I frequently see discussions about “What advice would you give to your younger-self?” These are sometimes coupled with the question of “If you could go back in time and change one thing in your life, what would you change?” The reality is that you can’t. You have to live with your past. Above all, you past has shaped your current life. Of what benefit is it to think about how things might be different.
I get that the question, “What advice would you give to your younger-self?”, is really (possibly) about what advice would you give to someone in your circumstances today. Which, if that is the question, ask it as such. But a “you” today would be in different circumstances—and wouldn’t be “you.” My son is 16. In many ways we are similar. In more ways we are different. If for me when I was 16—in 1979—cannot compare to being 16 in 2021.
The question we really should be asking ourselves is “Who do you want your future self to be?”
We can’t live in regret or a What if…? scenario of the past. We can only live in the moment with aspirations for a better next moment.
So, maybe a better question than “What advice would you give to your younger self?” is “What advice would your older-self give you today?”
Heed future self’s advice.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!