5 pieces of the best advice for young people

There aren't many things that I regret in life but you certainly learn a lot of lessons along the way.

For all the future entrepreneurs, students, high schoolers and teens out there, this post is for you.

Below is a list of things that I wished that I knew earlier. You will all gain your own experience in due time but here are some things that you may want to skip ;)

1. Study further

Many people like to say do not go to college, you do not need a degree and we live in an age where the internet creates so many opportunities. While I agree on this to a large extent I still regret not studying further in a field that I actually got into.

So for context. Many people study degrees for several years and then end up hating the work. If you want to study further then make sure that it is definitely something that you are going to use. It is definitely your passion, you have researched it and you know what you are in for.

I find so many people, later on, have a successful career and started at the bottom again because it was not related to their original degree. That meant that they worked, gained experienced and then studied for several more years.

I take more of a hands-on approach but this is something that cannot be explained until you experience for yourself. I studied graphic design and desktop publishing originally and I loved studying it. Then, I went into the workplace and it was an absolute disaster for me.

I did not like the content that I was producing, the clients were great and I really enjoyed meeting with them to discuss their brand but between the deadlines and being stuck in an office really killed my spirit. I did it for two years and then I decided to do it for myself. Of course, this is not every designer, every person or every job but that was my personal experience and it taught me a lot.

So, the bottom line here is to ensure that you study and you study something that you will be happy in doing for a long duration. I wish you guys all the best for your future and I hope that this helps you.

2. Life is not a team sport

Friends are great. I have met thousands of people but at the end of the day, there are only a handful of people that actually care about you. It took me a long time to get with this program. Mostly because I am by nature an optimistic and sociable person.

When the chips are down and you are poor friends are far and few between. People who are really there for you are usually friends that genuinely care and family that stand by your side. Please note: I am not referring to asking for handouts or jobs but just being there for you in a time of dire need.

One of the hardest lessons that I ever learned and it was never forgotten. Get yourself to a point where you depend on nobody for anything. Plan so that it never happens to you again if it does. At the end of the day, we think we need lots of people but we don't.

It is nice to have 1000 friends on Facebook. How many of them know how you are really doing? How many of them actually care? How many of them would phone you back if there was an emergency at 2 a.m in the morning? There is a very fine line between acquaintances and friends. Learn the difference and fast.

The bottom line here is to count your true friends and family. Stop all dependencies on people and rely on yourself.

3. Stop comparing yourself to others

We all see who has money, who is popular, what cars a person drives, where they live and so on. The sooner we go from worrying about what other people have to what we have the better. It is nice to admire people and what they have but the real question is what can you do to also get those things?

Learn it young. Do not worry about how much better off someone is compared to you. Focus on where you are and where you want to be. Being envious, jealous or in admiration is not going to benefit you in any way.
Take action and do something to put yourself in a better position. If you think those people are thinking about these thoughts that you are thinking, then you are sadly wrong.

He drives a Ferrari. I am truly happy with the other person's success. I would want to know what does he do and how can he afford that Ferrari then I would be interested. I too, want to be in that position. I am not jealous or excited but thrilled at the idea of how I can achieve that success too.

The main reason why you should stop comparing yourself to others is simply that you are not them.
It is a waste of time and it does not get you anywhere, yet us humans spend so much time and energy on things that are so irrelevant.

Time and energy are best spent on yourself and how you can achieve success whilst enjoying life at the same time. Usually, this involves doing something that you really like that pays you. I hope that you enjoy the work otherwise it just feels like a grind.

The bottom line for number 3. is to stop wasting time and energy on other people's success and start looking at how you can also be successful at whatever it is that you have a passion for.

4. Life is short

Number four is here for the people that love to please others. This goes for parents, friends, family and so on. You have one life and it is limited. If you are living through everyone else's time you are in for a rough ride. You find yourself always waiting for others. Dependant on their views, what you need to do next and where you are going.

The most common things that I hear is that their children need to be doctors, accountants, lawyers and so forth. All that I can say is that you do not need to be any of that if that is not what you want. The last time I checked we lived in the twenty-first century and there are far more opportunities out there than just those three things.

Please Please Please do not let your parents control your lives and tell you that you have to be something. I know that they have your best interests at heart but why study to be a doctor if there is no interest. Why be an accountant if you hate numbers and why be a lawyer if you hate dealing with disagreements.

Do not let your parents tell you how to live your life. Yes, they can offer great advice with their life experience and point you in the right direction but do not let them tell you what career to go into. You need to find that out for yourself. It reminds me so much of the pressures of getting married and having children.

Stop falling for these pressures and do not give into them. You are a young individual with your own mind. Listen to your heart, inner voice and use your brain. What are you good at? What do you enjoy? Do more of those things. Explore and discover yourself while you study. Try new things so that you find what you like or dislike.

Life is short and people have no idea about the true meaning of this until their best friend or a close family member dies. That will change your life forever. Do not wait thirty years to start living your life. The younger you start the better and you never know when your time is up. Do not waste your life on things that you hate doing. Live, for now, plan for the future and enjoy what you do. Be the light in the world.

5. Don't be lazy

We seem to be in an era where people want something for nothing. The last time I checked the universal laws are standard and you sow what you reap. I bump into many people that like to be lazy and each to their own but if you want to get somewhere you kind of need to put in the effort.

Get off your but and make things happen. I am always amazed when I meet people that were poor once and they are still lazy. I like to relax and game as much as the next person but surely you want to earn your good money.

I have known several people in high paying jobs getting away with doing nothing and delegating all their work to 'lesser' staff for years then one day they are out of a job. They wonder why and I for one think that it is quite obvious.

If you want something, go out and get it. Do not think that it will be easy, painless and you can do it with as little effort as possible. I am sorry but life is not that way. I wish it were at times just to save me some time but that is just not the case. I love working and helping others but there is only so far that you can help people.

Sooner or later you need to take responsibility and do something for yourself. We all need downtime and distractions but there is a time and places for everything. In the work environment, you are being paid per hour to work. Not sit around and talk nonsense all day. Put in the hours, work smart and do what you need to do.

You will find that 90% of the time the people that do work hard get rewarded. They do get acknowledged and the universe has an interesting way of giving them better luck in the process. There is nothing wrong with being lazy if you have the bank account to back it up. Even in that scenario, I ask you, Surely there is something in life that you really want but do not have? Why not get off your but and get working at it?

The bottom line here is to work your ass off, make a difference and know that you do not get something for nothing. Hard work pays off and is usually rewarded in one way or another.