If you could, what would you tell your 30-year-old self?

Maybe I would say: Happy birthday!
Don´t get addicted to anything that makes you forget about everything else.

 

Your life 30 years from now will not be ANYTHING like you imagined. So don't fret the small stuff or worry about the future. Continue to enjoy yourself, be yourself and learn what you can, but your life is going to change. Big time. You've got one hell of a fantastic and unexpected ride ahead. You are one lucky so-and-so.

 

"Tell myself, train your imagination. Think about 10, 20 years later and what you want to be. You will not be young forever, and after 30 years old you will age even faster. Blink a moment and you will find yourself in middle age. Do not waste time." Tomohiro, 45

 

I would tell my 30-year-old self:

"About that job of yours: Get out. Get out now. Yes, your boss is brilliant and talented and you love learning your craft from him. He can even be charming and considerate, and he's willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the work. But get out now before he sacrifices you, too. He's a terrible businessman and a control freak and it's only going to get worse. You know how he doesn't allow any of you employees to have your own business cards because he has to be the only one who interacts with clients? That's only a sample of how bad it will become.

"You think that your hard work and your willingness to stay late in the office will earn you advancement and higher pay. It won't. Give this job another couple of years and you'll find your duties constricted, not expanded, and your pay woefully lagging because that boss of yours finds it safer and cheaper to hire in guys from the outside rather than training you up, then filling your former place.

"So leave. Note that when you try to go, he'll make it difficult for you. He'll mouth plausible excuses to restrict your access to the photographs you need to build your portfolio and make it company policy to forbid anyone to contact the clients to shoot their own. It's to his financial advantage to keep you around. Don't give in to his excuses and flattery. You're familiar with people in your field who can advise you on how to get around this difficulty; approach them and ask them what to do.

"You will feel this is disloyal. Ignore the feeling. Your boss is disloyal to you, and all his talent and brilliance will do you no good when your career grinds into the dust because of your cluelessness and his neurotic games.

"Leave now. Go."