What would you tell your 16 year old self?

[Verge]

It is very serious, F*ck college lol. Unless its free or you wana be a doctor, lawyer, scientist or engineer...

Yeah, shooting to get into the merchant marine academy to study engineering.
I think it's great that it's free.

 

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[Ross Morgan]

Yeah if you want a job, sure, go to college. If you are using it for a Fastlane, that's even better. Just yeah, go for free. lol

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

Only take advice from people you want to become. Apply that rule to this thread as well as life.

 

[Chitown]

During that year and half where I took part in those meetings, i LITERALLY said ZERO words. A year and a half and I didn't open my mouth ONE single time.

@Filipe

I did something different but in the same vein.

My freshman year in high school...I did not audition for either of the 2 school plays that were being put on - and I wanted to be an actor! I knew for a fact I was one of the more talented guys in school but my confidence was in the toilet. The other dudes had more balls than I did.

If I were to impart any advice to my 16 year old self? Trust your intuition. There is something about being keyed into your "sixth sense". When you listen to it, you'll avoid most of the bad crap that life throws at you.

And I'm 45 years old, folks!

 

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[Kreedos Phoenix]

More of a mindset thing, but I would deliver this message to my 16 year old self with pure conviction:

There are 16 year olds in this world doing incredible, amazing things. There is absolutely NO reason you cant be one of them. You are unique...play to your differences.

 

[Verge]

More of a mindset thing, but I would deliver this message to my 16 year old self with pure conviction:

There are 16 year olds in this world doing incredible, amazing things. There is absolutely NO reason you cant be one of them. You are unique...play to your differences.

Thanks Mr. Phoenix!

 

[The-J]

Probably "don't date that girl, date this girl instead". Or maybe "stop playing video games and go exercise". Or maybe "use Every Day Direct Mail to advertise your computer fixing service outside of the neighborhood, because you're not making shit despite offering a better service than anyone else in a 30 mile radius".

My life has turned out pretty well, all things considered, and I have no big regrets. I'm still young though.

 

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[Aaron W]

To my 16 year old self and what ever alter universe he is currently in:

• Don't waste time playing MMO's
  
• Start a business and don't worry about loosing money
• Just do things, experience is so so important
• Girls are great but don't let them control your life and make you feel negative emotions
• Have fun you're young, life gets more serious and worrying as you grow up
  
• Good job on never doing drugs/smoking
• Don't worry about what others think of you
  
• Avoid mainstream beliefs with every intent
• Get rid of shitty friends, you know who they are
• Nice one on avoiding peer pressure, don't fall in to it
• Don't judge people, bitch about them or anything. It's a waste of time and ultimately doesn't change their being or yours
• Don't let a problem become a problem. It's the ego identifying the problem with 'you'
• Read more books, learn. But one at a time.
  
• Don't overwhelm yourself
  
• Don't worry about what your 'passion is'. Most people don't ever find out.
• School sucks, but its fun as well. Turn lesson time into business time some how.
  
• Use protection, it saves your life
  
• Go out side, even though it may be scary
• Appreciate your parents. Respect them
• Be open with your emotions, if your in a bad mood say 'hey... I'm in a bad mood, but I'm working on feeling good and should be fine in 10 minutes'. People appreciate this and it will make you feel peaceful
  
• Never throw a snowball at a 7ft Swiss black mans car, shit hurts when he slaps you.
• Use what you know as an advantage, you can't be good at everything (don't try and draw if you really do just suck at it...it's ok)
• Build trust with others, don't expect it
• Don't argue with people, let them be right. Argument's are a waste of time and resolve nothing
• Don't correct people, all your doing is destroying their self confidence / hurting their ego and they will unconsciously dislike you.
• Be social, talk to girls...it gets harder as you get older if you have no experience whilst young.
• Don't ever follow RSD or any pick up community. Everyone in it is F*cking weird and it throws off your natural being. There businesses making money - remember that.
• Don't watch too much porn or believe that's what girls like (I think the younger generation has bad expectations...I read that somewhere)
  
• Invest in Quality and not Quantity. Keep minimalistic.
• Remember to relax, don't be a work aholic. You will burn out.
• Don't get hyped up about people telling you how awesome it is to work their 9-5 job at their awesome company that gives out cookies and shit every day and has a slide
  
• Read the hell out of successful peoples threads here on FastLaneForum and understand their process/ask questions.
  
• Abuse your age: what do people like at your current age and what will they need when they're older and have credit cards/money?

Could go on for ever, but this is a good start for young Aaron.

 

[NonMagicalGenie]

Step outside your comfort zone and really put yourself out there. Because you never know what lies ahead after you make that first initial step.

Having memories full of taking risks and failing is much better then, not being adventurous and having a life full of "what ifs" and "could've beens".

 

[Ross Morgan]

not sure how I forgot this...

 

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[Verge]

To my 16 year old self and what ever alter universe he is currently in:

• Don't waste time playing MMO's
  
• Start a business and don't worry about loosing money
• Just do things, experience is so so important
• Girls are great but don't let them control your life and make you feel negative emotions
• Have fun you're young, life gets more serious and worrying as you grow up
  
• Good job on never doing drugs/smoking
• Don't worry about what others think of you
  
• Avoid mainstream beliefs with every intent
• Get rid of shitty friends, you know who they are
• Nice one on avoiding peer pressure, don't fall in to it
• Don't judge people, bitch about them or anything. It's a waste of time and ultimately doesn't change their being or yours
• Don't let a problem become a problem. It's the ego identifying the problem with 'you'
• Read more books, learn. But one at a time.
  
• Don't overwhelm yourself
  
• Don't worry about what your 'passion is'. Most people don't ever find out.
• School sucks, but its fun as well. Turn lesson time into business time some how.
  
• Use protection, it saves your life
  
• Go out side, even though it may be scary
• Appreciate your parents. Respect them
• Be open with your emotions, if your in a bad mood say 'hey... I'm in a bad mood, but I'm working on feeling good and should be fine in 10 minutes'. People appreciate this and it will make you feel peaceful
  
• Never throw a snowball at a 7ft Swiss black mans car, shit hurts when he slaps you.
• Use what you know as an advantage, you can't be good at everything (don't try and draw if you really do just suck at it...it's ok)
• Build trust with others, don't expect it
• Don't argue with people, let them be right. Argument's are a waste of time and resolve nothing
• Don't correct people, all your doing is destroying their self confidence / hurting their ego and they will unconsciously dislike you.
• Be social, talk to girls...it gets harder as you get older if you have no experience whilst young.
• Don't ever follow RSD or any pick up community. Everyone in it is F*cking weird and it throws off your natural being. There businesses making money - remember that.
• Don't watch too much porn or believe that's what girls like (I think the younger generation has bad expectations...I read that somewhere)
  
• Invest in Quality and not Quantity. Keep minimalistic.
• Remember to relax, don't be a work aholic. You will burn out.
• Don't get hyped up about people telling you how awesome it is to work their 9-5 job at their awesome company that gives out cookies and shit every day and has a slide
  
• Read the hell out of successful peoples threads here on FastLaneForum and understand their process/ask questions.
  
• Abuse your age: what do people like at your current age and what will they need when they're older and have credit cards/money?

Could go on for ever, but this is a good start for young Aaron.

Awesome response, thank you. I can apply most of these to myself except for drugs, used to be the only pass time. But I definitely can apply some of these. Thanks man!

 

[Madhu]

1. University isn't all that's it cracked up to be.
When I was young I was convinced that getting a good education was the key to success. I worked hard, graduated with a first class degree and then.... nothing happened. I really should have spent all that time studying to explore life and find out more about the world.

2. Find someone who is where you want to be and learn from them.
All my life plans at 16 were based on what I thought was best. I grew up in a very rural area, so never had anyone else to copy from. Learning from someone else would have made things easier!!

3. Don't settle for trading hours for dollars.
When I was 16 my goals, were to get a good a good education and then to get a good job. I thought if I did this, my life would be made and I would have a secured a good future. Now, I know there is no such thing as a good job, as you can easily be made redundant or obsolete at any time no matter how hard you work.
The key to success is to control your destiny by making a business that works for you instead of the other way around.

4. Busy doesn't equal work
Most the people I grew up with took great pride in being busy. They were so virtuous because they never had time for holidays or even to relax. They were sacrificing everything to be successful.

I can now see that busy people are often have no real plans for their life and so keeping busy so they don't have to think about it. Their sacrifices are meaningless because they will always be busy.
It took me 15 years to learn that there is a difference between being busy and working.

 

[BellaPippin]

I would probably send myself a link to this forum/TMF , the books that made an impact on my life that I didn't discover until like 22... one of my biggest regrets is that I was living a very laid back and happy life but if I had had this ambitions I have now I could have used all that time more productively rather than play so many videogames x___x

Now to give you something useful I'd say... train yourself to NOT just absorb what the majority tells you "is normal" "is realistic" "is possible". If your gut and reason tells you there's a chance and there are people doing it right now... you are no less capable.

 

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[Dwight Schrute]

"Hey Dwight!

You're spending too much time inside your head. Leave the inner world more often and put your stamp onto the outer world.

Read more! Less internet, more books.

Don't try to fit in.

Don't try to be one of the cool guys, and whatever they say to you, make sure you give them a polite response.
Some of them will wash your car and deliver your newspaper in the future.

All the best,

Future Dwight"

 

[IGP]

Buy Apple Stock!

 

[Ubermensch]

You were in college at 16? lol

Yup.

Dropped out junior year.

Never went back.

And I've had multiple paydays much larger than any of my professor's salaries.

College is great... if you want to learn how to be a Robot Matrix Agent. HAHA

I think that officially makes me "too cool for school," as the kids these days say.

 

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[Guest24480]

Contrary to popular consensus: Go to college for the experience. Get a job for the experience. Experience life. Put yourself in the shoes of the everyday slowlaner. Look for problems along the way. Don't try to make it to the major leagues before you even throw a pitch.

 

[Newpollz]

I would tell myself:

1. Get to know yourself. Seek truth, not purpose (through experience, travel, relationships, spirituality)

2. Don't do to others what you don't want done to you.

3. Nothing is the way it appears to be.

4. Don't try to be someone you are not. It will destroy your soul. Just because everyone around you is getting married, applying for a job, having children, that doesn't mean that you have to. Don't identify with something you are not. Don't believe your own lies. You are not a "husband", a "boyfriend", a "musician", an "artist", an "entrepreneur".... You are YOU!

5. Whenever someone asks you a question or for your opinion, take at least a 2 second breath before answering. No matter how passionate or knowledgeable you are on the subject.

6. Don't ever desire to be a slave to somebody or to something. Protect your freedom at all costs.

7. Don't look for a purpose, you don't need to have any. Just live life and pay attention to everything and everyone around you, it should keep you ''busy'' enough for a lifetime.

8 Listen to your soul. A lot of things that our sick society considers normal (such as stress, greed, blind confidence, war) are not normal and never should be.

9. If you eat crap, you will feel like crap. Treat your body well otherwise it will get its revenge sooner or later in the same fashion that your family will turn on you (if you are bad for them). Treat your body like family.

10. True slavery is not only allowing someone to control your job, marriage, wealth but allowing someone to control how you feel from the inside (your emotions, your beliefs, your goals, your values).

 

[NewJamesBond]

I would say something like, "Relax... Your alive. Enjoy yourself. You are healthy. Don't stress about your writing / work."

 

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[mowealth]

I've followed some of these even before I turned 16 and have added a few I wish I knew back then.

1. Be keen to learn something new everyday.
2. Take risks, fail often. So what if you failed, boo-hoo!
3. Read personal development books! Loads of them.
4. People who tell you that you can't do something simply mean that 'they' can't do it. (So don't listen to everything)
5. Be careful who you hang around, you are a reflection of them.
6. Remember to have fun, learn to laugh at yourself.
7. Workout, play sports, your health is your wealth.
8. If there is something that frightens you, make sure you do it often.
9. Talk to people, build connections.
10. Whatever (positive) thing you do, be the best at it.
11. Stay away from negative people who drain your energy.
12. Life has no remote, get up and change it yourself.

 

[finances5]

Don't spend too much time playing video games. Unless you'd truly get to benefit from it somewhere down the road.

 

[benhebert]

I'm writing a blog post about this now, but the key to this game is longevity.

Simply outlasting everyone else and persevering through upswings, downswings, trends and whatever else.

 

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[Eldi4n]

i'd say to my former self: stop whining around smoking, playing poker and driving.
Pick up some good books on personal growth, chose your friends wisely, stay tuned on new technologies and be F*ckin curious, on everything. In one word: CHANGE

Change your mindset, your habits, improve your personality and work on bad points, break your bubble.

 

[Chitown]

Never throw a snowball at a 7ft Swiss black mans car, shit hurts when he slaps you.

@Aaron W,

LOL!!!! I didn't know there were 7 ft. tall black men with Swiss accents!

Great list!

 

[Aaron W]

@Aaron W,

LOL!!!! I didn't know there were 7 ft. tall black men with Swiss accents!

Great list!

Yeah what a day hahah... long story short

1. Friend threw a snowball at his car
   
2. We ran into a building site in the snow, at night
   
3. Friend lost his shoe
4. I apologized to the guy
5. Got slapped hard
6. Friend proceeds to laugh right there and then while I hold my face and get yelled at in swiss-french.

 

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[luniac]

id say -> TRUST ME SCREW EVERYTHING START TODAY ASAP NOW PLEASEEEE I BEG U!!!!!

 

[94blackbird]

I would tell myself not to blow every red cent that came my way. Had I found my financial sense a little earlier I would have had at least 50k sitting in an account somewhere and a lot nicer truck than I do now.

But on the other hand I made all my stupid expensive mistakes while I could afford to make them. So there is that.

 

[LeftBench]

I'd tell myself not to be so afraid of failure and not to care what others think. I'd also tell myself not to be afraid to talk to my father about things, he's much more supportive than I realized.

 

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[finances5]

I'm writing a blog post about this now, but the key to this game is longevity.

Simply outlasting everyone else and persevering through upswings, downswings, trends and whatever else.

There's a good example. You're putting it to good use.

 

[Okraz1]

1.Punch them F*ckers in the face