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The older I get, the more I’ve realized that you can’t beat yourself up about things you did or didn’t do in the past.
It’s just not a good thing and it doesn’t get you anywhere.
It’s good to reflect on those things, but just getting frustrated with yourself for what you should have done differently is counterproductive.
But still…it seems like we all do it…
AskReddit users talked about lessons that they learned too late in life.
1. Doesn’t work out.
“Don’t be the broken wing mender guy
I ended up doing that too many times.
You end up attracting crazy instead of stable.”
2. Everyone is pretty clueless.
“A lot of those arrogant, hyperaggressive, overconfident, “tough guys” are full of sh*t.
Nobody knows what they’re doing.
But people sure do talk as if they do.”
3. Very true!
“Buy a good mattress and a good pair of shoes.
You spend lots of time on those.”
4. No regrets.
“Don’t go through life wondering what could have been, if you had tried harder or gave it a second chance.
Regret is one of the worst feelings that could eat you away from the inside!”
5. Smart with money.
“Save for retirement.
And set up your 401K contributions to increase by 1% each year, preferably timed for when and/or if you get you’re annual increase.
You won’t notice it in your paycheck, but it will do wonders for your investments.”
6. Don’t worry about it.
“For the most part, don’t give a f*ck about what others think of you.
Your happiness mainly depends on you in so many ways. Emotionally, jobs, education, and hobbies. There are 7 billion people in this world. You aren’t the only one doing it, feeling it, going through it. You aren’t the only one and won’t be the last one.
Go do what you want and be happy.”
7. Stay slim.
“Don’t get fat. This might seem like a sh*t post but it’s really not.
I was fat throughout high school and I’ve gotten bullied and rejected. I’m still fat and I suffer from so many health problems. My back hurts all the time. It feels like the life is being sucked out of me. I have no energy and I’m a very young man.
I’m trying to lose weight but it’s not easy. I wish I never got fat in the first place. It sucks.”
8. We all fail.
“That failure is part of success.
Don’t get down by your failures. If you fail 99 times but succeed once, then you’re doing just fine.
Once I realized that failure is a learning opportunity, I became a much happier person overall.”
9. It’s not for everyone.
“You don’t have to have kids.
Really. It’s a choice.
Kids are not required to be happy or whole.”
10. There are always problems.
“There’ll always be a crisis du jour in your life.
I’ve spent the last 40 years saying to myself: when Mom’s cancer thing has resolved, when this recession is done, when this big push at work dies down, when this global pandemic is over, then I’ll be able to have some time to relax.
Problem is, there’s always something. Figure out how to be OK with the maelstrom. Know that this is the new normal and get comfortable.
There’s plenty of room for joy in the interstitial space of the current catastrophe.”
11. It’s complicated.
“Everyone is going to have a different name for your political orientation so it’s better to just have specific views on each individual subject than just declare yourself one or the other.”
12. The basics.
“Cash solves a lot of problems
Eat well and exercise at an early age to establish a good routine.
It is extremely hard to lose weight as you age.”
13. No one is really special.
“That I’m not special.
I went to college at a school that had twice the number of students as my home town had residents, and realized what “big fish in a small pond” meant.”
14. Be nice to people!
“Spending a few extra seconds to be kind to someone else. Person checking you out the grocery store? Tell them “thanks I hope you have a good day” or asking “how’s your day going”.
Going through a drive thru? Say please and thank you after ordering. I worked drive thru for years and people are so rude but a little politeness goes a long way. Especially in times of covid.
People have bad days and it bleeds into other aspects if their life. Show compassion and you could change someone’s day. I go out of my way to go to a coffee shop, where the barista’s ask me about my work at the university, sure it’s part of their job but it makes me feel a bit more special about my work.
Gives me the extra boost for the day.”
Okay, now we’d like to hear from you.
In the comments, tell us about lessons that you feel you learned about too late in life.
We look forward to hearing your stories!
