Seven things you’ll regret later in life
Quit living in a box, put your phone down and start living your life.
I once volunteered at an old age home. I’d often ask people what they regret. Old folks can be brutally honest. Most just wish they were more honest with themselves when they were younger.
Almost nobody regrets not working more. Or not spending enough time with their family. These are obvious.
But if you are young and are earning enough to have some freedom in your life, aspire to have fewer regrets when you are old. Here are some tips to have fewer regrets in life.
#1 Stop caring about what other people think
We’re all raised to be good children. Obedience makes parenting easy. From an early stage “people pleasing” is associated with reward and approval. As you grow older, this becomes a massive detriment to your own happiness. Live your life pleasing people and you will die with regrets.
A sure way to start living a more meaningful life is to stop giving a f*&$ about what other people think. You don’t have to be a jerk to do this. Just start by listening to your inner voice and drown out the noise.
Be the best version of yourself and let the chips fall where they may. You don’t have to please your boss, your toxic friends, or men/women you are trying to attract. They either accept you for who you are; or you deserve better. Period. Love yourself. People will follow the lead.
#2 Travel more: your soul will thank you for it
Travel and adventure will fill your soul, while your high paying job only fills your pockets. Stop living near your workplace, and stop bouncing from your work to the groceries for decades. This is a surefire way to build regret later in life.
Traveling will expand your horizons, build confidence, and kill bigotry. If nobody wants to join you, travel solo (it’s actually more fun that way). You might be anxious, but you will soon meet new people and hit it off. Trust me on this, I’ve grown up in different continents and have amazing friends from all over the world.
Take this up as a challenge. Pick a place on the map where you have never been and just go. It could be halfway across the world. Heck, it could even be a long drive away. You’ve been putting off going to that place. Take action today.
#3 Take more risks (in life and love). Don’t hold back.
Your upbringing has most likely trained you well to “fall in line” and not bash on the walls too much. Your bosses most certainly want you to do things their way, and too much independence and questioning only makes them look stupid. Outside of work, most never act on their crushes or desires. What have you gained by holding back?
If something scares you, you should especially do it. I nearly drowned as a child. Nothing healed that trauma better than deep sea diving. You get the drift. Taking risks is not about doing illegal things. Being adventurous is really about challenging your fears, most of which are baseless.
Better still, seek adventure by investing in yourself. Build a side gig. Start that blog. Pursue your passion and just do it for free — soon you will have a following which you can convert into paying customers. In life or love, nothing is more exciting than actually listening to your inner voice and overcoming that fear of failure by simply starting.
#4 Exercise: the best health insurance
Lives are increasingly sedentary. Your body is not built for that. It needs action. A mere 200 years ago, we were out and about. Most of us were working fields, walking hundreds of miles/week and doing heavy labor.
Sitting in front of this screen is killing you. Before you hit 40, you are going to be hit with major health issues. Sorry to sound morbid, but you’d rather hear it now.
Set aside an hour everyday where you let your body do whatever it wants. Don’t get in the way. Get a gym membership, your employer will likely pay for it. If gym is boring, just start dancing. Or swim. Or put on those joggers and run — the road is open 24x7.
Exercise is equally about the body and the mind. It improves your mood, declines aging, and makes you more creative. Plus, looking good naked is an awesome feeling.
#5 Pick your friends carefully
You are the average of five people you spend the most amount of time with. Pick these five people very carefully.
Trauma induced up by the wrong people in your life can take a decade (if not a lifetime) to recover from. Recognize red flags and act quickly.
Avoid like the plague gossip mongers. Back biters. Narcissists (and folks with NPDs). People who take (and take). Drama queens. In short, people who are a vortex of negativity and are averse to positive/uplifting things. Most of this is probably their childhood trauma, but it is not your job to fix it.
Move on. Pick people who radiate positivity, are ambitious, and generally uplifting to be with. Decades of associating with the right people will have a dramatic impact on your life, happiness and wellbeing. Pick the wrong bunch and you will age/deteriorate quickly.
#6 Stop wasting money. Let it work for itself.
“If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die” — Warren Buffet
It is natural to be impulsive financially in your 20s/30s. But you’ll regret it later — you’d wished you had understood how money works (hint: it works best for itself).
A large part of your financial commitment is going to be rent and/or mortgage. Much of rent is just static expenditure. Even if you buy a home early and start paying mortgage, you will only start gaining equity after about 6 years.
Always aim to invest. Even if you are new to the stock market, try to put 10% of your salary on index funds (it’s simple) — not a financial advisor, just sharing how I got started.
#7 Realize how beautiful you are
You were born beautiful. I’ll take it one step further — every inch of you is beautiful. Truth it, everyone realizes this in their 50s, which is totally backwards. You want to know you are beautiful when you are in your 20s/30s.
Regardless of where you were born and what culture you were raised in, you were likely shamed and made to feel less than worthy. Now add to that mix the numbing effect of social media. Left unchecked you will likely lead your entire youth feeling less than perfect.
Realize that there has never been someone exactly like you on this planet — nor will there ever be one in the future. You are you. And how beautiful you are!
About Gypsy
Gypsy is on a mission to help people gain locational and financial freedom. We are building the next-gen infrastructure to enable remote workers to become global citizens.
Stop living in a box. Break your lease and travel the world. Sign up for Gypsy today!
We ❤ you.
