Three Life Lessons I Wish I Had Learned Earlier
While reading Life’s Missing Instruction Manual : The Guidebook You Should Have Been Given at Birth
- Watch out for #1 – That means YOU. There’s only one person looking out for you, and it’s not your mom (sorry Mom, I still love you!). Some people may appear to be your friend, or a business colleague you can trust*, but they’re also looking out for their #1 (themselves). So, take care of yourself, first. This goes for your professional, family, and social life. While family may sound harsh, if you don’t take care of yourself first, who will be there to take care of your family?
*I fully trust only 2 people in this world: my wife and my colleague Paul. I’ve just been burned too many times before to fully trust anyone else. I’m not saying I think the rest of the world is scum… I just don’t fully trust anyone else. - Getting into credit card debit is quicker (and more fun) than getting out of it – Do I need to elaborate? The point says it all. Based on the program I’ve been following for 1-1/2 years now, I have 41 months left just to clear my credit cards! Is it fun? No! Well, OK… a little. I enjoy whacking down the balance. But I had a lot more fun buying lots of crap and letting a balance ride!
I’m not saying only use cash – in today’s society, you need a credit card. What I am saying, however, is to keep that card paid off. “Just once” is all it takes to go down the slippery slope of credit card debt. - When today is done, there’s no getting it back – I had two ideas for the last life lesson, and I managed to cram them both into this one. This lesson has two meanings to it:
- You must live with what you’ve done today
- You must live with what you haven’t done today
Pretty deep stuff. Whatever actions you took today, you did it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Hopefully there’s more good than bad & ugly. If not, I’m sorry to say, you have to live with that for the rest of your life. There’s no taking it back. Do more good tomorrow than you did today, and someday you’ll be where you want to be.
On the other hand, what about the things you didn’t do today? I think about this all the time, as I have kids who are growing up way too quick. When one comes sneaking into our bedroom, and asks to sleep with Laura and I, every time we say no is a lost opportunity. Every time I choose to work, rather than play with them, or tell them they have to go to bed early is time I cannot get back. This is probably the reason why I set my alarm clock on the weekend – so I don’t miss anything. I’m up at 6AM, well before the rest of the family is. That’s my alone time – not when they want to play. As Steve says, “you can sleep when you’re dead” – right now, there’s too much life waiting to be lived.
I’m going to turn this into a tagging exercise. Because there are three life lessons, I’m going to tag three people:
- Paul
- Steve
- Shoemoney (I’m stretching on this one – he doesn’t even return my emails – it’s like tagging Steve Jobs)
If you post about your three life lessons to share, be sure to trackback. Or, leave your list in the comments. I’d love to hear some others, as they’ll benefit us all.
I like your #1. I learned that over and over again the hard way. I’m also a fan of the beginning of #3 although the whole family thing doesn’t really apply to me. How about my big three financial lessons from my 20′s from third worst to worst, saving the biggest mistake for last?
#3) I bought a new truck in 2005 when I didn’t need to. Not terrible, but it was still a mistake and will need up costing a lot more then the truck in lost investment growth in time. Even buying one coming off a two year lease would have been better and probably what I’ll do many many many years fro now when the time comes. Buying new is {financially} stupid.
#2) Don’t work for free. I still do this too cause I’m a nice guy. I guess I’ll never learn. One of my side jobs I invested a significant amount of my time for over 18 months into a project, and didn’t get paid at all for my troubles, always with the promise of things will get better for m when things got better for the business. Sales people are snakes. Well, at least most of them are. Don’t trust em. I file this one under lost time.
#1) Don’t be greedy with stocks. I had an opportunity to pay for half of my house and let the rest ride with one of my holdings, but I let it all ride and ended up loosing most of it. OK, locking it into the house at 6% is silly in itself, but you get the idea. I screwed up.
Anyways, over the last year I’ve tried to focus less on the money and more on being happy. Money can only buy fake temporary happiness. Go outside. Get some fresh air. Eliminate as much of the BS from your life as you can. Be happy.
-Raymond
Lesson number 3 is really interesting. It tells me:
1) It is useless to have regrets
2) Jack, try to do better tomorrow