Greetings!
If you were young again, what lessons would you like to have learned starting out that you didn’t learn until you were older?
This isn’t so much a question about what knowledge you wish you had, or a hypothetical about taking a trip in a time machine and giving your past self some important advice.
No, this is about lessons learned later in life that, through the crystal-clear lens of hindsight, you wish you could’ve learned much sooner. The fact is, everyone has some lessons they say they wish they had learned earlier, myself included.
If you had learned a deeper importance of education and continuous learning very early in life, how might that have altered the arc of your life? If you had learned more about discipline, how would that have altered your life? Many people wish they learned the lesson of making good choices sooner. Many wish they learned to appreciate their family more, when instead the lesson hits them painfully only after a loved one has passed
I think we can all agree that it’s a human tragedy if people don’t have food, so let’s try to make something that would make that plight disappear. If someone came up with a communist-like solution, taking food from others and regularly redistributing it, that’s a how. I might disagree, but that doesn’t mean the implied corollary is that I don’t care that people are hungry–I do care! I just disagree that a forced redistribution is the only answer or approach.
Other people may want more of a “teach them to fish” philosophy and limited direct support. Others may want a non-governmental how of reliance upon private philanthropy, churches and not-for-profit approaches. Can you see that there could be many hows for the same what?
Take a look at this cartoon of this conundrum:
There are things that happen in your childhood that, if you had perspective on them, you could learn from them better and be a better adult. In addition, some of those lessons you had to learn as an adult get in the way of living a Bold Life–some are not catastrophic unto themselves, but there are clear implications in having had to learn those lessons later on.
Take stock of what you’ve had to learn over the years. What kind of lessons have you learned and what didn’t you learn from your early years in life that you wish you had? If you were able to teach Young Boldy these lessons, what would these lessons be?
Now think about the person you will be in five or ten years. What lessons do you think your future self will wish you had learned and applied sooner? If you cast the same introspective eye you used when thinking of your younger self, but frame it as lessons learned by your future self, you can see more clearly
An example would be one of taking care of your health now versus waiting until your older. Would you rather be one of those people who later in life wishes they took better care of themselves and exercised more? (Pro tip: don’t wait!)
Another example would be cutting negative people out of your life. Sure, that sounds like a solid lesson that everyone should grasp early, but many don’t, and they spend too long learning it and applying it.
The quicker you identify the lessons your future self would want your current self to learn, and you adopt the wisdom gleaned from these lessons, the quicker you will find success.
Don’t be too slow to learn these lessons. Lessons learned sooner are better, so don’t waste time–learn them now!
P.S. PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success is a complete system for planning your life to get what you want, and has been a top seller in three categories: “Motivational Growth & Spirituality”, “Personal Success & Spirituality” and “Management Skills”. I hope you check it out if you have not purchased a copy.
P.P.S: I will be appearing on WCPT820 in Chicago at 7:00am CST on Saturday, November 13. I will be talking about What versus How, and how a true understanding of the two is a must! Go to https://www.wcpt820.com to stream the show.
