10 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me at 20

I learnt this the hard way so you don’t have to.

Here are 10 important things I learnt the hard way, so all you brothers in your early twenties don’t have to.

10. Do not pour your heart out so recklessly. Take your time to get to know people. Don’t get too excited, don’t be so quick to share so much. There’s no rush. This does not mean you should never open up, it just means you should be mindful about who you trust, and careful about who you love. Also, don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. You might cause them more damage than you think.

9. Follow your natural professional and creative curiosities. They usually point towards your calling. If you like to write, write more. If you like music, learn to play it. If you like building things, build more things. God puts certain curiosities in your heart to point you in the right direction. Put it to prayer, learn to discern true pointers to your calling from temptations and proclivities that you should just disregard or avoid altogether. Be smart about choosing a career, but listen to your intuition too.

8. Listen to your parents and get used to asking for their advice. Not only will they give you wisdom you do not have, but it will also strengthen your bond with them, help you appreciate them more, and allow you to spend precious time with them. Your parents want to feel useful, needed, and respected by you. Asking for their advice makes them feel all of those things at once.