To all the 25+years old, what advice would you give to the younger kids ??

[Guest JoshDwellington]

Hey,

I'd like to invite those above 25 to share some advice to the youngsters, just so we don't make the same mistakes, or get caught up in some crazy useless debts for example!!

On topics such as :

_ general advice

_ financial

_ professional

_ intimate

_ social

feel free to add some more

I'm only 21, so I'm more of a listener now

But my auntie and sister gave me a good tip :

" don't date too seriously when you're still under 20"

Josh

[Mahone]

Good thread idea! I'll be watching intently! (I'm 23).

[Vort]

Alrighty, ya young whippersnappers! Listen up, ya hear?

_ general advice

• Happy wife, happy life. Learn it. Live it. Love it.
• Ignore nasty people, unless you like being your own worst self.
• Repent at least daily.
• When riding a motorcycle, only cover up the body parts you don't want scraped off.
• Candy and soda pop waste your money and your health.
• Do what is right; let the consequence follow. But realize: The consequence will ALWAYS follow. Be ready for it.

_ financial

• Always pay tithing.
• Pay yourself 10% starting at or before age 25; invest it in blue chip stocks. By the time you approach retirement age, you will be comfortably set for the rest of your life -- even if you live a long, long time.
• If you're playing the market, only gamble money you don't mind losing.
• When you've found where you're going to live, buy, don't rent. And don't buy more house than you can afford.
• A used car is generally a better value than a new car, but if you're spending every weekend keeping the hunk of junk running, either find a better used car outlet or buy new -- unless you actually like spending your weekends keeping the jalopy running.

_ professional

• Your job is to make your boss happy. This is true no matter what profession you train in.
• Get to work early. Work at work. Go home and don't worry about work until you go again.
• Find a job you enjoy and never work a day in your life.

_ intimate

• 'Tis far more blessed to give than to receive.
• Never pee on your carpet (speaking metaphorically, and I suppose literally, too). You, and she, will live forever; treat each other as such.
• If you must criticize, keep a ratio of at least seven "atta girl"s (or "atta boy"s for the women) to each "aw shucks!"
• Praise publicly. Criticize privately.
• If you wait for your wife to make the move, prepare for a life of near-celibacy. The blunt truth: If left to her own devices, the mythical "average woman" will initiate sex maybe once a month. It's not that she dislikes sex, it's just that she makes it the lowest priority. The husband's job is to help her overcome this through many years of patient, gentle persuasion.
• Love means always being willing to say you're sorry.
• If you've wronged your children, apologize to them. Being the parent doesn't mean refusing to admit when you're wrong.
• You are not your child's buddy. You are his or her parent. Act like it. In fifty years, the buddies will be distant, hazy memories, but you'll still be the parent.
• If you didn't honor your parents when you were young, spend extra effort doing so as an adult. If you dislike your parent(s), try even harder to honor them.

_ social

• If you wait until the house is perfectly clean to invite friends over, you will never have friends over.
• Friends with varying viewpoints from yours and a kind way of discussing differences are often the most valuable. Cultivate such friends and work on being one yourself.
• When the quorum asks for volunteers to help out, raise your hand.
• Don't skip ward or quorum socials. Make the effort to go. You will be glad you did.

Edited August 12, 2009 by Vort

[Just_A_Guy]

Finish your education as soon as possible.

[Moksha]

1. Floss and brush regularly

2. Use synthetic oil in your car

3. Never take up hang gliding

4. Make liberal education a life long goal

5. Be kind to the people you meet - this will give you a clear conscience when you get old.

:)

[Guest]

I have TONS of advice...

I'll offer a few here:

1.) professional

Choose a career that you enjoy and you're good at. There is nothing more awesome in the professional world than doing something you love and getting paid for it.

Look at opportunities with long lenses. It might sound great right now but it might be a dead-end job. It is better to take a low-paying job that is a ground-floor for greater opportunities than taking a higher-paying job that leads to nowhere.

Always look and act professional. If you can, dress one level above your position and be cleanly groomed. You will notice that your attitude will match your attire. You will also notice that people will take you more seriously and deal with you more professionally by the impression they get from how you look.

Always be kind and helpful to everybody - even the janitors. The comfortable feeling you induce to everybody around you makes you the "good guy" and adds to your reputation.

2.) financial

Pay cash for everything. Mortgage and car payments are the only loans you should have. A credit card is a noose around your neck. It chips away your freedom. If you can't pay cash for it, don't buy it. Save for a purchase and purchase wisely.

Brand name products may be expensive but consider the quality of the item. A Tommy Bahama shirt from TJ Maxx may be expensive but it lasts much longer than a Faded Glory shirt from Wal-mart. Of course, $600 Jimmy Choo shoes is just ridiculous!

Take very good care of your stuff. A Tommy Bahama shirt is a waste with a big bleach stain running down the front. It is assinine to have to buy another set of screwdrivers because you can't find the one your dad gave you for your birthday.

Do you really need 5 pairs of sneakers? 20 pairs of jeans? 40 shirts? Go for quality instead of quantity.

A house is always better than a rental in any economy as long as you can put 20% down and the mortgage is no more than 1/3 of your pay.

Listen to Dave Ramsey. He knows his stuff!

3.) intimate

"Of course I'm a virgin. You know how I picky I am with my shoes and they only go on my feet." -Clueless

Great advice there. If he/she is not good enough to marry, he/she is not good enough to have sex with.

Love is more than a feeling. It is a decision. Don't go into a relationship thinking you can change somebody. Go into a relationship with eyes open. Observe and decide - is this something I can deal with for eternity? If not, don't wait for it to change. Go find somebody else. Loving somebody means taking in the good with the bad.

4.) social

"Good manners are just a way of showing other people we have respect for them"

"A lady or a gentleman is someone who always tries to make sure the people around him or her are as comfortable as possible."

-Blast from the Past

Add that to your scriptures. It is a form of Charity. And Charity is the stuff that gives you that warm-and-fuzzy-happy-joy feeling that lasts a long time. And it is very attractive.

Confidence is not optional. It is a requirement. Find your "zone" and get to know your "strengths". Work on your "weaknesses" and know that you are one awesome person!

5.) general advice

HAVE FUN! Remember, there is stupid fun and there is fun fun. Stupid fun is just fun for a short time and then you pay. Fun fun is the stuff for the memory books.

Your body is your enabler. Keep it healthy, keep it safe. Exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, avoid excesses. Take care of yourself.

Your brain is your power. Keep it sharp, keep it clear. Study, listen, and learn. Go to college, get a master's degree, learn sign language... whatever interests you.

Good luck!

[bytor2112]

Everyday is a new opportunity to be all that you had hoped to become....don't waste it.

Waiting for the winds of change

To sweep the clouds away

Waiting for the rainbow's end

To cast its gold your way

Countless ways

You pass the days

Waiting for someone to call

And turn your world around

Looking for an answer

To the question you have found

Looking for

An open door

You don't get something for nothing

You can't have freedom for free

You won't get wise

With the sleep still in your eyes

No matter what your dreams might be

What you own is your own kingdom

What you do is your own glory

What you love is your own power

What you live is your own story

In your head is the answer

Let it guide you along

Let your heart be the anchor

And the beat of your own song

You don't get something for nothing

You can't have freedom for free

You won't get wise

With the sleep still in your eyes

No matter what your dreams might be

[KrazyKay]

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry your scriptures with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape or CD while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus.'

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33 Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

[Connie]

Does this mean i don't have to take any of this advise because i'm over 25..... WHAT! WAIT! I did not just say that! I'm not a day over 20! You can't prove anything! I will deny it all!!!

[KrazyKay]

Does this mean i don't have to take any of this advise because i'm over 25..... WHAT! WAIT! I did not just say that! I'm not a day over 20! You can't prove anything! I will deny it all!!!

If you looked at my birth certificate, it says I turn 31 this year But I tell everyone I'm not a day over 16

[bytebear]

To all the 25+years old, what advice would you give to the younger kids ??

Wow, 25 is old now? How about, when you are 35, you will look at 25 like you 20 somethings look at 15. Every decade is completely new and exciting. and your life will go in directions you never expected. I can't wait for the next 10 years. I turn 40 in 2 weeks!

[Vort]

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

Please confine such comments to the polygamy threads. No need to hijack.

[MarginOfError]

Marry a girl with a college degree, then let her get as much education as she wants.

[KrazyKay]

Please confine such comments to the polygamy threads. No need to hijack.

I wasn't implying polygamy, how'd you get polygamy from that

[Honor]

I'm only 21, so I'm more of a listener now

But my auntie and sister gave me a good tip :

" don't date too seriously when you're still under 20"

Josh

Hmm and tack onto that one, and don't get married before 25...

[Dravin]

If you looked at my birth certificate, it says I turn 31 this year But I tell everyone I'm not a day over 16

You aren't, you're 15 years over 16.

Hmm and tack onto that one, and don't get married before 25...

That one was easy enough.

[beefche]

I wasn't implying polygamy, how'd you get polygamy from that

<pssst! KrazyKay! it was a joke. of the funny variety...get it? you are talking about 1 or 2...>

[Vort]

I wasn't implying polygamy, how'd you get polygamy from that

Just a joke, Krazy. :)

[KrazyKay]

Just a joke, Krazy. :)

I still don't get it But then there are many things that other people get that go right over the top of my head, lol.

[Jenamarie]

Wow. I didn't realize I wasn't a part of the "younger crowd" any more! Only 27!

So, anyway, my advice:

* If you love someone, let them know, even if it means you risk losing their friendship because they don't return the love. You'll likely lose them anyway to someone else if they don't know you're interested.

* You'll never be "ready" to have kids. It's all on-the-job training, and even the authors of parenting books screwed up a few times.

* Don't worry about people's opinion of you unless they're: 1. The Lord; 2. Your spouse and children; or 3. Yourself. Everyone else doesn't know you well enough to correctly judge you, and trying to please people who play only a transient roll in your life will lead to unnecessary stress, because you CAN'T make everyone happy, and not everyone wants to be your friend. And oftentimes the requirements for being "well thought of" in other people's eyes are superficial and not of any real value.

* Make sure to have your picture taken at least yearly, even if you feel like you're "too fat". This is *especially* true after you have kids. What a tragedy it would be if you died while you're children were still very young and they had no pictures of you and them together.

* TRAVEL! Whether you're single, or married but still childless, travel as far and as often as your budget will allow!

* When you get married, pay for it yourself. You'll avoid going overboard, and you'll get the wedding YOU want, not the wedding your parents want. Also, let your bridesmaids pick their own dresses. (or, better yet, don't have bridesmaids!)

* Finish your degree before having kids. It's SO much harder to do that when you have kids.

[KrazyKay]

* Finish your degree before having kids. It's SO much harder to do that when you have kids.

Amen to that. I'm living proof that it's so much harder with kids. I graduated high school in 1997, had my daughter in March 2000 and fall 2000 went back to school - I still haven't finished my B.S. degree

Although my R.S. president thinks I'm (actually superwoman, but you get the idea) because during the school year I work part time as a substitute at the high school, go to college as close to full time as I can, take care of my husband who has autism (high functioning) and diabetes as well as our 9 year old daughter, take care of the housework, work my garden, and play the piano for R.S.

But that is why 9 years after starting college, I'm still working on my B.S. degree: Mathematics 5-12.

I can not stress this one enough - DO NOT have kids until you finish your degree.

[hordak]

1. Never get less than 12 hours of sleep

2. Never date a girl with the tattoo of a dagger anywhere on her body

3. Never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city.

[Vort]

I still don't get it But then there are many things that other people get that go right over the top of my head, lol.

You wrote:

Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.

I suggested that you were making a remark about polygamy.

Consider your remark in the context of polygamy.

...one...not enough...two...too many...

Okay, I didn't say it was hilarious. But I thought it was worth a chuckle.

[the Ogre]

Don't piss off people with more guns than you.

Don't get involved with politics, its boring.

Don't smoke too much dope, unless you like long talks with your bishop.

Don't laugh at your teenagers dating errors to their faces. They won't get it and they'll get a complex.

Don't care about anything except G-d and H-s imperitives too much.

Do laugh a lot.

Do get involved with local institutions like sports or the high-school poetry club.

Do drink loads of water, but do eat as many cheeseburgers as possible.

Do laugh with you teenagers at all the stupid things you did as a teenager.

Do care about the people surrounding you and remember they are G-d's imperatives.

[Moksha]

Given the criteria for this thread, it would be of double importance if Pam were to offer some advice.

:)