If you had ten years of your life back with the knowledge you have right now...

[thirstyboots18]

This comes up about every ten years, and the answer changes with my life,     As or now, I wouldn't change anything.  Because of my regrets, or maybe inspite of my regrets, I am in a terrific place.  My life as of this minute is very satisfying.  Tomorrow, the answer could change again.

[Bahku]

Invest every penny in Google. (I apologize, I have some great deep, philosophical stuff, too, but I've got to be in the right mood ... I'm feeling way too monetary at the moment).

[ACF]

Two things: I wish I had spent more time with my father (he died two years ago) and I wish I had continued keeping myself in shape. That is pretty much it.

[lon3lytoaster]

Ten years ago, with the same knowledge.. I'd be one hell of a smart eight year old. Course, since I would only be 8 there probably wouldn't be a lot of things I could do, as well.. So I don't know. Maybe play basketball a little harder, or stay with hockey.

[DKClassic]

Cool thread.  without going into detail I guess, I wouldn't have thrown away the last 4-5 years of my life.  I consider 2005 to be best year in my life so far, but then it all went downhill from 2006-2009.

On a less depressing note, I wish I would have started to listen to Jazz 10 years ago, because sadly most of the pioneers are starting to hit really old age at this point.  Maybe I missed out, but there may be a good future for the music as well.

[Bahku]

I'd be ten years younger, and just as confused.

[coco]

I would have taken that "less paying offer" job back then.  Not taking it forced us to move away from family (accross the country). 

[celticmaestro]

"My God".

That was my reaction when I thought of that scenario of getting ten years back with current knowledge. Jaw open 'n all.

[slamtheking]

10 years wouldn't be enough for me to consider changing except if I knew the winning Powerball numbers when the jackpot got huge.

I'd have to go back 15-20 years (back to when I was 25-30) to change my outlook in life.  Be more confident with women and people in general instead of being extremely shy and quiet.  I wasn't shy in my college days and I should have kept that part of my personality going forward.  I also would have put more time into developing myself professionally to give myself more options for jobs.  I make a great pay and do work that I like but I could be doing something more interesting and exciting.  

[CDawg834]

I would have eaten a lot healthier and exercised more.  If I had the diet now that I had at 16 I would be 300 pounds.  Chinese buffet a couple times a month is OK...a couple times a week...not so much.

[thirstyboots18]

I wouldn't be any smarter...just younger.

[action781]

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...