What would you say to the past "you"?

[McElroy]

I'm 21 and would say to myself from 5 years ago:

- you will stumble upon a website called thatguywiththeglasses, don't go there, same for tvtropes
- get into economics, it might sound boring now but the following years will prove everyone wrong
- really, dude, you have an affinity for that stuff, it's gonna make you rich too (a white lie can't hurt)
- do push ups
- ask that girl out
- buy Bitcoins and sell in 2013

Things would be really different now.

 

[otakon17]

1. Don't steal; it'll only make your life harder.
2. Get your license as soon as you can.
3. Go to Frostburg.
4. Backup all those PS3 saves you have.

 

[SonofaJohannes]

19 year old me to yesterday's me:
Don't go to training today, you're gonna bust your leg and it'll totally suck, bro.

 

[Headsprouter]

Don't be so rash about things, you dummy. Also work harder.

Even younger: Stop trying to be cool.

24 year-old me to 15-year old me: See that girl there? Either try to e nicer to her and think aout your actions more or don't e friends at all. Trust me, it'll save you a headache later on.

I know that feel. Friends are hard when you're dumb about it.

 

[Whispering Cynic]

"Step aside and let me handle this." Hmm... probably wouldn't work, right? Okay, let's see:

- liquidate these people ASAP, while you still can't be punished for it [give list #1]
- curry favor with these people [give list #2]
- these truths will help you realize your potential ten years earlier than normal [give list #3]
- social sciences are worthless waste of time, go for law or economics instead
- they are lying to you
- watch out for a thing called Bitcoin, buy a few hundred thousand of them when they first appear...

 

[Drops a Sweet Katana]

19 year old self:

To 8 year old self: Stick with hockey and go to practice. You're good at skating, you just need to practice.

To 11 year old self: DO YOU'RE FUCKING HOMEWORK YOU LAZY SHITE! Get in the habit now rather than later when it actually matters like in A-Levels. What are A-Levels you ask? They're a higher education qualification in Britain. Yeah you move there in 3 years. Also get chatting to Michael, Nate and Daniel. Don't wait a year to make friends. They're good kids. Also join track and stick with it. You're pretty much built for speed, you just need to train.

To 12 year old self: You see that new girl over there? The short one with the glasses who you think is kinda cute? Yeah, she likes you. What are you waiting for? Hop to it! You've only got a couple of years with her before you end up on the other side of the Atlantic. Make it count! By the way have you been doing your homework?

To 13 year old self: Stick with the guitar! Don't be lazy! Also don't bother with an electric. Just get an acoustic. Also practice.

To 14 year old self: Hang out with you're friends more and for god sake spend more time with Hannah. Only a couple of months before you move. (A few months later) Welcome to England! Make yourself at home. Also, you'll meet a guy called Russell. Hang out with him more. He'll end up being one of you best friends and pretty much the only person from that school outside of your step-siblings you'll actually give a rat's arse about. Also don't bother with the girls. They're not really worth it. Also put the in work for the stuff you've missed now rather than leave it until next year. It'll save so much stress.

To 15/16 year old self: STUDY FOR YOUR EXAMS! And also use the 3 months off in summer and get a job.

To 16 year old self: Well done for getting into sixth form. It's your first day. You'll meet a girl named Weronika. She likes you. Ask her out. It'll save you a ton of hassle and emotional stress and her from going out with two dickheads. Also study and for god sake get help with your biology coursework or pick a different topic. Effects of low gravity on muscle and bone density is a cool topic for an issue report. Don't let it go to waste. Also when it's done, don't delete the files. You caused untold amounts of stress and frustration for 17 year old me by doing that and barred him from improving the D that you got, so don't. Same thing goes for Art. Put some fucking effort in! You're actually pretty decent at it. Better than a D certainly. I know it's difficult to fit it in between Maths, Physics and Biology, but you'll be a lot less stressed at the end of the year. Also assuming you end up going out with Maisie, spend more time with her. It'll save you both a bunch of stress and you may even end up having sex (zut alors!). Although knowing you, probably not, you frustratingly innocent sod.

To 17 year old self: STUDY STUDY STUDY! Put some god damn work in! You're better than the CCDD you end up getting if you don't! Also get a job. Also when you go to Dad's over Christmas, take a calculator and do some physics and maths revision. If you put in the same amount of work for those as you did for biology you'd probably end up with A's and B's. Also when you apply for universities, apply for UWE. You'll end up meeting some of the best friends you've ever had there.

To 18 year old self: Assuming you've taken my advice, you should have about half the amount of exams in the summer as I had and looking at pretty much high straight B's overall. This should give you the time to study for the last ones and get decent grades in them. You're welcome. Hannah fancies you, by the way. Make a move. Even if it is only for the summer. Right now on to uni. When you move into your accommodation, you'll meet a guy named Alex as he's moving in. You'll find out that he's on the same course as you. Get chatting. Exchange numbers. It's a fast track to the group I told you about earlier. It'll save you a month without good friends. Also go to your tutorials. Especially stress. Particularly the one at 9 on wednesdays. It'll be less hassle and you actually know people in the tutorial. Also study for your January exams please. You only have two. If possible do it over skype with Carolann. You end up doing that for the summer exams and spend 50 hours on DMM, likely saving both of your marks. Doing it in winter will probably bring both your grades up about 20 points at least. Gets you both a 2:1 on both exams at least.

To 19 year old self on the 7th of May: For fuck sake get an early night! Or at least get up at your alarm! Having to run for 20 mins into uni without anything to eat in the morning for an exam is not fun.

To me the next day: Long Island Iced Tea is not your friend don't get it.

 

[Rariow]

"Hey, you, just because those bullies are assholes it doesn't mean everyone else in school is. Go talk to them, develop your social skills, it'll come in very handy later. Also, ask out that girl you'll start liking in the last year of school. It's not actually that hard a thing to do, and you'll get quite upset when you find out she liked you too when you're both studying in different countries a year later."

I'd then time travel to halfway through said last year, punch him in the face, and walk away.

 

[Baron Teapot]

I'd tell myself to relax more and to stop drinking, 'cause it can catch up very quickly.

Then I'd give myself a notebook filled with future gambling results, just to help make my life a thousand times easier. What can I say? I liked the Back to the Future movies.

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

I'm not sure if this would help if I told it to my younger self, 'cuz to be perfectly honest it's something that I struggle with very much right now, but I would tell my younger self (any younger self, doesn't matter; I'm only 18) to stop giving a fuck. Just, in general. I have major anxiety and self-confidence problems, but if I could just stop caring, I'd be free from it to do whatever I want without being afraid of not living up to my own standards.

Basically, I want to get rid of my anxiety. That'd make my life a hell of a lot easier, and probably more fun.

 

[DerangedHobo]

To my 13 year old self:
1. No, just because you're getting older does not mean your life will get better in the slightest.
2. Don't go to 4chan, just don't.
3. Your depression is justified, give up now.
4. Don't go to college or bother, you'll fail anyway.

 

[PinkiePyro]

I would tell my younger self (8 years old) your sister is right beat the stuffing out of chip or it will just keep getting worse and the principal is too stupid to do anything... and beat the tar out of any other bullies that try and mess with you it will save us tons of grief and therapy later in life ...

in reality i was bullied though nearly the entirety of my school life it wasn't until I finally snapped and attacked one of my bullies in high school ( I hit her on the head with my DS so no she wasn't badly hurt) that I ever got any relief

 

[Phasmal]

I'd actually be cautious to tell my past self anything, due to the advice I would give would probably be `never date that guy`- and then that would probably disrupt the very specific circumstances that led me to where I am today. But let's just assume all that stuff would still happen-

"People disliking you is actually not the end of the world. It is better to be a ***** than a doormat"

I always wanted to make everyone happy and have everyone like me (I mean who wouldn't want that), but often I would just passively agree even when I really didn't. Fuck that, better to be hated for you are, etcetera.

"Start doing stuff you want to do, don't be intimidated by nerd gatekeepers"

There are many things I would have gotten into earlier if I wasn't bothered by the type of people who would rather that I did not. Fuck that, too. Let's do stuff.

"Everyone already knows about your social anxiety"

Yeah, I can't believe I actually thought my family didn't know and I had to keep it a secret.

 

[Gunner 51]

I'd tell the my 10 year old self that both Anne deChantraine and Elizabeth Bathory (Atmosfear 3 and 4) was played by the same lady: Frederique Fouche.

But on the serious side, I'd have to warn myself of the turbulent times that will come in about 2 years time when I have to move to Wiltshire and the bullying I'll have to put up with.

I'd tell my 12 year old self to spend a little more time studying and a little less time resting upon my laurels. (And stop playing so much Command and Conquer.)

I'd then then my 14 year old self to keep putting up with the shit life throws at you, because in two years time - it WILL get better at college.

For my 16 year old self, I'd tell me to go take a chance on Louise and Anna. They were nice girls and if they reject you, so be it.

For my 20 year old self - I'd tell myself to keep trying to find employment as much of a grind it was not being able to find anything for a long while.

I'd tell my 22 year old self to make your move on Frances. Me and her would be married with children by 30.

And finally, I'd tell my 25 year old self "In july, talk to Lisa and ask how she is. She WILL give you an answer of "Fine" and sound as peppy, happy and upbeat as ever - but beleive you me, she's hurting inside and she's thinking of committing suicide. It's all her manic depression talking, maybe you can - or maybe you can't talk her out of it, but don't take her words at face value and do TRY. She's one of the good ones.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

25, to my 15 year old self I'd say;

"Greetings from the future. I bring advice which is to our benefit, which you will follow exactly or I will come back to this exact moment in time again and spoil everyone videogame, book, tv show and movie you are going enjoy for the next 10 years."

"Firstly drop that friend of yours now, you know which one. He's an idiot and causes nothing but trouble and although you end up dropping anyway to make better friends, we could have done that much much sooner"

"Use less hair gel you idiot, it doesn't look good and that look will be stuck on your driving license for years"

"Your first job after school is going suck a bit, but don't let it get to you. You're not going to be there long and you'll learn a lot that will help going forward"

"Here is a list of some major sporting upsets, once you turn 18 start betting as much as you can on these events. Trust me, we'll be rich"

 

[Tiger King]

25, to my 15 year old self I'd say;

"Greetings from the future. I bring advice which is to our benefit, which you will follow exactly or I will come back to this exact moment in time again and spoil everyone videogame, book, tv show and movie you are going enjoy for the next 10 years."

"Firstly drop that friend of yours now, you know which one. He's an idiot and causes nothing but trouble and although you end up dropping anyway to make better friends, we could have done that much much sooner"

"Use less hair gel you idiot, it doesn't look good and that look will be stuck on your driving license for years"

"Your first job after school is going suck a bit, but don't let it get to you. You're not going to be there long and you'll learn a lot that will help going forward"

"Here is a list of some major sporting upsets, once you turn 18 start betting as much as you can on these events. Trust me, we'll be rich"

all I can say to you is Istanbul, half time, 2005.

that's what I would do!!

 

[Top35]

Me at 23 telling my 15 year old self:

Do your damned homework and quit skipping out of school.
Learn to study, you won't always be able to just get A's by just remembering everything like you try to now.
Avoid taking Euro history it's just going to be a wasted class, get into Advanced Human Bio.
You know that one gal that seems to sorta kinda like you? She actually does so quick being a wimp and go ask her out, you'll have a lot more fun than if you just sit around doing nothing.
Pick up a Bass, it will be good for you to have some small amount of expression even if you aren't that good.
Start running now. Not only will you become more healthy, but you'll have a lot more fun than you think.

 

[RedDeadFred]

22 year old me to high school me:

"Be more sociable. You'll start enjoying life a lot more."

 

[paiged]

Turning 26 next month, would love to tell 15 year old (or so) me:

1. Please go to therapy. Anxiety doesn't go away on it's own, it gets worse. You think you don't want to go out now? Your mind can cripple you.

2. Pay better attention to the signs your so-called "friends" throw out there. They're not really your friends. Not even that girl you've known since grade 3.

3. Don't worry about boys. Worry about studying, worry about college. Important things. The boys you like are actually not good people anyway, and you'll meet someone who understands you later.

4. Your parents aren't as great as you think they are. Don't take it personally, just get your life together now so you don't have to rely on them later.

This is like my first post in years. I had a bad day today and I actually wish this was something I could do.
So I guess this is my form of venting. Sorry guys. :3