“Taking care of your body now can make a huge difference in your 40s.”
They always say hindsight is 20/20 and it couldn’t be more true.
A ton of people got real and chimed in with their thoughts.
Here are some of the most impactful things they shared:
1.
“Life is short and your time is incredibly valuable.
Spend it well.”
u/Bella_Asian
3.
“When you marry a person, you marry into their family.
Family is complicated, but there are lots of stories about horrible in-laws causing divorces.”
“Skipping the work needed to sustain relationships.
Friends in your 20s come easily.
Friends in your 40s and up take the effort of a part-time job.”
u/Snugglebutt85
5.
“Benefits of fitness.
My father started exercising regularly in his 40s.
Nothing extreme, just consistent.
He is now 87 years old and still in great shape.
“The character of the person they choose to have a long-term relationship with, or even marry.
The single most important decision someone will ever make.”
u/SueYouBlues
7.
“Laying around in the sun with no protection on.”
“I think a lot of people in their 20s underestimate how important their health choices are.
Taking care of your body now can make a huge difference in your 40s.”
u/RelevantFoot7196
9.
Loud noise over time is bad and not fixable.”
“How long it takes to get good at something.
And the same applies to painting, musical instruments, or any skill.
As you age and gather responsibilities, your available energy and time for such activities will generally only decrease.
And that might be enough for some, but it might not be for you.”
u/Fimbulwinter91
11.
“Don’t just stretch.
Activate and use your muscles!
That’s a lot of what yoga is as well.
Use them or lose them, that’s how injuries happen.”
“How you treat people.
We are all people and deserve kindness and empathy to an extent.
In your 20s, it’s usually not in the forefront of your mind.”
u/Mamaofthreecrazies
13.
“That tiny dream you have of doing that thing for a job?
Go after that.”
u/sarasan
15.
“More than anything, start saving as early as you’re able to.
But the moment you start making more consistently is the moment you start saving!”
“Emotional trauma you don’t deal with literally turns into physical trauma.
Stop clenching your jaw.
Get that trauma out of your body.
Your bones will thank you for it.
My father doesn’t have discs between his back bones because he thought he could tough it out.”
u/Shh-poster
17.
“Who you have children with.”
“Man plans; God laughs.”
u/tmroyal
19.
“There is a lot less life than you think.
If you are living to work, you’re not living at all.”
“The fact that their parents helped them so much.
u/palbuddy1234
21.
“You are not trapped in your job, career path, hobbies, interests, or friendships.
You are young and able to explore and try new things relatively consequence-free.
A lot of people in their 20s don’t think about this concept.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
