28yrs+ people - Give us some general advice in life...

DeFrEaTs · 11 May 2010 at 13:33

I agree with most of what is said here accept "follow your heart" NEVER follow your heart, always follow your head.

I got bogged down when I was in my early twenties because I was lonely. Ended up with a kid and am only still where I am because I couldn't bare to be apart from my kid. Worst mistake of my life was following my heart when I was young and naive. The laughable thing is I was always the "sensible one", never got into debt, had lots of good friends. As soon as I followed my heart I took on my partners debts, stopped communicating with the people that mattered because she wanted all of my time and now I look forward to going to work in the morning just so I can have my own space.

Don't give all the crap about being different and knowing the time is right to marry etc at 20, 22, etc. You are just being an idiot. Been there, done that and now there remaining 50 odd years of my life (if I'm lucky) I will be paying for "knowing better" when I was 21. If you are so sure everything is perfect then why tie the knot and have a kid? Prove you are right by being together, working hard, enjoying life together and start getting weighed down when you are 30, minimum! That way you can come back here and say "I told you so" instead of the moaning old g*ts like myself who learnt the hard way

ash_scotland88 · 11 May 2010 at 13:41

Wear Sunscreen

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experienceI will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years youll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you cant grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.Youre not as fat as you imagine.

Dont worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Dont be reckless with other peoples hearts, dont put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Dont waste your time on jealousy; sometimes youre ahead, sometimes youre behindthe race is long, and in the end, its only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Dont feel guilty if you dont know what you want to do with your lifethe most interesting people I know didnt know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds know still dont.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, youll miss them when theyre gone.

Maybe youll marry, maybe you wont, maybe youll have children, maybe you wont, maybe youll divorce at 40, maybe youll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversarywhat ever you do, dont congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either your choices are half chance, so are everybody elses. Enjoy your body, use it every way you candont be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, its the greatest instrument youll ever own..

Danceeven if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you dont follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when theyll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do youll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Dont expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Dont mess too much with your hair, or by the time its 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than its worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen...

CaptainComedy · 11 May 2010 at 13:46

1 if you've started something, don't stop until you've finished it
2 the easy way in life is to make a career out of what you enjoy
3 if you want to do something you've got to do it yourself, anyone that wants to come along is not your equal, partner or team mate, they are just advisors
4 school is ****, college is ok, uni is great. So don't let your school experience stop you from thinking you can be what you want to be.

coming from a guy with 1 gcse at c and rest at d or below,
2 GNVQ's in IT and Business at grades Merit
1 2:1 degree (5% from 1st) in computer science. (shows how crap the system is)
and my college teachers said I would never make it in I.T

I now work one of the top 10 digital agencies in London on a good wage.

mrbios · 11 May 2010 at 14:09

DeFrEaTs said:
Don't give all the crap about being different and knowing the time is right to marry etc at 20, 22, etc. You are just being an idiot.

I'll come back here in 7 years time and say you're wrong. everyone is different, i've lived with my partner for 3 and a half years, she will never get me in debt, she has none and i have none (not counting a mortgage together) i control the finances and she understands that, i want a child, she wants a child, i don't care for the whole "sleep around get wasted" lifestyle and much prefer the one i have.

Don't call people an idiot when you don't know them, just because your life didn't work out the way you had hoped.

platinum87 · 11 May 2010 at 14:21

^TANK^ said:
****.

Wouldnt expect a softy like you to understand

Mr Jack · 11 May 2010 at 14:26

Just as an aside, I think it's kinda cute that anyone thinks we 30-somethings are deep sinks of wisdom acquired from life experience.

cu3ed · 11 May 2010 at 15:38

We only know from our own screw ups lol!

HypnoToad · 11 May 2010 at 15:44

keep an open mind and don't be afraid to try new things

DeFrEaTs · 11 May 2010 at 15:47

mrbios said:
I'll come back here in 7 years time and say you're wrong. everyone is different, i've lived with my partner for 3 and a half years, she will never get me in debt, she has none and i have none (not counting a mortgage together) i control the finances and she understands that, i want a child, she wants a child, i don't care for the whole "sleep around get wasted" lifestyle and much prefer the one i have.

Don't call people an idiot when you don't know them, just because your life didn't work out the way you had hoped.

I wouldn't expect you to say anything else now. I'm just the guy that you will never become

I really hope that you can come back here in 7 years time and say I was wrong, for your sake and for your potential kid's.

The IPB · 11 May 2010 at 15:49

^TANK^ said:
I'm 28 this year and echo something similar to the above, don't take soft drugs for granted because you'll lose yourself and you only have yourself to blame when your mind has gone to ****!

I'm another who has been in this boat and agrees.

^TANK^ · 12 May 2010 at 03:48

platinum87 said:
Wouldnt expect a softy like you to understand

Get over yourself, your as ruthless as a paper cup!

Freefaller · 12 May 2010 at 06:40

^TANK^ said:
Get over yourself, your as ruthless as a paper cup!

LOL!

Freefaller · 12 May 2010 at 06:41

^TANK^ said:
Get over yourself, your as ruthless as a paper cup!

Fuzz · 12 May 2010 at 20:08

I was going to say the Baz luhrmann lyrics but I see it's been done a few times already.
So I shall have to dispense some of my own.

No matter how many people tell you stuff about being older, you will not believe it.

Only when you are older you will realise we were all right!

There is only one life. LIVE IT. No one will ever hold it against you.

Do the right thing ( the right thing is what you FEEL, not what you are told is right)

When you look back, it is what you did that put you where you are..
Do the things that matter to you most and you will be in the right place to look back.

Most of all, be happy and enjoy the ride as one day you will fall asleep and never wake up

Surfer · 12 May 2010 at 20:35

1. Go to and enjoy uni + social scene to the fullest.

2. Learn another language (even if its klingon

) or a musical instrument.

3. If you are going to get something on credit or be stupid with money do it when you are young so you learn that lesson earlier.

4. Travel to loads of places.

Muban · 12 May 2010 at 20:58

Respect yourself, it's difficult for other people to treat you with respect if you don't.
Treat people in the way you would like to be treated.
Once you are an adult there is no 'right' age for anything. People are different, what is the right age for one person isn't right for another, it's about the individual.
Don't change who you are for someone else. It won't make them happy and it won't make you happy either.
Make your own choices.
Don't worry about what might happen, either do something about it or (if there is nothing you can do about it) stop worrying.

SoundsGood · 12 May 2010 at 21:02

Keep a todo list, update it every day.

Keep your goals in mind and you'll always find a way to reach them.

ShaolinDreams · 12 May 2010 at 21:07

35 here.

Party, Work and Love Hard! But the one thing i found out i really want in life, is a family of my own.. having a wife and kids living in a happy environment is the only thing that matters to me

still looking!

regulus · 12 May 2010 at 21:11

r2d2 said:
I will try and give some advice to you here mate
Look at it this way. A man takes a job, you know? And that job - I mean, like that - That becomes what he is. You know, like - You do a thing and that's what you are. Like I've been a cabbie for thirteen years. Ten years at night. I still don't own my own cab. You know why? Because I don't want to. That must be what I want. To be on the night shift drivin' somebody else's cab. You understand? I mean, you become - You get a job, you become the job. One guy lives in Brooklyn. One guy lives in Sutton Place. You got a lawyer. Another guy's a doctor. Another guy dies. Another guy gets well. People are born, y'know? I envy you, your youth. Go on, get laid, get drunk. Do anything. You got no choice, anyway. I mean, we're all *****d. More or less, ya know.

Hope this helps mate.

Sounds awfully much like what Anthony Hopkins's character said in the movie 'Bobby'. Not accusing you of plagiarism, just saying that it does sound familiar

regulus · 12 May 2010 at 21:14

My own pearl of wisdom

Stop chasing money, it will never make up for that empty feeling or be a substitute for the things that really lack in your life.