What Would You Tell Your 18 Y/O Self?

[Rob Luter]

Shut up and listen.

[Doug Dawson]

The world is so much different now than when I was 18.

I would tell myself to pay less attention to what other people think and say, and try to look at the bigger picture.

[Brian Deakin]

After my dads death I was responsible for all of my mums financial affairs .I was always very careful with her money and I invested a considerable amount of time making what I believed were the best decisions

What I should have done instead is invested more of my time sitting with mum holding her hand and listening

It was not until after her death it struck me the only people who touched her were the careers and people did thinks for her but no one was really spent time listening to mum

So go my friend sit down with your mum/dad and the ones you love hold thier hand and listen

[Jerome Stanek]

Don't sell he Mcdoanlds stock I bought as a school project.

[Wade Lippman]

To ignore my parents and trust my own judgement.
I was nearly 40 before I realized just how stupid they were.

[Wade Lippman]

Eat healthier, wear sunscreen, and be a better friend.

And brush my teeth more seriously.

[Mike Henderson]

To ignore my parents and trust my own judgement.
I was nearly 40 before I realized just how stupid they were.

There's a joke that's the opposite of that.

"When I was 18 I was amazed at how dumb my father was.

When I was 25, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in those few years."

Mike

[Derek Meyer]

Save all the money you can, and when Apple stock bottoms out in the mid 90's, buy. If I had done that, I'd be retired now.

[roger wiegand]

The "Golden Rule" is horrible advice-- treat people as they would like to be treated, not how you want to be treated.

Related to the above, people's feelings really matter to them (more so than data, I discovered to my eventual amazement) and you need to take those feelings seriously and account for them to get along in the world.

[roger wiegand]

Save all the money you can, and when Apple stock bottoms out in the mid 90's, buy. If I had done that, I'd be retired now.

I actually made a pretty respectable amount of money buying Apple on bad news (around $10) and selling on good (around $20) over the first 10-15 years, which it cycled through quite reliably, then I got off the bus way too soon and missed it going up a thousand-fold. Oh well!

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

when I was 20 years old, I actually put a $300 deposit on a small mountain farm of 58 steep rocky acres for 28K. I had saved over 15K and actually qualified for a mortgage. I had overheard two state engineers talking about a state park to be developed across the street. My parents talked me out of the purchase. Wanting me to stay in college. Well the State park went in, An interstate went in with an exit just 7 miles away, The lake was eventually built and the farm, having a panoramic view overlooking the lake, 8 years later, sold for over 770k. A fancy hotel and resort was built on the property. I did not loose my $300 deposit. I sold my purchase contract to a college acquaintance for $500. I then blew the $500 on a used Italian motorcycle. I rode it a few years and then put it in storage. I gave the Moto Guzzi to my son and he paid a guy $200 to get it running,. He then took the bike to a dealership that specializes in antique motorcycles and he got a little over 4 thousand dollars for it.

[Mike Cutler]

Go for it, and don't hold back.

[Erik Loza]

Go for it, and don't hold back.

This ^^^

In no particular order for myself:
-Lived abroad
-Gone for a career in vo-tech or in the trades rather than wasting several years going to college, "thinking" that was what I wanted to do. Only because that would have been a better fit for me.
-Made my default setting "say yes" rather than "I want to think about it" (which was really an excuse for being afraid to try).
-Actually listened to more experienced folks.

My wife's bestie has a daughter in her 20's. This girl joined the Peace Corp right out of college and lived in Tanzania for several years. Helped local folks learn how to farm, water management, etc. She's this White girl from the burbs but speaks Swahili, given of herself to help others, and done more with her life in her 20's than probably many of us. I think that's all pretty awesome.

Erik

[Ken Barney]

If I'm being honest about it, I couldn't tell my 18 y/o self anything. At 18 I thought that I already knew everything.

-Ken

[Wade Lippman]

There's a joke that's the opposite of that.

"When I was 18 I was amazed at how dumb my father was.

When I was 25, I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in those few years."

Mike

Oh how I wish that were true!