Things We Wish We Could Tell Our Younger Selves

As we age we gain experience and maturity and often think "man if only I knew this when I was younger." We've all been in those situations before. In fact, there's been countless songs written about this exact scenario. One of my favorites is from country singer Brad Paisley. It's called "Letter To Me" which you can listen to on Youtube. So think about it. If you were presented with the opportunity to share advice with your younger self, what would you tell you? MSN Lifestyle put together a list of 40 things we wish we could tell our younger selves. Here are some of my favorites. You can find the entire list at MSN.com.

  1. Don't leave vacation days unused - I did this last year. I was so busy before the end of the year I literally couldn't figure out which days to take off and I fully regret it. Although being out of the office would have caused some stress on me I know I would have been fine in the end so I should have just used those last vacation days instead of letting them go to waste.
  2. Quit tanning - We used to tan before every single dance when I was in high school. Thank goodness I didn't ruin my skin too much but I now understand just how bad it was for me and truthfully looking back at old pictures, I don't even look that great!
  3. Listen to your intuition - This is definitely something that comes with age and experiences. The older you get the more you know to trust yourself.
  4. Make exercise a priority - I was a dancer growing up so I was active 6-7 days a week and didn't need to exercise. But when I went to college and didn't dance or play sports I ended up gaining a lot of weight because I went from being super active to not at all really (among other things of course). I now go to the gym usually 5-6 days a week and make it a priority. I don't go to get skinny though. I go because I feel so much better and I want to live a healthier lifestyle. The moment I started a routine it was much easier to continue going and now I love it.
  5. Accepting help doesn't mean you're weak - I'm still learning this one. Imagine how less stressful our lives could be if we just asked for help.
  6. Be forgiving of yourself and others - No one is prefect and we can't be everything to everyone. Nor can they be that for us either. Our relationships with ourselves and others will improve so much with some forgiveness and understanding.
  7. Try new things, especially if you think you won't like them - I have one major regret from the year I lived abroad in Madrid, Spain. I don't eat pork/ham so while I was living there I refused to try any of their hams. The country is known for their jamon serrano, iberico, etc. and I never tried it! What is wrong with me? I still don't eat (American) ham now but I've opened my world up to trying some new foods and I'm so glad I did! I've been missing out on some good stuff!
  8. Say "no" more often - This is another tough one for me. I'm a yes person. I'll do everything I can to figure out a way to make it work and sometimes that is just not the best way to be.
  9. You won't always have the luxury of time, so make the most of it now - My Dad always says how fast time goes especially the older you get. I always understood that but it's totally different when you're living it. I can't believe how fast time is going! We better make sure we're enjoying every single day.


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