What I Know Now - is a title of a book that has a collection of letters from women, addressed to their younger selves at different stages of their lives. I haven’t had a chance to read it completely but was thinking along those lines What if I had an opportunity and knew much earlier what I know now about so many things in this world? At the same time I can’t resist but think aren’t the lessons learnt along the way more valuable than the mistakes made. How would I have learnt without making any mistakes? If given a chance what could I have done differently. Maybe I wouldn’t have stressed too much on certain things, I wouldn’t have expected many things from few I care, I could have picked a different career, I could have focused on arts and the list goes on. One thing I could have done differently is my decision to give up on Music/Dance and just focus on studies. I should have continued my learning trusting my passion, hard work and should not have yielded to unfavorable circumstances. I made a wrong choice. I still can learn but will have to wait for the right time and/or situation. What would have been one thing if given a chance you could have done differently if you knew back then what you know now? Share your thoughts
I would'a picked hugely wealthier parents, who'd have left me a whopping big trust income. And that would'a made me not take up any vocational education (like I did), and struggle through life working to earn a living. If I'd been wealthy, I could have studied things that are completely useless, had no "scope" for steady employment etc.. I married well enough, but still.... I watched so many episodes of day time dramas in reruns.
What I know today: when a door closes, two more unseen doors, three strange windows, four unrealized posterns, one rooftop skylight, and one catflap opens up. (life is replete with emerging choices!) If I knew back then: I would not have contemplated much on any closed door. (life spoils you with better choices!)
Great topic! I would definitely have told my younger self (middle/high school age) that she didn't have to be a "good" girl and follow the rules. Instead, she should live fearlessly and make decisions based on her gut, rather than fear (fear of insecurity, fear of judgement, fear of failure, etc.). I would also tell her, that she's super cute, and even if she wasn't asked out to prom or homecoming and didn't have a boyfriend, she could totally get one if she wasn't so self-conscious of being taller/bigger than most of the other Indian girls. Also, I would tell her to do yoga and meditate.
This one. If I knew this back then, or rather, if I believed in it back then, I would not have brooded so much and so long on friendships and relationships that ended. But it is never too late. Quite a relief to be wise enough now to be able to move on from such an event simply pairing the sixth and twenty-first letters of the English alphabet with the person's name.
I would have joined IL when it started, got good advice here and lived the perfect life. Instead I did things my way, made mistakes, learned lessons the hard way and now give gyan.
What I know now: take a half cup of red/masoor lentils, chopped garlic, two tomatoes, blob of tamarind, pinch of hing, pinch of turmeric, salt, chilly powder and pressure cook. The express daal is ready to serve obviating tadka/garnish. For countless splutter of cumin in oil, I assumed that tadka must be added to the mashed daal for enhanced taste but that said combination tastes fine with no oil/tadka. The same technique with yellow/toor lentils is devastating because yellow lentils does not cook with tamarind/salt. Taste is bland. Add one tomato, wretched! No tadka, glug! But for red lentils, the tadkaless and unfussy recipe is perfect. Just because grandma added tadka, Mom added tadka, cousin added tadka, cook in the hostel added tadka, I grew up with the belief that tadka was inviolable and sacrosanct for every daal though none ever cooked masoor. Don’t sleepwalk into customary recipes. Pause and think: hmm, is this essential for this improvised recipe. If I knew back then: would have saved me oil cans that hardly brought about noticeable enhancement in taste on red lentils.
What I know now: A boy from college dated an incompatible girl stating if only she was a friend, we would have separated, too late. Later after marriage, if only she was my girlfriend, would have separated, too late. With a kid, if only she was my wife, would have separated, too late. Next kid, if only we had one kid, too late. Now I know he’s been a victim to ‘sunken cost fallacy’ investing more for having invested previously whatsoever. If I knew back then: I would have forewarned in his valedictory scrapbook, ‘beware the ides of sunken cost fallacy’ instead of writing ‘good luck on March finals’.
What I know now: Too late to go back. Things are changed drastically, cannot find the life, once I left behind. If I knew back then: I would not have left my home town, family and the country.
What I know now : Too much time and money invested, wasted in the name of so-called relationships (all types) If I Knew : would have maintained a safe distance forever saving heartache and could have lived a better meaningful life contributing to those who truly deserve.
