Mostly geared towards the older guys of the group ... but definitely want replies from the younger guys as well. During your life, you were given many pieces of advice - what are the most memorable tips given to you? What advice do you wish to pass on to others? I'll start with "think with your big head not your little one" ... and I'll insert the [serious] tag here to at least try and keep this thread somewhat on topic/serious. Listen to people with experience. I'm not talking listen to your old man talk about how he got hammered back in college every Thursday night ... I'm talking about listening to the guy who has been working for 30 years and knows the ins and out of the equipment, process, whatever you are dealing with. Listen to people with experience. Don't say you know unless you really do. If you were to walk into a refinery and after a day I mentioned that you might want to watch the temperature of your furnace a little closer, don't reply with "I know" ... you know? Fine. That's great ... don't come running to me when it blows up. Get as much education as you can and work your balls off when you are young. Nevermind the smoking/partying/drinking/gambling ... bust your butt and get great grades. Scholarships = free money ... apply for as many as you possibly can. Volunteer a little bit. Work four jobs during the summers between semesters. Don't piss your money away on 8000 watts and 6 15" subwoofers. Throw the money in the bank and start an RRSP, invest it, put it in terms, something. Car audio is a hobby, yes .... you'll spend $6000 right now when you really don't have that much to spend, turn around in a couple years and sell it for $3500, spend another $5000 on top of that ... and dig yourself deeper. It isn't going to make you rich. I'm not telling you not to buy stupid shit or things that you are interested in/make you happy, I'm saying be reasonable and be smart financially. Watch out for the women. 98% of them cheat on you, lie, steal, and generally don't care about anything other than getting laid or spending your money. When you find the right one I pray that you know it and don't make a mistake of either keeping the wrong one or missing out on the right one. You are number one. Watch out for yourself. You are the number one thing that should matter to you - take care of yourself. Take care of your family, watch out for your friends and co-workers. Always remember that you are number one. Be a smart shopper and be smart financially. I save $5 a week in eggs by buying a carton of egg whites which replaces two dozen eggs. Riding my bike to work saves me $80 per month. That savings ($1220) pays the car insurance for a year. It is alright to look ahead to the future, but don't plan too far in advance. Be organized. Seriously. Keep yourself mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically healthy. Read. Utilize your local library and spend 5-10 minutes before bed reading something that you are interested in. Perhaps it will help you at work, maybe you'll learn a thing or two, or it might just turn out to be a good book that you recommend to me. Wash your hands. Get yourself out of debt. Do whatever it takes to get your head above water again. Be able to communicate efficiently and effectively. It will really help you in the long run.
