40 things I wish I could tell my younger self

“When I was younger, I absolutely hated that I was gay. That breaks my heart now because accepting my sexuality and living authentically has lead to all this amazing stuff, including incredible life opportunities, love, romance, and mind-blowing experiences I never imagined before. I wish I could tell younger me to just live unapologetically and stop resisting the real you. Stop trying to conform to what you think is ‘normal.’ Bleed life dry for all it is worth, laugh and play and experiment and explore and own your identity. Walk through those corridors with your little gay head held high knowing that you’re so original, so different and so destined for greatness.” — Riyadh Khalaf, journalist, LGBTQ+ advocate, and author of Yay! You’re Gay! Now What?

“Several years ago I was working as a psychologist and loved TED talks. I wished I could do one but you have to be invited and it seemed like such a big dream and so out of reach! Then I decided to just do a TEDx Talk, something anyone can do. My Talk became so popular that it made it on to TED’s website as a TED Talk. That single achievement opened many career doors for me. It wasn’t until my 40s that I thought to reach for such opportunities. I was so bogged down in my current work responsibilities that I didn’t carve out time to pursue bigger dreams. I wish I could tell my younger self to not get so caught up in the little daily stuff that I forgot to aim for bigger dreams.” – Dr Jenny Grant Rankin, author, lecturer at University of Cambridge, keynote speaker, and columnist for Psychology Today.

“As an adult, I understand the importance of savings; as a kid, I loved blowing my cash. I wish I could tell my younger self to save most of the money I got from birthdays and other gifts and put it in a savings account. After it has compounded after five to seven years then I would be able to use it to invest in all the dreams and ideas I had when I was younger. A savings account means you don’t need help from others to achieve your dreams and no one will ever believe your dreams as much as you – at least until it becomes reality.” – Adrian Dolo, entrepreneur and host of the podcast Hipster: The Mid-Night Hour.

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“Ever since I was seven years old and saw my first Broadway show, I wanted to be a scenic designer, the person who made those pretty stage pictures. I thought I’d achieved my dream when I got into Yale Drama School to study stage design but after a year, I was asked to leave. They basically told me that I had no talent. I was devastated. I left Yale and went back to New York City where I learned my craft working on off-Broadway shows, apprenticing in summer stock, and failing my first attempt at passing a very stringent union test. It was so frustrating seeing others succeed at my dream while I struggled so much. But I kept at it and passed the second time and I got into the scenic design union. Shortly after I was hired by CBS television where I embarked on my decades-long career. I got to design many TV shows including Captain Kangaroo, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Jackie Gleason Show. Then I realised that while I—the kid who had ‘no talent’—was designing shows on national television, my fellow classmates were still at school designing college productions. I would tell myself to keep trying, don’t compare yourself to others, and everything will work out for the best.” – Allen Klein, aka “Mr. Jollytologist”®, scene designer, TEDx speaker, and author

“Ever since I was young, my dream was to have a designer handbag, like the ones you always see celebrities carrying. They can be thousands of dollars but they seemed so glamorous and a symbol that you had really ‘made it.’ So after my business took off, I decided to finally buy my dream designer handbag. As soon as I got it I realised it definitely wasn’t worth the price. It was pretty but so hard to maintain and ever since then I decided to stop buying things for their external value. I would tell myself that a lot of times things that seem prestigious or fancy don’t really offer any value beyond being a status symbol – and I don’t need status symbols to show I’m successful. My work speaks for itself.” – Daisy Jing, Founder and CEO of Banish skincare, vlogger, and one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30”

“Too often we are tempted to put our health on the backburner, putting it behind all of our other responsibilities but that can have serious consequences – something I see regularly as a cardiologist. I wish I could tell my younger self how very important it is to take good care of your physical body: eat a plant-based diet and practice yoga and meditation daily. I do these things now, but it would have been even better had I started them at a younger age.” – Dr Mimi Guarneri, Integrative Cardiologist, and author

“Being an artist was my dream as long as I could remember and as a child I drew, painted, and created things in every spare moment. But then, as a young college student, I went to a student art showing and was blown away by the sheer talent of the other artists. I thought their work was so beautiful and they were so much more talented than I was, so clearly I could never be a ‘real’ artist. I changed my major and pursued other interests. Then, a few years ago, I decided to take up painting again, just for fun. I had a huge realisation: Sure those other artists had talent but I was only seeing the end result of what was likely hours and hours of hard work, not to mention years of honing their skills. I could make beautiful things too, I just had to put the work in. I started painting three times a week, no matter what, then every day. I started my own painting business and now not only do I get to do what I love but I get to help others discover their own beauty. I wish I could go back and tell younger me to stick with it – talent doesn’t make you an artist, it’s what you do with your talent that makes you an artist.” – Jill Fairchild, artist, co-host of the Self Help Obsession podcast

“Being young gives you the luxury of time but because you’re young, you often don’t realise what an amazing gift that is. When you’re living at your parents’ place, with next to zero expenses, that is the best time to try any idea that comes to mind. You have the freedom to do whatever you want, you have little risk, and plenty of time to bounce back from failure. Also, if most of your friends think your idea is wack, then this means you’re onto something great. Ideas come to us all the time, but once you are stuck in the grind of ‘life’ there is no time to try and execute them. Go hard!” – Jason Dundas, special correspondent for CBS’ Entertainment Tonight, television presenter

“After being diagnosed with a debilitating autoimmune disease, I had to eliminate all gluten from my diet. It felt devastating as I wanted to have my cake (and other baked goods) and eat it too! Over time, I made it my mission to make food that would be every bit as delicious as gluten-heavy items, not just adequate substitutions. In utilizing my Le Cordon Bleu degree, I found a way to do just that and opened my own bakery, Kyra’s Bake Shop. I also had the honour of participating in and winning the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars (which, notably, is not a gluten-free competition). I wish I would tell my younger self that a ‘setback’ is just a state of mind, and can lead to new, incredible opportunities.” – Kyra Bussanich, four-time winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, professional chef and owner of Kyra’s Bake Shop

“Kids are notoriously impulsive – I sure was and probably still am. But as I’ve gotten older, some very smart people have taught me a few life lessons that I wish I knew when I was younger. The big thing is to take time to think about all aspects of a problem before rushing in. Ask yourself three things: 1) What is everybody presuming to be true here? 2) What is the framework within which everyone is operating? 3) What are the unspoken rules to which everyone is adhering? Answering those questions trains you to think differently to solve anything life throws at you. The second thing I wish I could tell my younger self is to treasure your hair! Because, as they say, hair today, gone tomorrow.” – James Murray, actor, producer, and author of The Brink. Learn the things wildly successful people do every day.

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Source: RD.com