What I wish I knew?

For today I decided to talk about the things that I wish I knew when I was in my younger days. From my wrong decisions in life, to being a failure and a quitter, to having regrets and to falling in love, there were a lot of lessons that I have learned after it all happened. Now I realized that I would also like a time machine to be invented just like what @Ruffa and @Bjorn had also wished for in my invention article. However I told them that if there was a time machine, I would have wanted to go back to the time that I was in a one-sided relationship I mean when I was in love. LOL. If there was a time machine, at what time do you wish to go? Past, present or future? It would be very intriguing to know our future right? But seriously, if there was a time machine I would like to go back to the time that I was born. I think it was what I also said in my time article.

By now I know that you already know what I am going to share with you as my title speaks for itself. With all of the occurences that had happened to me in the past, there are things that I wish that I knew when I was 18. Why 18 and not during my early 20s? 18 because it is the legal age of maturity and in some countries you get to live on your own when you reached that age. At 18 we are still students and I think that it is a good age to show a person about the real world and the struggles of living. I know there are some people that at an early age have already been exposed to such hardships like balancing their life with studies and work and struggles of making ends meet. While when I was 18, I did not care about my future probably because at the back of my mind I know that I will be going to work in a cruise after I graduate. But of course it didn't happen.

Like I have said earlier that I have learned a lot of valuable lessons with all the years of my existence here on Earth and that had made me to who I am today. However if there were things that I wish I knew when I was 18 it would have been:

The struggles of living. I think the only struggle that I had when I was still a student was to wake up as early as 4AM for 5 days in a week for 10-11 months in 12 years from elementary to high school. Then it was commuting when going to school when I was in college. However it is 3 or 4 times harder to commute nowadays or probably even more because of the pandemic.

Waking up at 4AM, commuting to school or having difficulties in answering an exam is nothing if compared to the real struggles of living a life. So when I started working, I experienced a lot of hardships and I am proud of myself because I was able to endure all of it and I know I can endure even a lot more.

Importance of savings. Our parents had told us about saving money when we were young but they never told us the importance of it when we grow old. I do not know when I had my first savings account but I never had a savings account with more than Php10,000 (more or less $200) because I kept on withdrawing and withdrawing until it reached a maintaining balance. I ended up closing it before and then I started with another bank when I was in my late 20s. I am in the process of saving again and they still have not reach Php10,000 but I will really try my best not to touch it.

Having investments. Whether it is insurance, stocks or a property, I have only learned about its importance especially with health insurances during my first surgery. That time my dad was already retired so there were no more hospital benefits for us. I on the other hand was unemployed but even if I wasn't, I do not have any health insurance because there are only a few companies on food industry that has this kind of benefits for their employees. My dad had no choice but to use his savings for my hospitalization.

Even after my hospitalization, my dad still did not get a health insurance for us especially it would have been a lot more expensive since both of my parents were already senior and I was already in my late 20s. Although it was still better if he had gotten me during that time but he didn't. So when I was hospitalized last year, again he had to use his savings. But why didn't I get my own health insurance? Because in my mind I felt like my salary was not enough and I doubted myself whether or not I will be able to pay for the insurance.

I did not bother with having my own property as an investment because I know that we have our own house. Additionally, I could not afford to have my own property given my way of living and the fact that I do not earn a lot.

Sideline jobs. When I started my first job I already wanted to have another source of income although that time I really could not think of any. I do not know why I never thought of selling food items given that I have sold pastillas when I was still a student. During that time I was into having 2 physical jobs and if there was a company who would hire someone who was already employed. Then my workmate told me that it was impossible to have 2 jobs given my schedule and that I will only be putting my health at risk because I would only have a few hours of rest. So I stopped with the idea of having 2 jobs.

Setting goals. Even before I never had a goal. All I know was that I needed to have a job after I graduate and that for me was already my goal. The only goal that I can remember that I answered during my first job interviews was to have my own restaurant. It was not really a goal but a dream because I did not do anything to achieve it. I only started being serious with my goals a couple of years back. Sadly they are still in my list up to this day.

I have thought about this article because the other day @Firenze and I were talking about life and then we happened to talk about how my dad had started to have investments when he first started working. I know I was already working when I found out that my dad really prioritized to have a house of his own, a car of his own, a life insurance and he even bought a memorial lot. He was able to think about all those things when he started working. While I only thought about it after I have had worked with different companies. I have thought about it yet I still do not have any assets of my own.

How I wish that my dad had taught me about those things before. Probably the only debts that I have is not because of my credit cards but because of the struggles in paying off my investments. In my observation, our generation was not guided properly when it comes to these things. How did I conclude about it? Even some of my college friends have only had life and health insurances recently. A few weeks ago, it was just what we were discussing on our group chat and we somehow felt that we were already acting our age because of these talks. Actually I cannot relate as I do not have any insurance yet but I have plans of getting one for myself. That is why I cannot help but to be inspired with the younger generations especially with some popular Youtube influencers because they have already invested in a lot of things and they are just in their early 20s. Of course I would assume that they were guided by their family and/or friends to make those investments.

I cannot say that my life would have any dfference if I knew about these things earlier. Probably yes or probably not but I know that as long as I have the proper mindset adding the right attitude and hardwork, I will be able to have the life that I have always dreamed of. I know that no one is too young nor too old to start again. How about you? What is it that you wish you knew when you were 18?

P.S. I used my 18th birthday invitation for my lead image.