8 Things I wish I knew at 27, and why it’s not too late to pursue your dreams at 57

First, a note of caution here. There is so much advice, life tips, and even success or “money making secrets” out there. It’s therefore important that you do not listen to too much advice. That is because Most people, including me give advice based on what has happened in their own lives, and this does not mean that the same outcomes would apply in your situations in life and living.

While It is useful to hear some feedback from people you value, or look up to, it is very important that you weigh their advice, and then make your own decisions. That way, you own your decisions. And if things don’t work out well, you learn from it and move on.

1.LEARN TO BREAK RULES. Yes, break rules. You see, all of life is driven by rules and Patterns. Go to school. Get a job after graduation. Get a married. Have children. Save, invest to give your children the best you can, and to prepare for your own retirement. I’ve since come to realise that Life can be much more than that. You can choose a different path. For example, striving to get a certificate out of school is not the same as getting an education. There are many out there with certificates who are not educated, and vice Versa. And who says, getting a job is the only way forward. I would have been entrepreneurial much earlier for example. And It’s possible to acquire more learning from apprenticeship than you may from the four walls of a school for example. As Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “Break the rules. We have so many rules in life for everything. I say break the rules. “Do not break the law, just break the rules.”

2.DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE. Let me ask you two questions. i] What do you have that you have been given by God? Is it a voice, gifted hands, education, riches, wealth, health, brains, wisdom, beauty, administration, hospitality etc. ii] What are you doing with these gifts? The answer to these two questions are pointers to your purpose on earth. Once discovered, purpose reduces stress, increases one’s satisfaction and more importantly, prepares you for eternity. It is in discovering, developing and using those treasures that you get fulfilment in life and ultimately, society benefits from, and also pays you for your treasures. To help those still in search of purpose, one of my 7 books is an attempt to help you answer the two questions I asked earlier correctly, and hopefully lead you on the path to fulfilling your true purpose on earth. Click on the link below for an intro to the book “What is that in your hand? A discovery of purpose.” https://youtu.be/jSbMqZVvURc

3.UNDERSTAND MONEY. Money is good, and required on this side of eternity. I wish I knew earlier that if you left your money sitting in the bank, you’re losing money as the value is going down because of inflation. So you’re supposed to find ways to grow your money at the same rates or higher rates ideally than inflation, so that the value is keeping up with inflation. Money is good, as it affords you the freedom to have great choices from which to choose from. In pursuit of more money though, Be guided by your level of risk tolerance though, and consult knowledgeable and trusted people on money matters.

4.UNDERSTAND DEBT. Debt is not all bad. I grew up in a family and environment that encouraged debt. But I didn’t know that there is a difference between good debt and bad debt. Good debt is when you borrow money for the purpose of increasing your net worth or having some future value. For example, taking out a house mortgage or a business loan when you’re reasonably sure of the return on investment. It’s about using leverage to your advantage, which is a really smart thing to do in the finance world. Bad debt on the other hand is when you borrow money to purchase something that doesn’t hold its value, like the value just depreciates either immediately or over time, for example, purchasing everyday necessities like food, clothes, a car that is not being used to generate revenue like Uber or that is not reducing your overall cost of transportation or inconvenience of public transport. Usually once we purchase them, we can’t resell them for the same price or even higher price like it’s used. It’s done. And this translates to what a lot of people do with credit card debt. Credit card debt is the worst kind of debts by the way.

5.BE CONTENTED. Be Contented, while you keep striving. Someone will always do better than you. Whether it is living in a more luxurious neighbourhood, being in better physical condition, or even being able to influence others more in your area of work. It is normal to compare ourselves to others, but don’t allow envy to set in. That’s a dangerous place to be. Quoting Morgan Freeman, “Don’t compare life to others, and don’t judge them. You have no idea what their journey is all about.” Instead, divert your thinking to being grateful for what you have, and where you are, relative to where you were a year or years back. I desire to live in the new highbrow EKO Atlantic City on the coast line of Lagos, or even Banana Island. But I’m often cautioned with a quick appreciation the fantastic estate where I current live relative to where I used to be some years back. Many would give an arm and a leg to live where I am now. Being thankful for what we have, helps to put things in better perspective, while spurring us on to develop ourselves with a view to attracting more comfort from the improved value we also put out there.

6.YOU MATTER MOST. Make out time for yourself. It takes an intentional effort to rest, or to take time off work in the times we live in. You’re in charge of your happiness. Being “constantly busy” is bad. I’ve since learnt to schedule time to rest, time to do the things that relax my body, soul and spirit the most. Just me moments. This is key to life and living. Even computers often need to be reset to function properly, how much more we humans.

7.GET HELP WHERE NEEDED. You can’t do it all by yourself. Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. In fact, no one person acting alone can ever achieve more than two or more people working together in agreement and with clear focus. I have achieved more, and continue to do so from just opening myself up to be helped by others. And guess what? The help I seek is usually from people that are younger, less educated or even less privileged than I am. There is a lot of wisdom and energy locked up in these groups. And from my experience, their help usually also come a good place, a genuine desire to see me succeed, as payback from my equally genuine love and care for them.

8.THERE IS NO FINISH LINE. Life really has no finish line. Just do it. People make self-imposed finished lines. You’re never too young to start a business, and never too old to learn new skills. There really is nothing like retirement. You should just move on to something else, equally fulfilling and impactful. No matter how much you grow, there is always more room to grow. There’s no such thing as I’ve made it in my world. Each day, you have to keep learning, and keep growing. The moment you stop, you start to die. Finally, What others think of you is none of your business. So …Keep walking.

There you have it, 8 Things I wished I knew at 27, and why it’s not too late to pursue your dreams at 57, or older.