younger" revelations are.
What's the most important things you have discovered through life?
2007-12-23 17:55:46 · 32 answers · asked by Moo 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Senior Citizens
You have already gotten a great deal of excellent advice - except, perhaps, to party on nonstop. have fun, yeah, but set limits.
My main advice now is to "pay attention." It's so easy to become indifferent to events around you, or too focused. At your age I was well into an early career in journalism and had the occasion to go to many fascinating places and situations - or to meet with fascinating people. Recently I've had occasion to write about some of those experiences, and realize that had I paid more complete attention, not only would the later stories have been better, but I would have enjoyed the experiece more fully and learned so much more.
So ... open up, look around, keep your eyes and ears open, and follow your nose as you do!
Have a GREAT time!
2007-12-24 02:33:47 · answer #1 · answered by Der Lange 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'll give you a couple
1 Learn to save some money and invest toward retirement Social Security or whatever they call it over there is for the birds. We had a four point eight increase in the cost of living and SS gives us a two point eight percent COL increase when we are already well below poverty level.
2 Take care of your body! You are not indestructible. The really heavy lifting and carrying where you really have to strain to manage it and almost don't get it done takes a toll that you don't see until it's too late (it's accumulative)
3 Take your time looking for love... Find the "right one" THEN marry and work at making the marriage last. There will be rough spots (there always are) but when you work your way through them together you will look back on them and realize that some of the toughest were also some of the best because you pulled together and grew closer through the experience.
4 Is two for the price of one... My grandmother passed these pearls of wisdom to my wife (of 43 years) and me just one month after we were married... A. Never carry your fight into the bedroom... B. Never let the sun go down on your anger (make up before going to sleep that night).
The first two of these were learned, in my case, too late in life to do anything about them. The third has been learned by a lifetime of observance. The fourth has proved to be the best advice we ever received and has been one of the main things that has helped our marriage to last as long as it has.
As for the "If only I knew that when I was younger" part of your question... I have to say (and I'm stating absolute gospel truth here) If only I'd known that accepting Jesus call on my life and serving him was going to be so much JOY... I would definitely have started much sooner and had SO much more time to enjoy serving Him.
What it says in my Bio about adventure is absolutely true... I truly LOVE what I do and every day IS a new adventure!!!
May God bless you with interesting days... All the days of your life.
2007-12-23 19:07:47 · answer #2 · answered by Chaplain John 4 · 7⤊ 0⤋
It's a big world just for you out there -- enjoy it
to do so:
Get an education
put your best honest effort into everything you do
neither a borrower or lender be (credit cards are poison)
An honest day work for an honest days pay
start putting away acorns for unexpected bad weather/retirement
Marry the right person and don't be indebted to start a marriage (if emotionally/physically possible -- be celibate until wed).
don't take yourself or others too seriously, God meant us to enjoy life -- the sooner you get on a one-to-one basis with him, the sooner he'll show you how to enjoy it.
(my humble64 yr old, 42 yr married opinion -- and egads had I only practiced what I've just said -- it would have been some much simpler))
2007-12-24 12:00:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have already had some great advice and a few sermons. I'll keep this short.
Take good care of your health and your teeth.
Don't marry and start a family to young.
Save and invest for the future and don't touch it for anything!
Stay away from drugs and keep the alcohol consumption to a minimum.
Work in a job you love. Don't settle for just making a living.
Be curious about the world around you.
Get involved with issues you care about.
Vote.
Make yourself, your family, and your friends happy. In that order.
Get the best education you can, in the field you love.
2007-12-24 06:23:29 · answer #4 · answered by curious connie 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Save for your future!!!!! Your family and friends may not be there for you. Stay out of debt. Friends will come and go. If you get the chance to buy a home, try to get it paid off, before you retire. As a last resort, you can sell it and live off the proceeds from the sale. Do not strive for materialistic things. It is only money wasted. There is no job security, so don't expect it to get you by.
2007-12-24 08:08:58 · answer #5 · answered by Moe 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I really like Baba Yaga's inclusion of "this too shall pass", believe me that phrase has reassured me COUNTLESS times in my life when things weren't going so great.
Although I'm around your age, I'm considered "mature" for my age so I can help you out a bit. Don't get into superficial crap, don't party and drink everyday. Have fun but know when to make time for you too. Don't make everything about friends and social circles.
Watch some good television shows. Court TV, documentaries, animal planet, the history channel, save some time for maybe one or two "fun" shows but don't watch all the E! and Hollywood MTV Celebrity crap. They don't deserve your time of day there's enough idiots who waste their lives on that stuff.
You can make it alone! Seriously, people place emphasis on finding somebody, and let's face it no one wants to be alone, but don't make a girlfriend/boyfriend a priority in life. Be open to love, but don't be obsessed with love.
Don't get a woman pregnant (if your a guy) or don't get pregnant (if you are a woman). Seriously. Wait until you are married and secure. Single moms can make it but the kids have it so much tougher believe me. (From experience within my own family).
Treat people who work in customer service (cashiers, fast food chains, waiters/waitresses, janitors, mechanics) with respect. They work hard for their money (most of them) and often they have a lot more wisdom and insight than someone who is a silver spooned corporate executive or lawyer. Money and paycheck ISN'T everything.
Have "you" days. Even at least one day out of the week give yourself a day off and relax and do what you want. Too many people working overtime seven days a week and they have no life and are unhappy and miserable. Don't let a job or profession consume you either.
Make room for spirituality. However you may find it, so long as its healthy (and not fanatical), have some form of spirituality in your life. Its good for your spirit and soul.
2007-12-23 20:29:32 · answer #6 · answered by Dusk 6 · 8⤊ 1⤋
Get the very best education you possibly can because it is the only way to get a decent job anymore.
Don't try to keep up with the ''Jones's"
Use protection.
Don't be in a hurry to get married. When you do marry try your best to make sure that you can be happy together because divorce reeks emotiona and financial havoc.
Drink responsibly.
Stay away from drugs. Except maybe for weed and then be careful.
2007-12-24 01:41:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
3 things:
Don't rush into a relationship with anyone. You have lots of time.
Save your money, and don't use credit cards - stay out of debt.
If I could re-live my life, I would understand where my Mom was heading (from migranes to Alzheimers), and I would have been a LOT nicer to her. I wasn't bad, but I was scarce as a young adult. Now I wish I'd humored her where we disagreed, and that I had been a better friend. I love her SO much now, but she can't do things with me any more. (I'm 59)
2007-12-25 05:57:45 · answer #8 · answered by Margaret C 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Follow your first instinct. Anything after that is going to get you into trouble. If your first instinct (gut feeling) tells you NOT to do something or NOT to go somewhere, then DON'T! It's designed to protect you from danger. Some call it the Guardian Angel who watches over us. Others call it your conscience or 6th sense.
Whatever you choose to call it is up to you...just don't ignore it! That is about all I can give ya that has meaning. I learned it the hard way...by harsh experience. I'm utterly amazed at your happy milky face!
2007-12-23 19:41:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
SAVE SAVE SAVE....at 20 that was the least of my concerns, but as I have gotten older I have realized how important it is. Take 20% of your pay and put it in savings...each time you get a raise, take a percentage of that raise and put it in savings. When you receive monetary gifts, take 50% and put it in savings!
When you reach our ages, you will be ever so thankful for that nest egg as you will be on fixed income yet will still have the same expenses every one else does and will need that money.
2007-12-24 02:09:53 · answer #10 · answered by sage seeker 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋