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What would you tell your 18 or 25 year old self?

Pete799p

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1. Stop being afraid. Every time you find yourself scared you need to reflect on the real reason, whether or not it is actually warranted, and figure out how to conqueror it. In fact you should write down right now what your biggest fear is and get started changing that. Mine was heights, which I have struggled with since I was a small child. Consequently I decided one day I was going to start rock climbing and I can say that it is now one of my favorite activities, I go almost every week. Do I still get freaked every once in a while, yes, but I have become much better at controlling it, and pushing through it. This has had a profound impact on my life overall.

2. Do not move somewhere you hate for any reason. There is no amount of money that can give me back the last 3 years of my life.

3. Anytime somebody who is not living the life you want gives you advice you should probably do the opposite, especially if they are in the 99%.

4. Believe in yourself. There is nothing that you cannot do if you believe. The worst thing is you get a great education upon failure. I had a mentor who lost it all in the real estate meltdown and had to declare bankruptcy. He dusted himself off and started a new rebuilding the empire piece by piece. Last I saw him he pulled up in a new Maserati. You can take away the money but never the knowledge.

5. If you are not in shape you need to start now, it's only going to get harder.
 
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Locupleto

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For you 25 yr old+ guys out there, if you could go back in time, and tell your 25 year old self something, what would you say?
1. Don't take yourself so seriously.
2. "Failure is the sweat of success." Oh man. I wish I had that golden nugget back then. So afraid to make even the smallest mistake I talked myself out of doing anything for years.
3. Don't bother with law school. Forget about being a lawyer who works 20 hours a day for $160k a year. Instead, create a business and HIRE lawyers that work 20 hours a day for $160k a year...
 

smarty

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- don't let anything/anyone make your self image a negative one. you are the enthusiast kid who used to run and fill the house with joy.
- you do everything perfect if you just push yourself a little bit more than you used to. don't let fear or bad expectations get in your way.
- presuppose the best out of every situation and act accordingly.
- be more kind and social, talk to everyone, don't let ego take you over.
- you are welcome always and everywhere.
- you give value to every conversation and person but you value your time.
- have a hell of a lot more fun, enjoy yourself, do whatever the F*ck you wanna do and stop caring what anyone will think of you. their opinion on you is totally irrelevant and they will forget you within the next 60 seconds anyway.
 
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Era

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You already have everything you've always wanted
Live in the moment
Imperfection is okay.
The best thing you've ever did was all those risks you took.
Become very comfortable with being uncomfortable.
There is no need to second guess.
When there is no road, make one.
 
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million$$$smile

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Stop the madness.

LIVE FOR YOURSELF.

Not others.

Learn to be comfortable in your own skin.

Period.

End of Story.

Because it IS the end of your story.

Do not allow, anyone, or any pre-programmed mind influences control the rest of your life.

Stop and think. Just take time and.........THINK.

No media. No Social. Not even a forum.....

Just think. Pause

And think again.

Create AUTHENTIC value in yourself first.

Foremost.

So that you can bring authentic value to the world.

Stop competing for respect from others, be it father or mother or peers or whatever you think is expected of you.

What do YOU want?

Define it. Focus on that.

Learn to be your real self.

And then... Share it with the world.

We are waiting.
 

SteveO

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Live life with zest.
Do what you enjoy.
You create your life and your reality. Be happy with it.
Listen to your instincts.
Nobody else is the cause of your problems.
Experience all that you want from life.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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"Son, I gave the best years of my life to some bugger else. Don't make the same mistake."

Wow. Eye-opening. Too bad many slowlaners will sell the best years of their life in hopes to still be alive for the worse years.
 

lovecharm

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For you 25 yr old+ guys out there, if you could go back in time, and tell your 25 year old self something, what would you say?

This is from my own experience, I really wished I did these when I was 25, mind you at 25 I had several businesses running, so some of the things that I will write might just be way too advance for some people, but hey its not a crime to dream or think BIG, so why not:-

- Think BIG.
- You can grow big, age and experience is not that important, main thing is you GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION to become big and going after it.
- You HAVE TO hire people if you need to grow. You can't do everything by yourself.
- DIVIDE your money in 3 parts, 1 part stays for your spending, 1 part in short term investments (risky), 1 part in long term investments. Don't get stuck on earning money quick, look at all the successful people in the world, they all earned theirs over a period of time, not in 30 days or 90 days!
- Don't think too much about MATERIALS eg fast cars, partying in high end clubs, designer clothes, luxury holiday etc. You are not in that level yet unless you got a million dollar sitting in your bank account or you are worth over a million.
- Realise if you got lucky or not. Some times the first venture that you will start might become a big hit. So you will start to think that whatever venture you will do next will bring the same dividend. WRONG. You just got lucky on the first time, you have to try various ventures before one becomes a hit. So keep in mind that you got lucky once, it might not happen again, so be prepared for it.
- KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN. Just because one of your venture is doing well doesn't means that it will carry on doing well for the rest of your life. Soon other competitors will come in to the market and your profit margin will keep on shrinking till nothing is left for any of you. Thats how the business life cycle works. So you will have to diversify. You need to start other ventures as well and need to keep an eye out for the next big thing.
- When you are diversifying, you CAN GO OUT OF YOUR COUNTRY to look for new ventures. Lets say you sell agricultural equipment in USA, but now the market is saturated, however in Africa the demand for the agricultural equipment is on the rise but not many suppliers are there, so you can go to Africa and start a business over there. It might sound difficult to go to a new country to start up your business, but its lot easier than you think, yes you need to fill up various legal forms and all these, but there are professionals out there who will do it for you, so all you do is expand your business network and your profit will start to grow.
- You will NEED TO GO PUBLIC if you want to grow your business even bigger. Public means becoming Public limited company and getting listed in the stock exchange. Look at the top 100 rich list in forbes, every ones company is listed in the stock exchange (unless they are prince or king of a country) and there is a very good reason for it. You earn money in the money market. Ok, may be its not something every 25 year old need to know, but its good to keep in mind how the big boys earn the money so that you can plan things accordingly, as you need to show profit for your company for 4 years (this might vary country to country, but in Asia thats how it works, we know this as 2 of our companies are in line for getting listed in the stock exchange) plus many things and only then you can get listed, so you will need to start to plan things 3-4 years ahead before you can get listed.
 

Phenom

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- Spend more time with your parents. Make their life better.
- Learn selling skills (sales job, pitch, etc.) and keep learning...
- Get a mentor and start creating or start a business.
- Work hard and then harder. There's no shortcut or magic pill.
- Take care of your health.
- Less consuming.
- Always be humble.
 
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IceCreamKid

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I'd say nothing. I'd say:

"Listen to @IceCreamKid, kiddo. He has already given all the important instructions you need to know."
I wonder what @IceCreamKid will say 7 years later.
Lol when I read some of my posts from 7 years ago I absolutely cringe. Lots of lessons learned in business and life over the years.

If there's any advice that I'd give to you guys, it's the following:
1. Be patient. Put in the time, sweat, and energy. Don't get suckered by those gurus promising you millions in a few months. Get tunnel vision and have one focus.

2. Get a job. Specifically a job that teaches you a high leverage skill i.e. sales.
True story. I took up a sales job in 2019 because I wanted to see how 8-figure deals are made. I worked for one of the top SaaS cyber-security companies in the world.

I got to witness a sales rep close a $51M deal with Bank of America. Every outreach email, every meeting, every quote negotiation, every presentation leading up to that $51M...I saw everything. There were moves that you'll never see in a forum or in a book. That was just one of many deals.

The company was later bought by Thoma Bravo for $13B

My pay in that role was peanuts, but the knowledge was worth millions. I know a lot of you look down upon people who get jobs, but I promise if you approach it strategically it will give you some insane skills that you can apply directly to business....AND YOU GET PAID TO LEARN THESE SKILLS. It's not fun starting a new business with zero capital and zero skills. Why not start with plenty of capital from your W-2 and a high leverage skill? This angle isn't for everyone, but I'm convinced it will help a lot of you.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Maybe this is just me, but does anyone think that the mistakes they made were meant to happen. Does anyone think sometimes it's better to go through painful experiences than to just be told not to do something & not understand why?

Yup, that's why I say it's useless to warn folks that the fire is hot (i.e. Comm. Control) when most people need to feel the burn. Once you're physically charred from the experience, you never repeat the same mistake again.
 
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aardvarky

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Degrees mean very little if you're looking for a life of freedom.
People who don't believe in you or don't think "it's possible" will only drag you down - ditch them, gently but firmly.
Get focused on what makes you damn happy - not content - but figure out the big picture of the kind of life that makes you want to dance...and then ONLY focus on doing things that will get you to that life.
Jewelry, shoes, clothes, and purses can be lost or stolen but knowledge gained from internalized understanding and experiences are forever.
Nobody owes you anything at all. Search and destroy any trace of entitlement you feel.
Lifestyle is the most important thing. Not the corner office, not your yearly paycheck, not your credentials. Those are mere distractions.
Listen more to yourself than anyone else.
Be BRAVE.
Seek out good, positive, motivated, freedom-loving people.

All those things and more, but to be honest...I doubt 25-year-old would've listened. It's hard to hear with your head lodged so far up your a** :)
 
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scott.legendre

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Never stop learning... ever

you can learn by reading.
but reading is not enough, you must learn through action.
you don't know what you don't know. you may think you know, but only action will reveal the true answer.
seek the answers through action
keep digging
...and keep learning

your job is only making someone else money, and has created an artificial ceiling on what you can accomplish. get rid of that ceiling and fly.

my 25 year old self would have listened and understood. my 20 year old self wouldn't have. 24 is when I stopped being depressed, lost a bunch of weight, and chose happiness. Best decision I've ever made.
 

Ma Co

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- Change your focus from "me" to "YOU"!

- Read, study books on marketing, sales, and communication.

- "Repetition is the mother of learning" - Stay with one book, finish it, digest it, read it again, and again, THEN start with the next one. F****** stop multi-tasking!

- Get rid of drinking, pessimistic "friends" in your life - aka "Show me your friends and I show you your future"

- Go out and socialize, learn social skills, join Toastmasters, ...

- MASTER SOCIAL SKILLS and communication! Being shy, not being able to connect with others easily, not being able to express your thoughts properly, not being able to talk in front of groups confidently will be a HUGE roadblock, will haunt you in EVERY stupid social environment!

- Outsource, Outsource, Outsource!
=> If you're not good, great, or brilliant at doing any given task, don't do it! Find someone who does it far better than you do. Free up your time to do something more valuable in an area like marketing, or strategizing, or wherever your brilliance lies.
=> Your time is precious. It's value is higher than gold, higher than platinum. It's the difference in everything! --Jay Abraham
 
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fastattack03

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- Get out of your F*cking comfort zone!
- Make things happen
- Take SMART risks, not all risks are created equal
- Sharpen your saw but don't try too hard to be perfect

Still 25 but I want to contribute here. :)

Tons of golden nuggets. bookmarking this thread!
 

MKHB

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For you 25 yr old+ guys out there, if you could go back in time, and tell your 25 year old self something, what would you say?


Great Question.

The small things:
Stop taking pictures with your shirt off.
Stop taking pictures with money.
Stop taking pics with trendy stuff- the group photo with you and the menacing scowl and the oversize clock necklace will forever be on gam gams wall.
Stop surfing constantly- get out of the fxxxing water get something going.
Stop making everything about $$$ and the predictions of the great wealth to come, I said predictions not actions.
Stop calling everyone a naysayer that doesn't fall head over heals for latest shiny object pursuit.



The biggies:
Listen to your parents, even if they are not Fastlaners they contain a lot of wisdon and are a great source to ID needs/opportunity.
Spend more time with your friends and family (especially elderly) and tell them how much you appreciate them, absorb their wisdom.
Make life long friends with those that share your values, not just similar business aspirations, but values.
Never lie/steal or take advantage of anyone, it will haunt you forever.
Give without any concern to getting back.
Listen, and learn at all times not matter how hopeless or menial you think the situation.
Always think like a producer/owner/entrepreneur.
Buy a home immediately, go ahead and travel the world and pursue your dreams but have a sanctuary where you can always come back to regroup.
Learn and practice how to sell, the one thing you will sure to be doing your entire life.
Don't need to beat yourself up, you will encounter a lot of people willing to do this for you.
Lighten up, don't let your emotional state determine your destiny.
Go to Big Sur at least once- it is a surreal place.
(For the Guys) Don't be a whore or as it is fashionably called "a pimp" taking advantage of young women is not cool.
If your Father, be a good one or be ready to be judged very harshly by your kids, if not.
If your a husband, be aware that this person could have more of an effect on your life than any job, any business,anything, both good and bad- so proceed with the utmost integrity.
 
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Genium

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This is all great advice! I feel that I have come a long way in life, in general in the past year but there is always so much to improve upon.

Some advice I try to always remember: Be hungry for more, but happy with what you have, or you'll never be happy. Take time to enjoy the small things in life, because they really do matter. Work smarter, not harder.
 

Enki

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Quit being an a**hole! You have some excellent mentors with real world experience. Quit saying "I know, I know..." When you have no F*cking clue! Just shut the F*ck up and listen! When you crash and burn in a few months, Get your a$$ back up and stop your bitching and whining.
 

Chazmania

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I would tell my 25 yr old self:

- Think in terms of starting a need driven business that can create strong cashflow (exploding income) and save as much of it as possible to invest in cashflowing assets and re-invest in the business, to keep compounding income.
(I kind of did it the other way around where I learned how to invest 1st but was making small incomes so therefore took/taking a long time to reap investment benefits. Think MJ's example of catching the wave at the crest instead of a 1000 miles out at sea.)

- Create an internet based business. (I'm way late to that party!)

- Reputation is priceless, don't ever do anything stupid that may tarnish it.

- Time goes so damn fast. Only work on the most important priorities which are derived from personal values and goals. Don't putz around with "hobbies" until top goals are complete, and don't get too wrapped up in what other people want you to do. Don't fragment your focus.

- Relationships are much more valuable than you think, but choose wisely.

- The 1st form of wealth is a positive, pleasant mental attitude regardless of external circumstances. Even if you're a multi-millionaire but unhappy all the time for whatever 'reason', you are poor.
 

HappyFighter

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You bet on the lottery on this date with these numbers...

No seriously.

When you lock eyes with a pretty girl who looks like a princess, smile at her, approach her, talk to her, and get her number. Don't care about what other people think, it's between you and her. Don't be shy even for once in your life, that moment is important because you might not see her again in this lifetime.
 

WJK

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I came across your posts today and was amazed at the clarity of your thoughts.I didn't know we had senior members who were female here.Today has been my lucky day!

My mother is 64 and is an amazing woman. My mother in law is 80 and is the most forgiving woman I know. I am going to add you to the list of the women that I keep learning from.

Bravo for looking after your mum. May God grant you similar help when your evening comes.

I am pursuing entrepreneurship so that I can have the freedom to care for these angels when they most need me.

Once again, I will be following you.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I'm a senior and a grandma. I still work every day.

The other day I found a writing contest that has the same theme as this thread. I had to choose a point and time to give myself advice coming from my senior perspective. So I wrote my younger self a love letter. I really struggled when I was younger and life was very hard. I have quoted that love letter here for you.

I hope you share my success in time.

A Love Letter to My Younger Self,

I want to tell you that you are making good life-supporting decisions. You have already acted with more courage, audacity, and diligence than many people will ever display. Everything feels bleak right now. The divorce will be final soon. 1978 is awkward for a twenty-four-year-old woman who wants more from her life. The expected path is certain and well-worn by the women who came before you. Breaking that mold is a daunting task.

You moved from a rural community to attend a college in Downtown Los Angeles. In those days, women married straight out of high school and immediately started a family. Even though you married on schedule, you waited to have babies. Instead, you moved to the big city to attend college and graduate. You then followed up with a series of non-traditional career moves rather than taking an expected pink-collar job. Your husband’s relatives hated you and those decisions. The parade of “firsts” landed you outside your traditional role of a woman and wife. And now you’re facing the big D (divorce).

I can assure you. This is the beginning rather than the end of the world. You are off to a great start on a long and productive life.

Right now, you are your worst critic. Simple decisions morph into a painful dissection exercise performed on the table of possibilities. I can tell you one of the truths I have learned in my sixty-nine years. It is okay to make a one-time honest mistake or fail completely… provided you understand the intrinsic lessons. The first trick is to analyze the event or decision. You must verify that it is a stand-alone issue rather than part of a flawed thinking pattern. Then take a deep breath and calm yourself. Very few mistakes are fatal. Most are a binary choice -- simply a fork in the road leading to different results. At times there are no correct answers. There are just other possibilities and outcomes.

You are firmly rooted in the commonsense reality of cause and effect. Conversely, you display a carefully crafted public illusion of one who is bold and carefree. No one needs to know how thoughtfully you considered your options. Keep it your secret.

Failure is an opportunity as well as a danger. They can be a necessary step to a new beginning. Some say if you never fail, you’re not trying enough. You’re leaving good stuff on the table. Accepting that truism takes the sting out of failing. It’s an everyday reality rather than an earthshaking anomaly. Frequent and small failures are less disruptive to the whole. I have learned that you must accept the worst-case result. Minimalize most risks with an “if-then” plan. ( If X happens, then I will do Y.) This prevents a disastrous knee-jerk reaction concocted in the middle of a crisis. Planning can tamp down the danger, so it never rises to a crisis level. You will have the option to pivot.

I assure you that you are among the luckiest people on earth. Your rough childhood gave you courage and grit, which is rare and precious. I know that you are often afraid. True courage is not being foolish nor fearless. Courage is being able to forge ahead while quaking with fear.

It takes a hot fire to forge iron into steel. Similarly, your childhood has infused your character with extraordinary resolve and strength. It gives you the relentless grit to achieve, regardless of adversities. Lady Luck loves those qualities. They are magnetic to her, and they release her gifts.

I know you don’t trust that life will protect you and hold you up when your world falls apart. So, trust yourself. Listen to your gut and heart. You hear life’s subtle heartbeat differently from the people around you. And others can’t walk your carefully crafted path. Don’t expect to drag them along. The people around you see your results but don’t necessarily understand your process. The operative word in that thought is that this is YOUR process. Your life belongs to you to craft as you see fit. I could tell you about all the huge successes and dismal failures in your future. At this point, you can’t even see your potential. You will do things and go places not even in your dreams. With the right mindset, the future is yours to create.
 
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cristian tello

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To love himself like Kanye West loves Kanye West.

tgrlk.jpg
:D :D
 

aikay77

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Do not waste your life playing video games daily

Learn early to stop fear in its tracks (I later summoned courage and dropped out of college)

Start learning how a a scalable business REALLY worked

Avoid all shades of network marketing programs.
 

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