Author Topic: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger  (Read 17872 times)

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Offline michigancat

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #25 on: April 16, 2013, 09:05:58 AM »
Do what you love.

Offline 420seriouscat69

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #26 on: April 16, 2013, 09:07:13 AM »
There's no exact playbook to life. Sometimes it's best to adlib like Doug Flutie outside the pocket.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2013, 09:14:46 AM by Wackycat08 »

Offline ben ji

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #27 on: April 16, 2013, 09:09:57 AM »
Invest early.

This.

Yes, I am shocked at how many of my friends(4 years after graduating) are just now starting to contribute to their 401k's and even think of retirement...

Starting when you are 22/23 is key if you want to retire early.

Also like K-S-U's "Work to live, dont live to work".

Offline KSUblumpkin

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #28 on: April 16, 2013, 09:10:27 AM »
When you've been through a shitstorm...it is beautiful to say/believe you survived something you never thought you could.  Trials and tribulations are foundations of character.
#OperationMotorBoatCindy

Offline mocat

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #29 on: April 16, 2013, 09:11:50 AM »
There's no exact playbook to life. Sometimes it's best to ablib like Doug Flutie outside the pocket.

 :D

Offline Dr Rick Daris

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #30 on: April 16, 2013, 09:13:13 AM »
take a personality test your freshman year of college to make sure that you are picking out a major that is compatible with your personality and that you would probably enjoy.

Offline steve dave

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #31 on: April 16, 2013, 09:15:51 AM »
Ok, serious advice....

Money:
1. Be frugal. Don't piss away your money on booze, fast food, new clothes, new cars, etc. Don't be a sucker. Spend wisely.
2. Stop using credit cards.
3. Start investing early. Find a few good no-load mutual funds with good track records and stick with them. The difference between starting your investments at 20 versus 30 is Millions.

Education:
4. Get a college degree, but go to a state school and pay in-state tuition.
5. Student loans are misery. Avoid them.
6. Get a degree that's actually useful for what you want to do.

Career:
7. Find a career you can enjoy at least a majority of the time, while earning a decent income.
8. Put yourself in your employer's shoes, and bust your ass. Be the most valuable employee.
9. Work to live, don't live to work.

Adventure:
10. We get so little time here, see as much of the world as you can.
11. Study abroad in a non-English speaking country, and don't spend all your time with your idiot friends from America.
12. Climb a real mountain (we're talking at least a mile EG) at least once.

Family:
13. Family is the most important thing.
14. Have kids when you're ready, but don't wait until your 30s.
15. Find a wife who is a kind person, reasonably attractive, and who you really think might be fun to spend the rest of your life with, and make sure you agree on (a) kids, (b) church, (c) career, (d) life goals, and (e) where you want to live.

thanks Dave Ramsey

Offline Daddy Claxton

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #32 on: April 16, 2013, 09:16:55 AM »
Success is 100% subjective. First, figure out what your own definition is. Then, pursue it regardless of any other opinions or consequences.

Offline TheHamburglar

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #33 on: April 16, 2013, 09:17:57 AM »
There is no man. It's just a bunch of people just like you who are older and have more experiences that help them make better decisions. Don't be intimidated by any of them. They want you to succeed and they want to reward you for that success.  If you have a job where you don't think this is true, get a new job.
I got a guy on the other line about some white walls

Offline michigancat

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Re: Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #34 on: April 16, 2013, 09:19:33 AM »
Do what you love.

And if you find you don't love it as much as you thought you did, do something else.

Offline 420seriouscat69

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #35 on: April 16, 2013, 09:22:11 AM »
There's no exact playbook to life. Sometimes it's best to ablib like Doug Flutie outside the pocket.

 :D
:thumbs: Great point, mc. The english language is not important. I'm about to make more $ than many ppl with english degrees. It's all about personality, who you know, and networking. Write that down.

Offline Dr Rick Daris

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #36 on: April 16, 2013, 09:22:40 AM »
there is no easter bunny. that, over there, that's just a guy in a suit.

Offline Rage Against the McKee

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #37 on: April 16, 2013, 09:23:26 AM »
Get good at time management.

Offline KSUblumpkin

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #38 on: April 16, 2013, 09:33:01 AM »
Ok, serious advice....

Money:
1. Be frugal. Don't piss away your money on booze, fast food, new clothes, new cars, etc. Don't be a sucker. Spend wisely.
2. Stop using credit cards.
3. Start investing early. Find a few good no-load mutual funds with good track records and stick with them. The difference between starting your investments at 20 versus 30 is Millions.

Education:
4. Get a college degree, but go to a state school and pay in-state tuition.
5. Student loans are misery. Avoid them.
6. Get a degree that's actually useful for what you want to do.

Career:
7. Find a career you can enjoy at least a majority of the time, while earning a decent income.
8. Put yourself in your employer's shoes, and bust your ass. Be the most valuable employee.
9. Work to live, don't live to work.

Adventure:
10. We get so little time here, see as much of the world as you can.
11. Study abroad in a non-English speaking country, and don't spend all your time with your idiot friends from America.
12. Climb a real mountain (we're talking at least a mile EG) at least once.

Family:
13. Family is the most important thing.
14. Have kids when you're ready, but don't wait until your 30s.
15. Find a wife who is a kind person, reasonably attractive, and who you really think might be fun to spend the rest of your life with, and make sure you agree on (a) kids, (b) church, (c) career, (d) life goals, and (e) where you want to live.

thanks Dave Ramsey

Zing!!!  Also, studying abroad really isn't in harmony with the money/education tips.  I lived in London for one year after my undergrad and it can be done cheaply, but saving/investing isn't an option when you do this.

The biggest thing that I tell patients is to differentiate between happiness and contentment.  Happiness is fleeting and you cannot be happy all the time.  I hear young people say: "I just want to be happy", and blame themselves/others when they are not.  Its a destructive cycle of searching for a feeling that cannot be maintained.  Be content with the fact you did your effing best...no shame in that my young Cats.  The pursuit of happiness should really be the pursuit of contentment.  To any young Cats out there...be content and enjoy the waves of happiness when they wash on your shore, but like the tides..happiness will recede.  Find contentment in the little things and knowing that this life you have lived (good or bad) is something that has meant something to someone.  Smile knowing you have simply lived.  People take for granted life each day and forget how rare it is in this entire universe. 

/end serious Blumpkin post.

Sidenote: chase a few fillies in there too.
#OperationMotorBoatCindy

Offline Mrs. Gooch

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #39 on: April 16, 2013, 09:34:48 AM »
Don't regret your mistakes, learn from them.

Offline CNS

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #40 on: April 16, 2013, 09:36:45 AM »
take a personality test your freshman year of college to make sure that you are picking out a major that is compatible with your personality and that you would probably enjoy.

Yep. 

Major is an almost unfair thing to have to pick when you are 18 yrs old, unless it is a non-specialized one. 

Figure you our early and be honest and realistic in doing so.

Offline ChiComCat

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #41 on: April 16, 2013, 09:38:42 AM »
there is no easter bunny. that, over there, that's just a guy in a suit.

Fear and respect the escalator

Offline 420seriouscat69

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #42 on: April 16, 2013, 09:39:42 AM »
Attend as many cats games you can (home and away). You'll miss it if you ever move away.

Offline KSUblumpkin

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #43 on: April 16, 2013, 09:41:29 AM »
Attend as many cats games you can (home and away). You'll miss it if you ever move away.

This.  I miss it so much and didn't realize how awesome it truly was until I moved away.
#OperationMotorBoatCindy

Offline CNS

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #44 on: April 16, 2013, 09:44:22 AM »
Don't tolerate assholes at work.  If you work somewhere that has a bunch of assholes, you need a new place to work.  Otherwise you will end up being an bad person. 

Offline The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #45 on: April 16, 2013, 09:45:19 AM »
Live, love, laugh.
I think what my friend Mitch is trying to say is that true love is blind.

Offline steve dave

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #46 on: April 16, 2013, 09:45:47 AM »
-start getting into the points/miles game now. it will give you baller credit and let you travel the world in first class for free for the rest of your life.

-if you are smarter than everyone make sure they know it but make sure they don't know you are making sure they know it.

-save money for retirement but spend a lot now on things you love. you can do amazing things in the prime of your life or you can sit on some money when you are old and can no longer do those things no matter how much money you saved.

-leaving a shitload of money for your kids isn't doing them any favors and they won't remember you more fondly for it.

-student loans are one of the greatest government benefits there are. use them. working 40 hours a week while going to school is never a better idea than working 10 and having a small amount of 1.6% long term debt at graduation.

-don't feel like you have to have kids just because the dickwad next door has 7. he's lying to you. he doesn't want to spend 100% of his free time at baseball games.

-but, if you want kids have them. they seem pretty great in certain situations.

-if you're feeling down just hop on an airplane and get out for a day or two.

-carry on whenever possible. usually if you think it's not possible it actually is.

-don't buy garbage, you get more than what you pay for in almost all instances. find the very best of what you are looking to buy and then find the best price for it.

-owning X really high quality Ys is better than owning >X medium quality Ys. (the number and the item aren't important and can be changed to anything).

-relationships are pretty easy, I can't provide much advice there. nature v. nurture or whatever.

-don't stay somewhere cheap because it's just a bed.

-gamble, but don't be a dumbass. it's not an investment.

-try all the less scary drugs at least once. don't do it, like, a ton though.


Offline slobber

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #47 on: April 16, 2013, 09:46:25 AM »
There is a lot of great advice in this thread. Choose wisely on which advice you follow.

Offline The Tonya Harding of Twitter Users Creep

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #48 on: April 16, 2013, 09:50:27 AM »

-if you're feeling down just hop on an airplane and get out for a day or two.


 :D
I think what my friend Mitch is trying to say is that true love is blind.

Offline sys

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Re: General Advice You'd Give Someone Younger
« Reply #49 on: April 16, 2013, 09:56:36 AM »
don't agree with the do what you love crowd.  that's fine if you love to do something in a field where it's fairly easy to find a well-paying job.  if you love to do something in fields where there's a huge glut of qualified people, do something else that you can tolerate and do what you love in your free time.

agree with blumkin on not taking people for granted.  probably impossible to do, but it's still good advice.

don't ever have children, you selfish eff.
"experienced commanders will simply be smeared and will actually go to the meat."