Valuable Advice for Young People
The most valuable thing we have is life itself. Next, probably, comes health, both physical and mental, and if that’s in order, everything else will be fine too.
Wisdom and an understanding of things that used to be out of reach come with experience. But you can’t go back in time with the experience you have now, so it’s worth always listening to the older generation and thinking over their advice: as a rule, they’re wiser.
As a child I couldn’t wait to start school, and after school, to start adult life: technical college, then university. At every stage I gained experience and knowledge and moved on.
Now a new stage has begun, one without such clear boundaries – adult life. It’s the stage when you support yourself, make your own decisions, work and look for your direction for the next 20–30 years, or longer if you’re lucky.
What I’ve learned so far
- You can’t stand still. You need to keep developing, learning and traveling.
- Exercise every day, even a little. Anyone can do 10 pull-ups and a 10-minute run.
- Set goals and reach them instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself.
- If it didn’t work, try again. Everyone fails sometimes, and experience and wisdom grow over time.
- Learn from others. If your own knowledge isn’t enough, there are always people nearby worth learning from.
- Listen to your elders. Their mistakes and experience come to us for free – it would be a shame not to use them.
What advice would you give your younger self?