When I first heard about this exercise, I thought that there might be some important insight I could glean from “my older self”. But when I took a moment to consider the answer. To consider where I might be someday in the future. To consider where an older, wiser me might come from. The best I could come up with is life is going to get even harder than it is today so you might as well be prepared for the worst. Well, that sucked. How is that helpful? I feel like that today.
So, I thought about what I would tell my younger self today. Maybe that would be helpful? I would tell my younger self that I was going to have a lot of adventures, and that much of my life would be defined by adventure, and that is good. Brand yourself, the digital age is coming; document everything. But you are going to burn yourself out more times than you can count; so, don’t. Most of your life will be lived at an unsustainable pace. Fix that now. People are going to be your largest disappointment in life. So do your best to stay away from them. Run from anyone, I mean anyone who has no honor.
There was one girl that you should ask out even though she had a boyfriend. But if you don’t ask her out, then never go out with another woman in your life. Your next two relationships will be some of your biggest mistakes. The first one you will know is a mistake. The second one will check all the boxes; except it will never work. Because you already know you were never meant to be with anyone.
In your thirties, out of resignation, you will return to a past career. Don’t, get on a plane and go somewhere, anywhere. Don’t return to past careers. Figure out how to develop new skill levels. Write, work on your writing. There might have been a career in that. Don’t invest in Belize and real estate. There are much cheaper ways to live that adventure without the stress and huge financial losses.
Continue to always take the harder road. Life will only get harder and harder and harder as you go. You might as well flex those muscles whenever you can to help get you through this future life. Swallow your internal pride and just get some counseling, no mentor is coming. Continue to venture outside your comfort zone. Train yourself to say yes to opportunity. No opportunity wasted!
There are moments when you will be happy. During an adventure, in relationship, but you do not find lasting happiness in anything because nothing lasts. If you can figure out the mystery of happiness, make that your priority because I never did.
Rereading what I had just written I inadvertently realized that quite possibly I answered my question of what my older self would tell me today.
Written December 19, 2022
January 29, 2024 edit: I came across this post a year later. I thought wow, that guy had a rough year. Thankfully the next year was much better. But even being in a much better head space a year later I don’t feel the need to edit my post.
