RealTalkAJ

I’d tell myself that I should spread out my trust past the few friends that I have at the moment.

To sum up the message it’s to not put all my eggs in one basket. That’s an important piece of advice because I had fewer friends than most but I would put a lot of time, energy and effort into the ones I would hang with. I’d give myself that advice because as you grow in one direction; so do your friends. And the harsh truth is not all relationships last as long as you would like them to. It can be disappointing to hear and if I were to hear that as my younger self I probably wouldn’t even wanna listen to myself but it’s just a life truth that I found happens.

What are three words to tell your younger self?

Don’t get attached.

I pick those words because they’re most appropriate for what my situations were growing up.

I was the type of guy that would be what most consider ‘too loyal’ and when I reflect on it that made situations tougher than they had to be.

Maybe that’s just classic attachment issues in wanting the feeling of being wanted constantly.

It’s therapy for me to even get these thoughts out because I never really got the chance to share this with many people.

Again, I lost friends I grew up with, cut some off because either too toxic to me, vice-versa or it was a mutual thing.

If I took that 3 word piece of advice then I’d have lower investment in the relationships that I saw myself working overly hard to maintain (or grow).

What do you say to your 18 year old self?

I’d make it a question, “Is this what you really wanna do?”

That’d be my question because it would be the moment I would go from high school to college.

In reflection the college I ended up going to was a brief moment of desperation to continue sports, not even education really.

It was cool to tell other people I was for sure going to another school out of state and compete on a national level, but how much of it was because that was what I truly wanted is what I could’ve been asked more.

I could think of 3 other schools that I wanted to attend before I picked the one I ultimately ended up going to.

Final thoughts

It’s relieving being able to reflect on what I consider the most important moments of my life through this question.

I got a picture of myself when I was a baby that I see often and think of ways I’ll be able to see my future child up for a better life than I did.

It’s not in ways that most would expect by thinking I had things hard or anything but making sure that personal happiness within reason comes first.

That’s a mission because there’s much better things that come from happy youth that go on to do great things.

It’s just something I believe.