I was never a fan of regrets in life, and never had any—until I got older and somewhat wiser. Surely, if you don’t have any regrets, chances are you haven’t made any major mistakes yet, or you’re living inside a box. Regrets do seem to come with life experience. Indeed, if I had the opportunity to do it over again, there would be several things I would change, primarily in my head.
I gained a great deal of wisdom by reading about other people’s experiences. And so, here are twenty tips I’d give to my younger self if I could.
- Education matters. Regardless of what anyone says, if you choose not to invest in an education both financially and time-wise, you’re limiting yourself in several ways to a lower income and fewer opportunities. Why wouldn’t you want to increase your chances of freedom and better life experiences?
- Refrain from ruminating on other people’s actions and behaviours; concentrate on your own instead. Be the person you admire and work on your own skills, mental attitude, and abilities.
- Train your mind to focus on the good around you instead of the bad. The sooner you do this, the quicker it becomes a habit and orients your neural pathways.
- Give your parents and those around you the best gift of all: your independence, and pay your own way in life. Take responsibility for your health and well-being while you’re at it. Get a part-time job, exercise, and learn to cook and eat healthy.
- Instead of wasting time and energy trying to decipher what other people think of you, focus on being your best self. You cannot know how people perceive you, and it’s not your job to figure it out anyway.
- Treat everyone of all walks of life the same way you’d treat a family member or good friend—with respect and compassion. You never know what anyone else has been through or how they may positively affect you in the future.
- Spend time exploring your values. Revise your values regularly. Also explore what you value in others and what you will not compromise on—this will save a lot of heartache and frustration later when choosing who to spend your time with.
- Do not betray your own values and morals to fit in with anyone. Doing so destroys your peace of mind and self respect.
- Practice using your intuition, or heart, to make choices and decisions. Your intuition rarely lies; by contrast, your emotions are like the weather—ever-changing and unpredictable.
- Distance yourself from toxic people and situations. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll attract healthy relationships and circumstances.
- When terrible things happen, consider the inherent illusion of time. Nothing lasts forever and tough times eventually pass. Seek help if needed.
- Don’t always trust what your eyes tell you. What looks beautiful and attractive on the outside can be covering up an ugly, or worse, hollow core. Surround yourself with people that have inner beauty; they’re the people who will help you succeed and add value to your life.
- Accept that sometimes we must do what we don’t really want or feel like doing, from unpleasant jobs to tough school assignments. Disciplining yourself to do the best you can delivers you faster to what you want and builds character and determination along the way.
- Avoid the trap of complaining and blaming others for your lot in life. It’s a vicious cycle that leads nowhere. Focus on your blessings and take responsibility for what you can change instead.
- Remain open to other’s point of view—read, travel and communicate with as many people as possible. It’s the best form of education and understanding how the world works.
- Take time for yourself and to spend by yourself, whether it’s being out in nature or working on a hobby. Time alone heals many wounds.
- Never take family or friends for granted. Show your appreciation of them. They can be gone in an instant.
- Spend more time cultivating your talents, skills, and knowledge and less time killing time.
- Enjoy all your senses to the fullest—touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight. Ultimately, we lose our taste buds and vision deteriorates, among other distressing aging symptoms.
- Give and receive freely—of your time, money, and talents. A healthy and happy life was not meant to be lived on a budget. You’ll be amazed at what you receive in return.
