blonde poker forum

If you could go back to being 21, it doesn't matter if you're 23, 52 or 90 what would you advise yourself in hindsight?

please post you age, can round down if you like ;)

45

- Don't marry her

- Don't leave your post-University career, however unhappy you think you are.

26

choose a career

take a gap year

travelling

Stop going to Villa Park.

Pick those 6 numbers

42

- you should have bought that first house way earlier before the boom.

- borrow the money you need to train to be a pilot.

- don't be such a dick head and wasteful with money, it's neither big nor clever.

23

Make the most of great opportunities

Long time till you retire, do something that you enjoy

44

Number 20 never comes in for a big score.

40 - smoke less.

28

Quit the RAF and not get fat.

41

Don't marry in your 20's...you're miles too young.

Despite what you think, you don't know everything.

And most important...wear sunscreen.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

33

- Buy a house

58

Work hard, save harder.
my 21 yr old self wouldn't have listened.

Regret the things you didn't do, not the things you did.

I think we have a winner here.

45

Go to Australia/NZ now, you might just decide to stay there

Play alot more poker while you have a huge edge, it isn't always going to be this easy.

28

Every once in a while, when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, do something really nice for someone else (maybe someone you've never met)...and tell no one about it.

Agreed. The only things I really regret are the missed opportunities.

37

Appreciate your parents.

The right thing is rarely doing nothing.

Buy a house,

Revise for your law exam.

44
Register pokerstars.com domain name

That would be worth virtually zero, as they would just be called something else (and possibly not as successful!)

My underlying point being create the brand and site. Think BIG.

Buy shares in a small startup called Google, and then one called Facebook...

That's the idea.
Chat up Susanne Klatten (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanne_Klatten)

27.

Come up with the idea of Twitter/Facebook.

Doubt you would have made a big success of them considering they both existed when you were 21

Prob be more selfish also

Really? I would imagine most 21yo could do with being less selfish.

44

Use limescale to dissolve the body.

True, but probably would have been more successful than a boring accountant/auditor!

32

Put that cue away and get a trade already ffs

38
Don't drink that pint of top shelf on your 21st birthday!

38.

Nothing keeping you here, go on your travels, even if your mates have said no.  now or never...

Oh, and she isn't the one...you already know that, don't waste the next 3 years.

Did Gray ever do a 2000+ edition?

Doubt that'll be a good idea.

I did this once.

I remember nothing, except running down the middle of a busy road at about midnight screaming "I don't know the fucking way home!"

Scary stuff

this seems more like a regret thread than an advice thread!!

28

have as much fun as possible while youre at peak, you can't buy memories

(Still) 28

Don't save all your money just so you can spend it when you retire. Keep a little but be sure to have fun along the way.


Also, don't get a celebrity's face tattooed on your body.

54



Learn quickly to distinguish between what is and is not worth worrying or getting angry about.

Count you blessings.

Value your friends and family.

Respect everyone. Go out of your way to be nice to people.

Look in awe at the world around you. Make a concious effort to notice your surroundings. See everything, (Even the seemingly mundane, familiar things) with tourist's eyes.

Realise just how lucky you are to have such luxuries as good health, a full belly, a roof over your head, and the freedom to choose your own path in life. (I know it sounds corny, but these things are but a distant dream for the majority of the world's population).

Smile.


 

Tis a good point, most advice is probably thinly veiled regret anyway.Perhaps the better question should be what is your advice to a 21 year old now?

Mine would be something along the lines of 'embrace failure and put in a ridiculous amount of hours practicing whatever it is you love if you want to be successful at it'

Oh, and women don't like it when you point out they have large breasts.

38

If you want to ever grow a proper beard now is the time - it'll go white waaaaaay before you thought it would.

tried to think of something but why post when Red does it better, same as above really just i am younger :)

Shame he came back really, he always owns these threads, every bloody time.......

I was going to Post, but I changed my mind, it seemed pointless - most 21 year olds are not amenable to advice from elders. I'm pretty damn sure I would not listen to advice when I was 21 - except from other 21 year olds.

Funny old world, eh?

C'mon guys 'mould me' (sounds wrong hahahaha).

*Some point made on here are actually quite good / interesting btw,deffinatly worth taking on board.

I actually don't regret anything in life, there are a handful of things I could have done which I still look back on wishing maybe I had, but ultimately these potential regrets led to where I am today and being pretty happy with how things have turned out thus far, had I done said things I might not have the good stuff I do have. For example University was a complete waste of time for me, I didn't enjoy it, didn't make any friends for life like a lot of people do, it didn't directly help with my career, it cost me loads of money and was also a big financial opportunity cost. However wasting those three years did make me appreciate my time more now, appreciate my friends more, appreciate money more and probably gave me a sense of urgency which I think is a strength of mine.

I'm probs lucky in the regard that I have never done anything major I truly regret, which makes it easier to be philosophical about all this.  

I started playing guitar at 14 and by 16 there was no doubt in my mind I was going to be a rock star.
By 21 I was probably a good enough guitarist, but I went about it all wrong.

I'd tell myself not to treat being a musician as being an alternative to having a job, treat it as having a creative job with a big corperation.
As such, treat everything you do as an unsigned band as a job interview and as contributing to your portfolio to try to get signed.
Every flier, gig, demo, etc all counts towards getting that dream job.
Also, be far more ruthless in terms of band mates.
Know what the band's direction / style / image is all about and get the right members.

Don't try and please all of the people all of the time. Pick a genre and nail it. If you try and cover all bases, most of the audience will only like a small proportion of your set.

Don't carry any dead weight. It's too competitive an industry, and you're only as good as your weakest member.
Move. At a push, Nottingham might have done, but realistically, if you're going to get signed, it'll be in London, so gigs in the capital are vital.

Don't sell demos, give them away.
spend the money on producing CD singles, with good photos, contact details and biogs and give them to anyone that wants one.
It was pre-myspace / youtube / facebook, but if still not signed when they come along, hit them hard.

Don't give up, cut your hair and get a proper job too soon. You have to be able to get in the back of a van with your gear at the drop of a hat an play a gig anywhere if it will get you in fron to f the right people.

Keep writing all / most of the songs, and don't make any stupid agreements to register everything as joint written by the band. Composers get paid much more. Credit where it's due.

oh, and I'm 39 and still gigging :)

I'm only 22 but I feel like I have plenty...

If there's work you don't fancy doing, put it on the top of the list. The longer you leave it, the more pain it will cause you.

Start conversations more often, social networking is a key aspect of life, without it life is limited.

Don't worry about what seems to be the big moments in life. It tends to be smaller spontaneous moments that sculpt what you do in the future, life will almost never go to plan, but it will go better than the plan.

Don't look back in annoyance about how you spent your money when in financial troubles. These moments made you who you are.

Don't sack your mates off if you meet a new girl.

Mine would be the exact opposite to this.

33

Listen to the life advice of people that are older than you. Even if you think you know better, you probably don't

Spend time with your friends and family

Don't give people money or vouchers as gifts, choose something you think they will like as because you took the time to choose it, they will appreciate it.




.

My advice would be smack in the middle of these too.  Got to always have balance in your life.

Red's advice on focusing on the important things, and not worrying about the minor ones was very correct.  Took me a long time to realise this, and wish I had a way of getting through to my wife why this is so important.  Sorry if I have misrepresented his thoughts.

Always take the opportunities and don't hesitate too long before doing so. 

Try and always see the positive in any situation.

I wouldn't worry too much what the less important people in your life think of the things you do.  20 years on you'll barely remember them.

45 ffs

32

Go travel n see the world (although i think 23-26 ish is a better age for this)

Don't immediately look for a career(s), you're too young!

Don't get in a fkin relationship you gay! (Although, its good to get one 'under your belt' when u in late teens imo)

The one time in my life I'd like to go back to would be 14, day my dad let me play fixed limit on party. I'd tell myself two things.

Sit here and work hard, keep your head and remember to be sensible, keep your parents nearby to have a close eye on you and grind your nuts off.

That girl you like with the huge boobs, yeah shes nice, yeah her boobs are HUGE, but shes mental, and you know that, so stay away.

Can you finish your story pls

33

Don't pay off your mortgage with your bonus cheque, invest in land, learn to program...

Spend more time with your family, work less and enjoy life, learn to play the piano, guitar and drums. 

Make mistakes and fail often..

Invest in land?  Seriously?

Of course... Check out developments that went up in 2004-2005 then the value of land in 1999-2001...

FYP

37

Buy a house
Stop turning down girls so you can go out with your mates playing pool and drinking

[ ] Thin

37

Spending 20k on a car may seem like a great idea but buying a house will reap much better long term rewards.

Also strippers aren't the best relationship prospects.

You telling that to your 21-year old self, or to present-day Matt?

Strippers have got to be one of the worst value for money things out there in the uk. Its amazing how much u can spend and get so little in return per £££ spent.  :D

Lol. I didn't listen back then, no reason to think I would now :D

You get better value online

http://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatalog/Biostrip_20_Water-Based_ECO_Paint_Stripper.html

Get your arse out to asia and do a comparison, you will be gobsmacked  ;whistle;

54

Value friendships
Don't lend or borrow money with mates
Stretch yourself when you buy your first house
Earn a bit spend a bit save a bit
Don't do stuff you can't admit too

Just one time fly to Toronto (5hours) bus / transfer to niagra falls (1 hour) , spend the weekend in sundowners strip club ,fly back skint but with the biggest smile on your face ever , I did

Matt prefers blondes.

There's this thing called hair dye nowadays  :)

Think they use peroxide, but still not sure they're Matt's type.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

this depends on the friends, ive been borrowing and lending off my mates for the last 18 years and we are still as close now as ever