What advice would you give to a person in their early 20s?

as someone in their 20's, I am glad I found this thread.

I need some inspiration and guidance through these times.

First off,I want to commend you for even asking older members for their wisdom and advice. I find most your age,even my own darn kids,know everything and could care less what anyone with experience has to say in any regard. There have been many amazing suggestions thrown your way and I can only echo those words...with the exception of Lysergic's tattoo on your face,lmao Lys....really? If I could give you any advice,it would be to travel. Meet new people. Define your morals and values,and never compromise them,for anyone.

never ever ever ever ever ever have children as those little gifts from God will drain you dry .

and if you are ever stupid enough to get hitched get a pre-nuptual

and party like hell

What a great thread

My advice to a younger Cody

Never doubt yourself young man, if you want that dream go out and do what it takes to get it, choose your friends well and laugh often.

As a younger man I worked hard, very hard, to follow a dream of travelling the world before settling down, I left England in 1993 and returned in 2003, an older and much more importantly wiser and more humble man.

I wouldn't swap those years for anything, I saw amazing things and ended up married, divorced, a father, a soldier, a dish washer, fruit picker, and met my new wife and soul mate from a different continent, the list goes on and on.

Be true to yourself, don't be afraid to love, and don't ever get to my age 47 and think "I wonder what would have happened if."

I have one regret, I haven't made it to the USA yet, but I will

Just my 2 cents

Cody

acacko
learn Chinese

And Spanish

The world is changing rapidly! Many here would like for America to retreat into an isolationist stance but it's not going to happen.
Those prepared for the new global para-dime will prosper and those folks infected with intellectual myopia will be SOL.

Don't be afraid of change because it's out of your control anyway. Think, adapt, keep an open mind and reap the rewards. You are entering the most exciting time this planet has ever seen!!

Live your dreams before getting married and starting a family because once you start down that path; your freedom of choice is
finished.


If you are going to dream...............dream BIG!

No rules, no limits and no excuses!

reply to post by Honestabe28


"What advice would you give to a person in their early 20s?"


Work hard.
Don't talk, listen.
Be polite.
Be generous.
Be kind.
Be humble.
Be forgiving.
Don't anchor yourself, travel.
Read, anything.

Good luck!

dont smoke meth

I feel like I should be paying you all for this advice...I wish I could reply to each of you individually but my class schedule prevents me from doing that. I will be reading each and every one of these and the future posts and keeping them in my mind regularly.

Thank you for taking the time to help anyone in their 20s that may stumble onto this, and myself. It is greatly appreciated.


"Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind."

reply to post by Psykotik


Seems legit.

reply to post by TheToastmanCometh


I'm glad you stumbled onto this too

Hi!

All good advice so far!
Pretty much 2manyholes, network dude & GMan 420,
have already said what I was going to say.

My father always said, "Don't ever fall into the credit card trap!
They will be the ruination of the country!" He was pretty smart!
We haven't had any since the interest rates were 2.5% & 5%,
& interest was deductible, so you know that was a while ago!

It's all a big lie! You don't NEED one, it's not a necessity!
We have gone on vacation, reserved hotel rooms,
purchased airline tickets, even overseas ones, without any!

What you can't use a debit card for, which is very few things,
you can purchase a preloaded one for!
We got one from AAA to travel with, just in case.

Live within your means! If you don't have the cash, wait until you do!
There is nothing that will give you the sense of peace & security,
that having financial freedom will!!!
When my grandmother died, we bought her house.
It wasn't fancy, but we got a good deal on it!
And there was enough equity in it, that we didn't need a down payment!

It was in 1983 & the interest rate was 11.25%!
Later a local bank was running a 5 year special on mortgages for 6.25%.
Because we had been thrifty, we were able to qualify & paid off our house in 5 years!
And that was on one income, because I stayed home with the kids!
That way if something unexpected happens, you always have equity in your house to use!

If/when you get married, never live on both incomes.
As much as possible, only count on one income.
That way, if one of you suddenly becomes unemployed,
you won't lose everything!

You would be surprised how many things you don't NEED!
My great grandmother used to say..."Do you NEED it, or do you just WANT it?"
Unfortunately, our society has become one of instant gratification!
Don't worry about what other people have, most of them are in debt up to their wazoo!!!

Avoid negative people, they will suck the life out of you!
As much as possible, surround yourself with positive, like minded people!

My biggest regret is thinking...someday, when I have time, I'm going to...
I wish I would have made the time, because life marches on,
people move away, pass away, kids grow up...
Savor the little moments, they will seem huge later in life!

And I wish someone had told me that bad things can happen to good people!
I grew up thinking that if you live your life right & stay out of trouble,
only good things will come your way!
I guess because I was lucky & never saw bad things happen growing up.
It was a real shock when reality struck the first time!

So, in a nutshell...Ooops, kinda too late for that!
Enjoy every moment, keep a journal, be independent,
lend a helping hand when you can, love unconditionally, but don't be naïve!

Some golden nuggets I have seen here on ATS:

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away!"

"People won't remember what you say,
people don't care what you have done,
But they will never forget how you made them feel!"

"Be who you are & say what you feel,
because those who mind don't matter,
& those who matter don't mind!"

"Life should not be a journey to the grave,
with the intention of arriving safely, in a pretty & well preserved body,
but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up,
totally worn out, & loudly proclaiming, "Wow! What a ride!!!"

Enjoy your journey!!!
WOQ

As a newly 20 year old all these advice have made me relieved I'm not doing anything at the moment.

No job, no stable home, still finding my way in this world spiritually. But being spiritual doesn't pay the bills...

I want to learn to live, not work to live. Out of the system and in harmony with nature and the truth.
I just want to buy a van and travel and live and in nature. I have a lot to explore here at my home New Zealand.

Dont get old.

reply to post by Honestabe28

Learn many new things and keep learning. Jobs and careers come and go thru stages. Knowing how to do many different things increase your options to stay employed in the long haul.

Volunteer. Citizen Corps is great, C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team-Homeland Security-FEMA -if youre in the states) fully paid training by both that can carry you on into other fields. You can learn to volunteer in many different fields-all are needed.

Learn a language or two. Tutor someone in need.

Expect the unexpected....oh. And always bring an extra pair of shorts!

Don't assume that you will either A) Die young or B) Live forever. Make plans for your future NOW and work hard in your 20's towards making those plans a reality. Your 30's will be much more enjoyable if you don't waste your 20's like I did. Do all the dull stuff you think you can do later now so you don't have to do as much of it then.

I think the most valuable advice I can give you when it comes to work is this:

ALWAYS take pride in your job, no matter how crappy it is. Do it to the best of your ability.
Do the jobs with your employers that no one else wants to do, it is a fast track to better wages
and supervisory/management positions.

Never tell someone you don't know the answer, tell them you can find out or send them to someone who can, but never say you don't know.

Never say "It's not my job"

If you have the opportunity, do your job, and then everyone else's job if they are not done yet.

You can be fast and efficient, but work on fast first.

Always remember, the day/shift does end eventually,no matter how stressful it can get in whatever you do, always keep in mind that it will be over soon.

reply to post by Honestabe28


Despite what our elders will tell you: a 4-year college isn't worth it. You'll be saddled with loads of debt for a piece of paper that has a 50/50 shot of actually helping you. Even if you get a STEM degree, it's not all that great of odds these days. If you feel that you must have one, get a 2 year degree and then transfer to a state school. Wait til you're 24, and that way you won't have an expected family contribution because you have to have one for FAFSA under 24 whether your parents give you a dime or not.

The Baby Boomers will either love you or hate you. Prepare for most of them to call you lazy and entitled no matter how much you work or how many things you do right.

Jobs will disappear beneath your feet, and you will be laid off or pushed to quit again and again and again. Full time jobs are a luxury that you will not have for the most part. That is the new reality that we face. Learn to plan accordingly. If it is at all possible, learn to live on as little as possible, learn to be frugal, and learn ways to keep at least 3 (preferably 6) months in an emergency fund at all times.

Work smart, not hard. When you work hard, you will have slightly better job security, but you will also always have other things shoved on you, and you will never advance because you will become such an important part of an organization or team that they will be screwed without you. Hard workers get reward in our culture by having more crap piled upon them.

Having to move back home for a long while or having to get roomates, sometimes several of them, is the new normal for our generation. Do not be ashamed, and do not listen to people that tell you that you are lazy, a leech, or any other thing. The stereotype of moving out the second you turn 18 is not the norm in human history, and it is quickly becoming an aberration in modern society as well.

You will be put upon greatly by people trying to force you to let them think for you. The thing to keep in mind is that everybody in this world thinks that they've got the key to things and that they're right. Just because somebody comes to you and says that this study supports that and this logic supports that and this obvious fact in the world shows such...it doesn't make it always true. Logic can be faulty, studies can be faked an manipulated, and that obvious fact of the world can be misunderstood. Many men will come to you professing to be a prophet of this and a leader of that and a wise man of such, but you must learn to see their words through the lens of your own life, your own experiences, and through simple common sense.

The best advice that I can tell you is this: If something stinks, then it's probably rotten. Do not be afraid to trust your own instincts. Your gut speaks to you for a reason.

I'm almost 30 and have made so many stupid mistakes that have had lasting repercussions. Here's what I wish I had done and my advice.

-Education should be your focus. Depending on what you want to do (even if you want to own your own business) there is a degree that will help you. Some will say it's a waste of money, and in a lot of ways it is, but until things change that degree is going to be worth it's weight in gold if you can't find the job you want. Community colleges are cheap, offer financial assistance and have more flexible schedules than you would think.

-If you're working, pay yourself first. Take 10% of your paycheck (or whatever you can afford) and invest in a ROTH IRA (You'll thank me when you retire). Google it. You should also be investing in a piggy bank or savings account for rainy days, liquid asset for emergencies.

-Start cooking (crockpots are awesome). It will save you untold amounts of money, and you can eat healthy which will make you feel better. It will also impress anyone you are trying to date.

-Start building good credit. People say avoid credit because they don't understand how it works. You need to have a history. Google this too. Get a credit card BUT DON"T RUN UP THE BILL. DO NOT RUN UP THE BILL! Use it for small stuff, pay it off every month. If you can afford it, take out a SMALL personal loan from the bank. Then don't spend it. You're going to lose money, but in the long run when you have awesome credit and want a new car or a house you will be saving A TON on interest since your credit is good. If you have a car get a gas card instead of credit and stay on top of it. Too many people (me) got in deep trouble with credit cards. You don't have to. No credit is bad too. Creditors look at two kinds of credit, revolving (credit card), and the type you pay off (loans).

-DO NOT waste money on flashy stuff until you can comfortably afford it. You don't want the person that's in love with your TV.

-This is the easiest time to make long lasting friends. Make them, and keep them.

-Join any club or group that you're interested in. You'll meet people you 'click' with.

-Start a workout regimen. It doesn't have to be fancy. The interwebs are full of good workouts you can do for free. Make it a habit, don't slack ass on it. 25 years old to a few months ago I gained 25 pounds. It happens fast, but slow enough you ignore it. Once it starts, it's harder to lose it, and harder to keep it off because while those fat cells shrink, there are still more just waiting.

-Always keep you living area clean. Pretend someone is coming over to 'watch a movie' for a third date. I notice a weird correlation between laziness/procrastination/feeling crappy and my place being clean.

-Your shoes say WAY more about you than you realize. Always wear an appropriate shoe for the occasion (dudes especially). You can get good looking shoes at thrift shops and no one can tell they were only $3.

-Insurance is a pain in the ass, but it's worth it. Get health insurance if you can, never drive without auto insurance. It's worth the few bucks extra a month to up your limits.

-When you meet someone new, make sure to remember their name. When you save their name/email make sure to record a note about things you've learned about them like the name of their kids, their husband or wife and personal interests. Imagine the difference it makes calling someone and asking about their WIfe Judy and how the kids are doing this baseball season compared to just launching into whatever you want from them. Know someone is into golf or tennis? Ask them how you could start and they'll open up like a book.

-Everything in moderation. Don't start wasting money on a habit you didn't need to pick up. I drink too much and smoke. It's insanely expensive.

-Focus on YOU. I don't care if he or she is amazing, dating should be fun. It should be almost entirely positive. Except for the hair pins. ALWAYS with the hair pins.

-The kind of person you want to end up with is the kind of person that respects certain sacrifices, throws your bike in the back of the car and still takes you back for 'coffee'.

Man, I could keep going for hours. Start with that OP. Secure you financial future and focus on yourself. Also have fun!

Be positive and creative. Approaching issues with those two things will always ensure learning and reduce pain.

First, everyone has very good advice (with the one exception of the face tattoo).

Beezer, you meant read everything, didn't you?

My advice: for at least two years, get into a local law enforcement agency. See how the other half lives. Learn from them and their misfortunes. Most everyone you will interact with has brought some kind of misfortune upon themselves, not including the victims. The victims will sometimes make you want to cry. Experience this and learn from every incident.

I was in law enforcement for two and a half years. I'm thinking of writing a very large book about my experience.