I am 48 today so what wisdom do I have for my 16 year old self

Christian Jacques Bennett Blog

If you could travel back in time, what life lessons would you tell your younger self?

Would you marry the same person?

Would you move somewhere different?

What career would you have pursued?

I was thinking about these types of questions today because I have just turned 48.

What would I tell my 16 year old self that would help me live my best life? What advice would help you live your best life?

First of all, let me be real, I am not going to get every bit of wisdom out of my brain and into this post. I would need a book or two for that. So let me focus on a list of key things I think would greatly benefit someone pre 30 ish years of age.

1. Get Spiritual Power Early On - This sounds really cheesy but it is not meant to be. This advice is about you exploring questions about life early on. It is about you looking at the greater picture, something bigger than yourself but also something deep within yourself. This is about you having something you believe in 100% that will keep you strong and contented whenever life gets tough. It should make you feel grateful for everything you have in every moment, good or bad. Why bad? Because your faith will teach you that without bad you cannot experience good, they are one and the same. With the latter in mind I recommend you read the Tao Te Ching and fully understand what it is and its meanings. Incredibly, this 2600+ year old book of wisdom is still unknown by many people. I asked my dad when he was in his early 90s if he had heard of it and he said no. The book has lasted thousands of years for a reason. It offers a simple way to think about and live life. If you like the teacher in Karate Kid who said "Wax on wax off" you will love the wisdom in this book. It has given me so much insightful enlightenment, peace and hope for everything. It is not a religion but a philosophy by which all religions and non religions can thrive. I highly recommend it and if you follow my blog you will know I have also re-translated it because I love it that much.

2. Find Your Environment First, Then Get A Job You Love, Then Find Love & Settle Down (Grow Your Roots) - This advice to my 16 year old self is priceless. I stupidly stayed in the wrong part of the world, where there is no industry, my mum lives here and my brother, so I remained. The trouble is the older you get, the harder it is to leave. You get married, you have kids who go to school there, it is very difficult to then leave that area. So, please listen to me when I say, find a profession or job you love doing and stick with it. Importantly find somewhere in the world that you love the look of. A place that offers you the job and lifestyle you love. Are there walks nearby you like doing? What is transport like - easy to access other places and travel the world if you wanted to? Does the environment fit your personality - are you a city or a country person? If you can find the place you love first, then a job and then look for love, this one piece of advice will have a HUGE impact on your wellbeing and contentment throughout your life.

3. Worrying Is Totally Useless / Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway - Easy to say this, but it is true. I would tell my 16 year old self that worrying is a complete waste of time. It achieves nothing. It only harms you and creates a bad atmosphere. Instead of worrying, try and list out and take actions that will help you practically tackle any worries. Whenever you feel irrational fear, run towards it, show those mental demons that they are full of sh*t; on the other side of fear is where you start to live your life. The sooner you teach your brain this the more likely you will avoid mental health issues that will stop you from getting the best out of your life.

4. Keep In Good Health - This is a vital one. Keep yourself fit and healthy. Balance is key to everything from eating to exercising. Once you past 40 age does become just a number, so the most important thing as you grow old is being able to keep moving your body and keep your mind active. Without health it doesn't matter if you have trillions in the bank, health is king!

5. Save & Invest Money - Having money later in life is actually tremendously easy. It is. It is all about saving and investing your money as early as possible. The older you get the harder it will be because you have less living time left (that clock is ticking). I would tell my 16 year old self to learn about compound* interest. I would simply say keep investing in key stocks / companies that you know are very solid and never likely going to go bust. For example, Amazon and Google! If you just save and invest small amounts weekly when you are 16 and keep doing so all the way through to 48, you would have had tens of thousands, maybe millions, depending on how savvy you become with investing. Do not over think investing. Just put all your spare money into assets that will grow, pensions can be good too. By being young you have time on your side, that is what will compound your money. The angle here, is to never get into debt! Make do without. You do not need a new car or fancy products, learn to control your ego early on and it will hold you in good stead.

*This video from Darren Hardy will teach you all you need to know about the compound effect:


Okay I will stop here because I could keep going on and on, but those are the key ones I would tell my 16 year old self. Do you agree with them? What would you tell your young self? Let me know in the comments.

Oh and besides my advice, don't forget Captain Tom's Life's Lessons: Above All Be Kind.      

Take care today.

Author: Christian Jacques Bennett*

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Christian Jacques Bennett Books
If I could send 2 books back in time for my teenage self to read I would send these. In these two books you have the combined knowledge and wisdom of every single spiritual and self improvement book you can get your hands on .
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