In this enlightening episode, Angie and Cheryl explore pivotal life lessons they wish they had known at 18. Engage in a discussion that navigates career choices, personal growth, and the significance of financial prudence. Whether you’re a student or a professional seeking to realign your life, this episode brims with valuable insights and practical advice to inspire your journey.
Welcome to The Good News with Angie Austin. Now, with The Good News, here’s Angie.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hey there, friend. Angie Austin and Dr. Cheryl Lentz here with The Good News. Welcome back, Cheryl. Haven’t talked to you in a while.
SPEAKER 05 :
It’s been some time. Welcome spring. I’m very excited about it.
SPEAKER 04 :
You said in Chicago you’re getting some great weather, which, you know, you go for weeks sometimes in Chicago in the winter without seeing the sun.
SPEAKER 05 :
We’ve got sunshine, and it’s going to hit 63 degrees today. I’m about ready to pull out the bikini. We haven’t seen this kind of weather since last April. I’m excited.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, I get so excited when winter is coming to an end. I don’t know about you, but some people get excited. sad or seasonal affective disorder and I knew that my brother got it and I think I might have a mild version of it where if I go without sunshine for a long time and say it’s cloudy and cold and I just don’t get a lot of sun I do feel a little lower so interestingly enough I do have one of those lights that gives you the same you know type of light that you would get from the sun and
SPEAKER 05 :
I had trouble when I was first here because I came from the desert. We had over 300 days of sunshine. And so coming to Chicago, we don’t get quite that much. So I had to adapt my vitamin D and had to do some other physical things to kind of. Keep in there. But no, it is a thing when you’re so used to having that. It’s like a plant. I mean, that’s your energy source. That’s your battery. When you don’t plug in, things don’t go well sometimes.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, it’s interesting you say that about doing other things. I get quite a bit of sunshine here in Colorado, but I do the vitamin D as well. But we also, as you know, do family gym nights. So we work out a lot, and that really helps to keep the blues at bay.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. The only thing I struggle with in the wintertime is if the sun’s not up, I’m not up. So I have trouble getting up when it’s dark outside. I don’t care if it’s gloomy. I don’t care if it’s just we’re not getting enough sun because it’s that time of year. I’m up with the sun. And so when we get up at like, what, I don’t know, 430 in the summertime, you stay up till 930. Man, I get an awful lot done. I don’t quite get as much done sometimes in the wintertime because of that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I’m with you. I totally. Well, I like it too. I feel like when spring hits that neighbors come out that you barely see all winter. Like you might kind of, you know, roll your window down a little in the cold weather and say hi or bring their trash cans down their long driveways for them or something like that. But in general, you’re not.
SPEAKER 05 :
chit-chatting but once the spring comes oh my gosh we’re out in the yard all the time and bumping into our neighbors on one side well both sides actually we see all the time and we have two and a half acre lots so they’re pretty spread out but you know i’m better for you my neighbor next door he tends to travel a lot in the wintertime because of you know wanting warmer weather but when he’s in the backyard he and gracie my siberian husky have wonderful conversations and i swear they understand each other that’s a little concerning oh so she howls at him and stuff oh They’re just over the fence, just chit-chatting as if you’d be chit-chatting with your neighborhood. And they’re just having a conversation. And I’m like, really? And so, hey, if he’s the dog whisperer, my husky loves him and misses him in the wintertime because he’s always traveling. He’s in Florida right now. But it’s just hysterically funny when you hear the two of them communicate. And they’re perfectly logically having a conversation like you and I are. It’s really funny.
SPEAKER 04 :
That is funny. And how is Gracie doing? How old is she now?
SPEAKER 05 :
She is 12 years, three months, and we’re getting into her twilight years. So she’s struggling with sitting down now, although I’m taking her out for walks just not as long. You know, she gets very winded because it’s just, you know, it’s often. That’s the other thing about the winter between that The winter, the cold weather, she loves the cold weather because she’s a husky, but it’s also the barometric pressure. We’ve had a lot of fog lately. I feel like 104 when I get up when that fog’s in there just because it changes. Well, so does she, and that’s the hardest part. I’ve now got her on fish oil and the rest of it. Better weather with more sunshine and less cold and less pressure changes. will help her, but we’re probably in her final three or four months.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, when you talk about the barometric pressure affecting her and the fish oil, my mom too, barometric pressure affects her, so I treat her just like you treat Gracie with the fish oil and the glucosamine.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, we’re about to add that one, and I’m wondering because I really don’t want to load her up with too much. That’s why we’re trying the fish oil one at a time. She’s been on it about two weeks now, and I’m seeing some improvement, but Boy, the vet’s got a whole list of things with shots and treatments. And I’m going, I’m just overwhelmed by how many things. And I don’t know how much she wants to be annoyed by and how much to put in her system, you know, because even now I think I take too many supplements sometimes. Yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think the glucosamine is fairly natural, but just, you know, like you said, I know too with like pet CBD and stuff like that for pain, there’s just so many things that, you know, we used to use just for humans that now are applicable to, you know, our pets as well in terms of getting them around better and giving them, you know, a more pleasurable, you know, latter, you know, end of life experience, you know.
SPEAKER 05 :
I just wish I knew what the right thing to do and whether it was working because they can’t really talk to you, although she talks to her neighbors. So when Stan gets back, I’m going to ask what’s the cake and the same thing, you know, because all I can go by is her behavior and sleeping. And sometimes she runs around here as a puppy and other days she can barely walk. So it’s just so strange that I just have to really key into her. and making sure, but she’s still doing okay as far as I know. We haven’t had any breakthrough seizures, so that’s a really good thing.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s huge. All right, I’ve got some topics today that I think you’ll get a kick out of because of your area of expertise as a professor and your TED Talk on failing basically to success, a TED Talk on failure. These are 18 things I wish someone told me when I was 18 years old or she would have learned when she was younger. You ready? Cool.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
OK, number one, commit yourself to making lots of little mistakes when you’re young. And as you know, so many people are averse to making mistakes and failure. But that’s really when we’re learning you how to be successful.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. And I’m of the opinion for that one. Go big or go home. Don’t be shy about it, because if you’re going to make a mistake, it’s a learning opportunity. But we can’t be shy about it. We can’t lack confidence because that will help you move forward faster. But sometimes the ego gets involved.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and no matter how it turns out, the article says it almost always ends up just the way it needs to be. Either you succeed or you learn something. So you succeed or you learn, or you do both. So win-win. Okay. Don’t worry too much about what other people think of you, number two. Don’t worry too much about what other people think of you. I’ve definitely let go of that one, but I also, I think, to some degree, do avoid making waves because it’s not worth… Okay, how can I explain this? It’s not, I worry what, how can I explain this? All right, let’s say my husband and my kids and I were walking up the dog trail and there are a bunch of huskies that live near us and the male owner in five years we’ve met once and we know he’s not very friendly from other neighbors. And so, and he’s very protective of his dog. So it’s a wide like horse trail that I walk on. So it’s as wide as a road. So I, of course, walk my dogs on the other side of the horse trail away. Because I figure, why let this guy think I’m a jerk and be angry with me if I walk my dogs right up against his dogs when they’re all worked up and they’re rather aggressive? So you think five huskies, and they walk six miles a day, so they’re really fit and they really watch their property. You know, you’ve got a husky.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, I’ve got them. And they’re the best husky is a well-behaved husky is a tired husky. And it’s hard to wear them out. But no, what you’re trying to do is avoid compromising situations.
SPEAKER 04 :
OK, so let me tell you what he did. And then and then. So I don’t know if this is caring what people think or yes, I think avoiding situations that just are easily avoidable. So he’s got to take our male dog right next to the fence. right next to all the dogs and I said honey would you do me a favor would you walk on this side because you know I just don’t want them coming out or him getting angry and we we’ve heard that he has a bad temper and why why not walk over here on this side with me and he’s like well I don’t care and I said to my daughter I’m like but then he was just this is an excuse to like then he can yell at the guy and the guy can yell at him and like I’m just not interested you know it’s my neighbor I’d rather just avoid so I guess what I’m It’s not so much that I want him to think I’m a nice person or I care what he thinks of me. I just don’t want to – I avoid situations or I will change my behavior in order to not make a scene or cause problems. I do the same things at, like, sporting events, like when my husband’s yelling, like, oh, my, you’re doing it again to my daughter. And I’m like, hey, let her play. Like, it’s kind of – I don’t know. I just don’t want – the other parents around us to be rattled by our husband, my husband yelling things in the stands when we’re just there to watch our kids play, you know? So, and then I’m embarrassed because I’m like, Hey, leave her alone. Be quiet.
SPEAKER 05 :
No. And that’s something, and you’re trying to avoid things that, you know, could happen and could easily escalate, you know, emotions run high. And as a matter of fact, you know, there’s always cartoons of I saw one the other day about being able to say the idea of your parents coming to a game to watch you and they hope there isn’t an incident. The kids are like going, oh, mom, don’t embarrass me kind of thing. You can just avoid unpleasantness. Why wouldn’t you? I mean if you don’t want to have a confrontation and there’s no need to and it’s not – a fight or flight, nobody’s life’s on the line, why wouldn’t you just get along to get along? You know, just avoid things so you know it just doesn’t happen to begin with. That’s not a bad thing.
SPEAKER 04 :
But in terms of what it’s saying, you know, don’t worry too much about what other people think of you. I definitely have let go of that, you know, with my faith being secure in who I am and how I was made and, you know, being secure in Christ per se. I definitely don’t worry what people think of me in that manner, like about my car or my house or my clothing or brand names. I don’t worry about that stuff.
SPEAKER 05 :
nearly as much as i did when i was younger well and i think that’s probably good to look at that because you are more secure i think a lot of those who worry are a little bit more they lack confidence they lack the ability and there’s this thing called the abilene paradox which is really kind of funny but most people think that confrontation is the reason we behave and it’s not always the problem. It’s the ability to just agree to get along, to get along and not people not realizing your opinions and who you really are. So if you can politely just let them know one way or the other, I think it’s much easier. But agreement sometimes is more easily conflict than disagreement, which is an interesting thing. That’s why they call it the Abilene paradox and they call it the road to Abilene. So I think you’re right in If we can minimize some of this stuff, but don’t try and be untrue to who you are either. If you don’t like sushi, don’t say that you do, just so you can be liked kind of thing.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is something I think you and I can appreciate. I know that you changed your career path well into your college career, and this is find work you appreciate doing. If I could offer my 18-year-old self some real career advice, the article says, I’d tell myself not to base my career choice solely on On other people’s ideas, goals, and recommendations, I’d tell myself not to pick a major because it’s popular or statistically creates graduates who make the most money. I’d tell myself to make the right career choice based on one core point, finding work you appreciate doing that makes you feel fulfilled and stay true to yourself. What do you think of that?
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. I remember a conversation with my dad that I thought when I was choosing a career in high school that it was, well, if I’m going to do this 40 hours a week, I want to be happy at it. And my father’s reaction was, what does happiness have to do with it? He’s a baby boomer. You take care of your family. You take care of your responsibilities. Happiness is a part of that. And so my generation as now millennials probably to the extreme are more of a, well, if you don’t appreciate it, you don’t have fun, and you’re going to make money, why would you want to be miserable for 40 hours a week?
SPEAKER 03 :
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 05 :
So I think there’s something we said, and there’s a lot of research that happy employees don’t leave. Happy employees are happy employees. We like to be around them. They’re in there. I know many people have stayed at places because they’re happy, not because they make more money or they’ve stayed even if they’ve had a promotion because they don’t want it. So I think there’s something to be said for, yes, we have to be realistic to make sure the bills are paid, but can’t we also have a good time doing it?
SPEAKER 04 :
I think about, yes, I think about my nephew and when I ran into him recently in Los Angeles and we had lunch and I asked him about his work because he’s like maybe a year or two out of college and he was going to continue on. I know he’s going to get his master’s. He was thinking about becoming a pharmacist, but now it’s going to be more mathematical and computer oriented. Anyway, I asked about the job and he said, well, Auntie Angie, I’m under the impression that a job is something you do when you go to, you don’t necessarily enjoy it. It’s a way to make a living. And then his mom says, me too. And I was like, oh.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, they did call it work for a reason. Nobody died wishing they wanted to work more. But if you can find something that you like what you do or you can like most of what you do. I mean, nobody’s going to like everything. Being an adult is not always the fun part when you have to do things because they need to be done, not because you want to do them. But if you’re going to spend a lot of time like we do, I mean, unless you’re independently wealthy, most people have to exchange their time for some money so they can pay the bills and live. So couldn’t we find a way that, well, maybe you’d make more money as an IT tech, but you really want to work with animals. Can you find a way to be able to get the bills paid and still be happy doing it and maybe not be a millionaire? I don’t know. That’s a personal choice, but I think it’s worthwhile fulfillment rather than Going after it simply for the sake of money. Money doesn’t buy you happiness and it doesn’t make you happy. All right.
SPEAKER 04 :
We’ll be right back with the good news. 18 things I wish someone told me when I was 18. We’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
Sterling is listening to the mighty 670 KLT Denver.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hey there, friend. Angie Austin and Dr. Cheryl Lentz. We’re talking about eight things that we wish someone told us when we were 18 years old. It’s an article, but I knew with Dr. Cheryl Lentz being the academic entrepreneur and also a professor that deals with a lot of young people, this would resonate. So we just talked about the one about finding work that you appreciate, and I think this, Dr. Cheryl, helps young people do that. Number four, talk with lots of people in your college environment. and also you know professors teachers in high school early on in your career interviews speak with talk to pick the brains of people you admire people who seem happy people who are successful in their line of work who are doing well overall in life what do you think of that oh absolutely we have an academic term for that when we look at career day it’s called informational interviewing go find someone whose job you’re fascinated and go talk to them and find out if it’s fascinating
SPEAKER 05 :
And many people love to talk about themselves, and the more information you get, some people will love it, some people won’t. You’ve got to be able to do it. That’s why we suggest internships. We suggest – because I did one once, and I’m glad I only wasted six weeks because it wasn’t what I thought it was. And I’m like, you know what? Six weeks is fine, not six years. So I think we don’t know what we don’t know until we start experiencing. So go ask. Ask their path. Why reinvent the wheel? They’ve already done it and they’re ahead of you in the process. Always easier to follow someone than kind of blaze a trail by yourself.
SPEAKER 04 :
Love it. Love it. All right. Number five, things that we wish we’d known or done at 18. Invest a little time, energy and money in yourself every day, even after college. We’ve talked about our friend Jim Stovall and how he reads a book every single day. He’s blind and he does it high speed. But every day he reads a book, which is to me is mind blowing. And so whether it be taking an art class or like I took a pottery class with my mom, invest a little time and energy in yourself every day, even after college. And that might be even like our family gym nights, you know, where we’re going to get physically fit or learning more about nutrition or cooking healthy meals. There’s all kinds of things that taking dancing lessons. Didn’t you do that? You did something interesting in the last few years, didn’t you? Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I was doing salsa dancing and ballroom dancing. It was hard for me to find a partner, which is why I kind of stopped in there. I also kayak. I do some things. But learning for the sake of learning, not learning for an outcome, meaning learning because you have to get a grade or learning because you need a certification at work, but learning just to say that I’m curious. I want to go and learn something new. Maybe you won’t make a career out of it. Maybe you’re not good at it. Maybe you don’t even like it. But now you get a chance to experience a little bit. And isn’t that just the point instead of just doing the same routine over and over and over? I think that’s fabulous. You might actually find a new career. I know people do that all the time.
SPEAKER 04 :
Number six, I like this. Again, things we wish we knew or did at 18. Explore new ideas and be open to doing new things. And that doesn’t have to be even necessarily for our career per se. It can just be in general, trying something new. Some of us aren’t that open to trying new things. I know that whenever I go jet skiing with my husband or whatever, snowmobiling or any of that I always have him drive because that’s not like my fun zone you know for me to be uh driving the jet ski or the snowmobile or the four-wheeler or the jeep when we’re in Moab like that’s his fun zone that’s his like you know special you know fun thing to do in the world is those adventures that I don’t mind being along for the ride but I’ll try new things but I’m more comfortable in the passenger seats at least not not in life but in in adventurous situations
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I think that’s good. You know your limits. I’m not jumping out of perfectly good airplanes anytime soon either. And there are certain limits that I have that I like to shake it up a little bit, try new things, maybe find something I like. But it’s interesting that unless you try, you won’t know. And that’s been the hardest part with a lot of people like, no, no, no, I don’t like that. I’m like, have you ever done it? And they’re like, no, well, then how do you know? So be open to feel the fear and do it anyway, because we’ll be a little anxious about something we don’t know. But that shouldn’t be the reason you won’t try it to at least see if you can overcome it. Because I think the more we push ourselves, the more we learn about ourselves and the more fun we have with going, hey, look what I can do. I think it’s a confidence builder. It’s fabulous.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, and let’s hit up on a few more here. People are not mind readers. You have to tell them what you’re thinking. I did make the mistake many times younger in my career where thinking I was reading other people’s emotions and, you know, that they were upset with me or I’d be, you know, kind of running through the gamut of the emotions I think they’re experiencing or why they’re acting a certain way. And I think it’s a narcissistic thing for us to think that a lot of this stuff is about us. I was making weather maps for the weatherman I worked with before I was on air as a weather person. And he was grumpy a lot. He was a comedian. You know, a lot of comedians are kind of solemn. And he said, Angie, every day you ask me if I’m upset with you, like if I was a couple minutes late or something. And he said, it’s not always about you. It has nothing to do with you. You know, and I’m like, wow, okay. So this has nothing to do with me. He was just grumpy.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I have a hard time with that as well. And I don’t know if that’s a female trait or if that’s a high person who accomplishes a lot trait. But I am a little paranoid in that regard, thinking that when people are upset. that it’s something that I’ve done, not realizing, no, they’re upset, and it has nothing to do with you. I don’t know how to tell the difference really well between that, but that’s gotten me in trouble on more than one occasion.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I think you and I, we’ve talked about this a few times where there was a friend you didn’t hear from or that made a response to you that might have seemed a little harsh, and maybe they even thought they were mind readers because you’re very direct, and so they were offended by you when you meant no offense.
SPEAKER 05 :
Exactly. And texting is a really difficult thing. Communication is a very difficult thing. Email can be a difficult thing. Even leaving a voicemail because you don’t have all the nonverbals. And even sometimes, I mean, the biggest character flaw I struggle with, as I’ve shared with you many times, I don’t like silence because I don’t know how to interpret it. Maybe they just want to get back to me. You know, I have a friend that I found out after I hadn’t heard from him in a month. He’s been in a rehab facility. And I had no idea, but I was thinking going, well, I wasn’t on the list that I was good enough to know, but I was worried about him and I couldn’t handle the silence thinking, oh, my God, he’s mad at me. And it had nothing to do with me. But that is the one trait I struggle with because I have to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Try not to think it’s about you or them. Maybe they just need some time. Maybe there’s a death in the family. Maybe there’s all kinds of things. But you also have to be willing to take your part in the responsibility as well. Maybe you did something that garnered that in there. I don’t know. But trying to communicate. is often the best way if you can learn how to have those crucial conversations, because sometimes we just avoid it because we’re afraid to know. And I’ll tell you, I’m guilty of that as well as I’d rather not know. Then but sometimes it’s just better to know than you know where you stand, even though you might not like the message. Try not to shoot the messenger.
SPEAKER 04 :
And, you know, I’m going to skip over this one. I’m just going to mention it, except an embrace change, because I think we’ve kind of a lot of people have difficulty with that. But that kind of ties in with an earlier one. OK, always be sincere. How do you build credibility at a young age? It’s not rocket science. Be honest. Follow through. Honor your word. Say sorry. Listen, be kind and present. Living a daily life of sincerity means long-term peace of mind, and peace of mind is priceless later in life, period. And I think I teach my kids this in the form of a bank account, that like when they were younger, if something happened, I would say like, hey, this parent knows you’re a great kid. You have a bank account of five years of going to school with their kid and being friends and being honest. So, you know, these other kids aren’t going to believe this about you or whatever. You know, you’re building up a sincerity mindset. and honest and reputation bank account.
SPEAKER 05 :
I like that. That’s in there. It’s the currency of emotionality and relationships. I do believe that. That’s really wonderful.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, now in terms of, sometimes I, like, mark these, too, because we do, like, these, I think I’ve told you, a learning moment with our kids where I’ll highlight something for the day when their alarm goes off at night that we talk about. Okay, sit alone in silence for at least 10 minutes every day. I’ve had some friends that have done, you know, meditation every day, and they said it was life-changing. What do you think about that? It is.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, I do that every morning before I get up. Really?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
something happened to me years ago with someone, and I can’t tell you who I can give credit for this, but to live with intention rather than just getting up and accepting the way you are. If you’re going to get up grumpy or you’re going to get up mad or you’re going to get up, you don’t feel good or whatever it may be, the question is you have a choice. You can allow that to continue or you can spend some time checking in with yourself going, yeah, that’s not how I want to stop my day. I want to have You know, something that it’s OK to be sad. It’s OK to be mad. But you have to know the consequences of that. And most of the time I’m going, you know, that doesn’t serve me. So let’s try and adjust my attitude. And it’s usually the first 10 minutes when, you know, I’m just getting up. And sitting with Gracie because I have to give her medicine, I just sit there and I go over my gratefuls and I go over what I want to have happen today and how can I be a little bit better person. Because, again, we show up differently. The world shows up differently. But sometimes we show up and we’re mad and then we wonder why the world is mad at us. I’m going, well, how do you think you started your day, you know? It’s hard to do. Silence does not work well for me. It took me a long time. Five minutes can be a long time.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. All right. I’m going to skip to one that I think is really important. It’s really helped me in my life in terms of financial security and not having that stress that I had when I was younger, you know, growing up really pretty poor. Live below your means. Live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects. Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you. Always live well below your means. And with my son and my nephew, my nephew has been saving. I’ve taught him the importance of this and company matching. But with my son, I said, look, Being, you know, thrifty, frugal is a cool thing, but not cheap. So when you go on dates, I’d like you to pay for girls. When you are like at Christmas time, he bought a really nice present for this girl that he was dating. And the girls were talking about their brother being cheap when it comes to like he’ll want, you know, you have to buy me something to eat if I drive you to, you know, the burger place or whatever. And I said, well, I’ll tell you one thing. Riley’s not cheap when he’s with his dates. And they’re like, oh, no, like they they fully like realize that like, yes, he’s very generous when it comes to that. But we’re trying to teach him to really save his money in general. But with like tipping, you know, treating people while leaving a tip when you leave a hotel for the cleaning person, tipping your waiter, maybe even a little tip at the coffee shop, whatever, like those things be generous, but be frugal in the things that maybe aren’t as important in life.
SPEAKER 05 :
I think that’s a good idea. I lived in Vegas for 12 years and I saw that whole impressing the Joneses, living in a house you can’t afford, buying a car that you don’t care. I’m like, why are you driving something you don’t like to impress someone you don’t even know? And I found that so foolish. But I saw it firsthand. And now it’s a I drive things because I like them and I can afford them. But I don’t want to bankrupt myself today so that retirement isn’t there. There has to be that balance. And trust me, that’s one of the things I would have liked to have known in 18 that if I would have started saving sooner, it might not be as stressful for some of the things I’d like to do later because of compound interest. But these are the skills I’m embarrassed to say as you know, as faculty and with all my fancy degrees, I didn’t learn and certainly not at a young age. So these are fabulous tips.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I’ve told my nephew that the majority of like the money, whatever the savings that I have now that I saved in my 20s and 30s and just over the years, you know, how much it’s been able to, you know, to grow.
SPEAKER 05 :
Exactly. And if you understand some of that, but I’m learning some things now in my 50s that I never learned in my 20s. And I’m like, where was this information? And I didn’t know. I didn’t know to even go looking for it. Right.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, that’s funny.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is something that’s really interesting. I wish we would teach some of these things. to give us an option. The more we know, the more we can learn. But if you don’t know what you don’t know, and now I’m getting close to retirement going, why didn’t somebody tell me this in my 30s?
SPEAKER 04 :
Anything that you wish you would have been told when you were young that would have helped you?
SPEAKER 05 :
I think just saving it a little bit. Because the more you save at a younger age, the more it compounds at our age. I think as we get older, we start saving more. But if we would have learned, if I would have been putting a quarter a day when I was in high school… that quarter would be a million dollars right now because nobody teaches the importance of savings at a young age. They teach the importance of savings when you get around to it. And oftentimes there’s just no extra money. So we don’t do it and pay yourself first. Oh, that would have been so generous. Because then it would have compounded and I would have just been, oh, it was no big deal because I was always used to that habit. Those savings habits are what you need to create. Playing catch up in your 50s is tough.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and pay yourself first. Exactly. With the company matching, I told my nephew, I’m like, that’s free money like any company matching you get once you have fulfilled that certain amount of time you need to work for the company in order to survive. start investing in their retirement plans, et cetera. And it’s hard for them to put that money away and think like, oh, I can’t touch it, you know, for 50 years or whatever, many years.
SPEAKER 05 :
You like to save something significant. I mean, if I would have been saving 20 bucks, right. Or five bucks, a cup of coffee, right. That would have made such a difference in the matching. And again, all these little details that you learn along the way, which become helpful. But wouldn’t it be great if you could just have that? Here’s the things you should know now and start doing them. All right. Play catch up the rest of your life and then it wouldn’t be so tough.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. And you can touch some of that money and do certain loans, this, that and the other. So it is it isn’t untouchable until you retire. Dr. Cheryl Wins.com out of time. Thank you, Fred. Absolutely. Have a good one.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
In this enlightening episode, Angie and Cheryl explore pivotal life lessons they wish they had known at 18. Engage in a discussion that navigates career choices, personal growth, and the significance of financial prudence. Whether you’re a student or a professional seeking to realign your life, this episode brims with valuable insights and practical advice to inspire your journey.
