If you could have known about any one thing as a teenager that you now know as an adult (that would have made a difference in your life), what would that be?

...to know that I should relax and have a good time more.

How vitally important it is to take big chances and not let others (ie adults) tell you what you should do with your life. Campbell was right - you've got to follow your bliss, wherever it takes you.

alcohol and drugs. I can't be any more specific than that

Other people (including those older) are the majority of the time just as unsure of themselves or scared as you. Yes you can use this in your book.

I don't know if there is anything really that I would have liked to have known. Some things may have changed my life, but then I wouldn't be who I am today. I am proud of who I have become. I have suffered more hardships than anyone deserves throughout my youth, but I would not change a thing. It taught me to enjoy life and to be able to deal with and accept anything that is thrown my way. ..... you may use my comments

I wish someone would have taught me how to relax more!! I worry too much. What's a grade anyway? Will it really matter in the long run if you got a "D" in math? TO TWANGER>>Growing up in the Church of Christ, I'm so thankful to have been taught about religion. The grace of God is absolutely amazing, as well as He sent His son to die for the redemption of our sins.

I would have dated more and been more social. Growing up I was too much the introvert type. I stayed in and studied a lot. I think I would have enjoyed life if I went out more and dated more.

I was such an unathletic little child; I wish I could have understood the extent to which my body would feel like crap now because I never worked it out then. Use my comments if you like, but it's not as if there was a dearth of voices telling me to be physically active; the young *never* learn from the experiences of their elders.

I call these "swimming lessons"--the explanation means nothing until you gain the experience--I guess the one I'd like to have learned sooner is to relax more. You can use my answer, but please not my actual words.

Anything religious. I was spoon fed all this religious propaganda from a very young age, and whenever i questioned anything i was just told to believe just because. Now that i'm old enough to think for myself i've given up religion. I guess that hasnt effected my life that much, but that's all i can think of now. You can use anything I say for whatever.

I don't know! Latter or sooner, I've autoanswered all my exixtential questions. Perhaps I must thanks my parents for not making stupid answers. In fact, they never answered my questions, only gived me the clues to find them by myself. (And yes, use my answer for whatever you want)

You can use my answer: I would like to be able to read people like my mother. She has an amazing ability to tell me how people are (especially boyfriends), tolerate my argument and doubt, and then be absolutely dead right. And then she never has an "I told you so." I would love to not only save myself the heartache, but also others. I am much better at it than I was in high school, though.

Really, truly how tough life is, how hard it is to make a buck, how dreams don't always work out, how much pain and suffering and cruelty is out there. How dark it can get. Also, that Gilligan can never get off the island.

study harder

Keep in touch with several people who were friendly in the past who have suddenly grown cold to me in the present.

I wish I knew that everything my parents told me was wrong. It DOES make a difference if you are too fat, or aren't pretty, or have too much or too little of something. The whole thing about "It's what inside that counts" should come with a disclaimer. You have to know that you are a certain type of person, but in order for society to hear that, you have to look a certain way. Getting people to listen to you isn't the easiest thing, but it sure is easier when you look the part.

I wish I would have known to buy Microsoft stock. You may use this comment in your book, but only if you pay me money.

I wish that I knew that good grades actually are a good thing.

The "popular kids" are just as immature and unsure of themselves as everyone else. No, you cannot publish this comment anywhere other than Survey Central.

If I'd known anything as a teenager that would have made a difference it would have been to trust and listen to your parents. You don't realize how much they actually do know. Fighting with them is really stupid and you realize that as you get older. I also wish I'd know not to sweat the small stuff. Also I wish I hadn't tried to grow up so fast, your only young once and when you get older you wish you could be young again. (Yes you may use it)

I have few regrets.

If I had known the Canadian government was going to change its immigration laws (including those affecting marriages of Canadian citizens to US citizens) on or about August 8, 1970, then rest of my life would probably have been very different. Sure, to use that in a book is fine, but it's sort of been done already (Catch-22)

I would like to tell my younger self that all the crap i went through, well, most of it turns out ok. I mean, i have everything i dreamed of having, that money can buy. A house on the beach, a convertible 911, lots of designer clothes...And physically I grew up. I used to be the shortest, smallest, weakest, least attractive person in any group, and now I'm 6'0" and I'm pretty big and I've even done some modeling. But I still am not happy, and i still hate myself. So i guess I would tell my younger self, during on of the many times i considered suicide, to do it.

use anything you want

I would like to be able to know why life is so bloody unfair. You can use my comment if you want.

More about ways to save money and put some money into funds.

cheer up, you aren't actually doomed to live your entire life without having a girlfriend. oh yeah, and tell dad to invest in microsoft

Most things don't matter nearly as much as I thought they did.

I would have liked not to have sex as such a young age. I was 15 and I don't think children at that age knows what love is and what can happen. I should have waited.

I sort of knew it, but just to be sure that my parents were messed up, and that I could lead a normal, happy life once I was out of the house and on my own.

I'm sure that there's something (many things) that I know now that I didn't as a teenager. But none spring to mind as something that I really wanted or needed to know.

That my college education could have been traded for real life experience and I would have been none the worse off in my work life. College was fun, but unless you want a Masters or PhD don't bother. (Yes, use my comments whereever you want.)

I can't think of one specific something that made that much difference... Except possibly that everything matters much much less than you think it does.

I'm pretty happy with how my life has gone since about 14 or 15. If I had to pick something, it would be that getting engaged at 18 was absurd. I did figure that out soon enough, and I think not knowing it was actually fun for a bit. You can count me in broad categories such as 'basically happy' or 'had some minor, specific piece of advice' but don't use specifics. oh, and jjg: I don't think that a masters or phd matter for work either, but work isn't really why I went to school.

feel free to use it in a book, it won't help. There is no one thing that I know that would have made a difference. there is no one vital piece of information. what I know now is basically a collection of all that I have experienced to this point. no one moment or piece of knowledge would change the way I was as a teenager. do I wish that I knew then what I know now.. yes.. then I would have several more years in which to grow and maybe make some different choices.

Perspective makes everything easier, and you'll get some if you hang around a while.

the economic future of any of the publically held companies whose stock has gone up significantly in the last decade. I would normally cooperate with the spirit of the question, but frankly I can't think of anything I "know" now that I didn't "know" then that would matter much. What has changed is primarily my perspective, my habits, my attitude... not my data set.

That high school, for the most part, was a waste of time.

I want to be a doctor.