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What would you tell your 20 year old self? For the benefit of the next generation of veterans, please share your wisdom and lessons learned.
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Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
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Responses: 182
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I wouldn't tell myself anything. Because if I changed anything in my past then I may not be where I am today. One of my biggest mistakes in life led me to meet my Wife with whom I now have two children. So, even though it may not be the fun answer, it is my truth. I am extremely happy with where I am in life right now and I made it here one mistake at a time.
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MSgt Dennis Dudley
I would tell my twenty year smartass, know it all self to take things more serious. This is proven by very low scores on my ASVAB when I first came into the military. Several years later I sat down in CBPO and retook the test. What a difference in the scores. I realized I could have been going in a more favorable direction had I taken the test more serious. My problem was that I was leaving college and looked at ASVAB as just another test to get through.
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SPC Belinda Wilshusen
I would tell my twenty year old self not to waste my time carousing and partying, like I did, but to concentrate on becoming the person I wanted to be, intelligent, educated, successful, but more importantly, loved and respected.
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CPO (Join to see)
I told my son the same thing I told myself and would if I could go back today. Life is not a dress rehearsal. You only get to go around one time, at least as we know it. Grab your partner as life is so much more enjoyable with a partner for dancing. Share love often as life takes it out of many, give generously from the heart. Remain true to yourself and work to make the dreams you may have in life become your reality. Finally, the most important thing and the one thing I would have to leave my son with and I should have been told, ...... Call your mother, she worries and loves you.
That may be much for him to learn and remember but then, trying to tell him that at the age of 20 or anybody telling me anything at the age of 20, they have better earned a great deal of respect for me to listen. The clash of Ideal Worlds and the uncomfortable feeling that holds us here in this reality yet drives us to hold on to the dreams we just know in our hearts can come true. After all, mom said so. ;)
That may be much for him to learn and remember but then, trying to tell him that at the age of 20 or anybody telling me anything at the age of 20, they have better earned a great deal of respect for me to listen. The clash of Ideal Worlds and the uncomfortable feeling that holds us here in this reality yet drives us to hold on to the dreams we just know in our hearts can come true. After all, mom said so. ;)
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LTC Paul Heinlein
MAJ (Join to see),
Well, I was a 1LT when I saw Forrest Gump. And the part in the movie where LT Dan shows Gump he invested in Apple and that he would never have to work again!
I do not know why I did not see the sign at that time!
Well, I was a 1LT when I saw Forrest Gump. And the part in the movie where LT Dan shows Gump he invested in Apple and that he would never have to work again!
I do not know why I did not see the sign at that time!
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MAJ (Join to see)
LTC Paul Heinlein I would have been one of the idiots who in the mid-90s invested in AOL or Webcrawler vs Google or Yahoo. If life only life had a respawn...
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PO3 (Join to see)
MAJ (Join to see) you said" I would have been one of the idiots who in the mid-90s invested in AOL or Webcrawler vs Google or Yahoo. If life only life had a respawn..."
Oddly enough my uncle worked for AOL back in the 90's and they would sell employees stocks 1 or 2 times a year. He would buy it and it would split and split again. He got out before they went down and he made a pretty nice wad of cash out of it. Investing in AOL wasn't a bad decision, not selling at the right time would have been :)
Oddly enough my uncle worked for AOL back in the 90's and they would sell employees stocks 1 or 2 times a year. He would buy it and it would split and split again. He got out before they went down and he made a pretty nice wad of cash out of it. Investing in AOL wasn't a bad decision, not selling at the right time would have been :)
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Suspended Profile
SFC Mark Merino. Trust your own judgement about people, places and organizations. Before you fall in love, agree to get married, and work hard to bring a new child into this world . . . be absolutely certain you know the two of you are compatible and want to grow old together. Remain focused . . . treat others as you would want to be treated . . . experience each moment . . . and do what you can do to make those around you feel safe, secure, healthy, happy, fulfilled, and comfortable. Warmest Regards, Sandy
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