The big 18 and adult things?

But there’s so much more to discuss, imo.
If I could tell my 18 year old self anything it would be it’s ok to be wrong sometimes.
You get to make mistakes, just learn from them .
Recognize when you’re angry and teach yourself to shut your mouth until you can talk rationally.
Learn how to strike up conversations with strangers and you will never be alone .
And realize you will change your opinions as your perspective increases, the more you see the more you will understand how everything interacts .
Pay it forward, treat people the way you want to be treated .
And embrace your fears .
I envy you OP , enjoy your ride .
 
Swallow/kill your pride. I'd be lightyears ahead of where I am now if I'd have figured that one out sooner.

Pride is at the root of an enormous number of bad decisions. Why do people buy things they can't afford and live outside their means? Maybe because they're too proud to admit they're not doing as well as other around them, or maybe because they're so proud they think they deserve things they really don't. Why do people fight each other, lie to each other, put each other down (and on, and on...)? You can trace a lot of it back to pride.

On a related note, get help when you need help. In my young adult years, I was too proud to admit I had some serious problems I didn't know how to solve. Trying to fix my problems by myself almost killed me. For example - I was dealing with some pretty serious depression by the time I was 18 years old. I spent 7 miserable years trying to fight it before experiencing a breakdown and finally getting some medical help at age 25. I spent a few more years after that fumbling through life. My mental condition was better than before, but eventually realized that a hard childhood and young adulthood had left its mark and created some other problems that needed to be resolved. I started therapy at age 28. I'm 31 now and just barely feeling like I've got my life in a good spot. I could have cut quite a few years out of that difficult journey if I'd have just asked for help sooner.
 
Some other things I'd tell 18 year-old me:

- You'll gain money and status in your career when you stop chasing money and status in your career and instead just try to be as helpful as possible to your employer, coworkers, and clients.

- You'll gain friends and social influence when you stop chasing friends and social influence and instead just try to make positive contributions everywhere you go.

- Inner peace comes when your integrity is fully intact.

- Doing something painful or difficult only lasts for a time. The fear of doing something painful or difficult can cripple you for years, if not a whole lifetime. Better to just go ahead and do it, even though you're scared.

- Being a generous person feels better than saving a few dollars here and there. You won't miss the extra money you've donated, spent on fundraisers, or tipped to service staff. You will regret instances when you were in a position to help with something meaningful but chose not to.

- Life is happier when you are gracious with others and yourself. If you give people the benefit of the doubt, you'll feel compassion and love for them instead of anger and frustration at them. If you're gracious with others, it's easier to be gracious with yourself. When you're gracious with yourself, you can work through your challenges with patience and optimism instead of self-criticality and doubt.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
119,676
Messages
2,234,407
Members
38,973
Latest member
HUDDY66
Back
Top