The premise here is that I've learned something of value in the last ten years that if applied -- were I transported back in time -- I could better my life. My only thoughts on the matter are about my children.
My girls have grown from 9 and 4 to 19 and 14 in the last ten years and I hope that I've learned something about parenting in that time. I am sadly certain that I'd make many of the same mistakes despite the passing years. I try every day, but still miss the mark too often for my own comfort.
I know that I am not the most gifted parent, but from the birth of my older daughter I committed to be home by 5 every day, home on the weekends, to be sober (always) and gentle (firm when necessary, but never violent) and respectful of them (which I try to do, but fail sometimes). I do these things, but wish I did them better. Nothing else matters, not money or status or career or material possessions. If I had ten years back, I'd try to be a better parent.
This is the most helpful one I've seen. TP.
I'm 26, but lots of 26 year old's have posted here. I've been searching terribly for 36 year olds and what they'd do differently.
Anybody under 22, I have some advice for you:
TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL
I'm 26 and it seems that this is around the time in life when your life begins to settle down. My friends are marrying and settling into careers, talking about pension plans, and I'm in the first year of what I could see being the career for the rest of my life.
During summer breaks from college, TRAVEL.
After you graduate college, put off a job unless it's an offer you can't possibly turn down and TRAVEL.
I spent 2.5 months living in Guatemala, volunteering as a teacher assistant at a school for children living in poverty. It was the most meaningful 2.5 months of my 26 years of life. I also got to meet people from all around the world and it makes you look at life and the world completely differently. I racked up a lot of debt doing it, but still don't regret a second of it.
My only partial regret is that I haven't yet done it another time Africa and again in Costa Rica or South America and in as many different places as possible. But, luckily, I still have time...