If I could Do it All Over I would

Ever wondered about the sliding doors of life's choices and where the road not taken might have led you? Join me, Michael Kane, as I get real about the 'what ifs' that haunt us all, from past loves to the friends we've gained and lost along the way. In a candid reflection on life's pivotal moments, I open up about my own experiences with marriage, the blessings of children, and the wisdom that only hindsight can bring. This episode isn't just about looking back – it's about the lessons learned and how they can illuminate the path forward.

We also tackle the importance of the company we keep and the influence they wield on our journey. I share the poignant stories of the friendships I wish I had preserved and the toxic ties I would sever sooner if given the chance. Through heartfelt discussion, I challenge you to consider the choices you make, the truths you tell yourself, and the undeniable impact of self-belief. Tune in for an episode that's as much an invitation to introspection as it is an exploration of life's endless possibilities.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

This is Living your Success 24-7 with Michael Caine. Hey, how you doing today. Thank you, my loyal listeners, podcasting listeners, audience, etc. Around the world. Thank you for giving me your hard, precious time to listen to little old me talk about a lot of big stuff, little stuff, medium stuff, all in between A through Z, z through A. So let's jump right into it.

Speaker 1: 0:33

I was thinking what would my next podcast be about and I really it just like. I was like kind of dumbfounded about it, saying well, I want to do something unique, interesting, more interesting before. I always want to top what I've done before right, like raise the bar because you deserve it. So, and please share my podcast and and uh, uh with others family, friends, frenemies, whoever associates, colleagues, and uh, I'd appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 1:08

So if I could do it all over again it meaning life from where I'm at, if I could go back, call it a time machine, a genie, whatever, how I get back, if I could do it all over again, what I well question would be and ask yourself this if you could do it all over again, would you do it the exact same way or would you make minor modifications or significant modifications and and turn it all upside down and twist it inside out, and I thought about I would be aggressively turning it upside down inside out and do I would do me. I would do the original me, not the me that I was turned into or allowed to be turned into by others and situations and people into or allowed to be turned into by others and situations and people. Let's let's drill this down a bit. If I could do all over again, michael kane, what would you do? First of all, I wouldn't have gotten married to the person I married absolutely way back when, wouldn't have done it. Wouldn't have done it, wouldn't have done it at all. If I can go back, hindsight would say it's 2020. But flags were there. I ignored them. You know what I mean. Can I get an amen on that? Ignored it, ignored them, knew something wasn't right, did it anyway. Ignored them, knew something wasn't right, did it anyway. Maybe out of desperation or just low self-esteem. You, you name it whatever. Uh, just wouldn't have done it.

Speaker 1: 2:56

But I am grateful for the children they came into my life because of that marriage. Can you feel me with that? What an old expression. Can you dig it? So I wouldn't change that for the world, just to be clear. So there was a lot of positives out of that Love my children. So wouldn't take that back for any dollar cents or any reason, but just saying I would definitely maintain more productive friendships.

Speaker 1: 3:42

I can think about three or four or five people in my head that I would have maintained contacts with over time and I regret it. They were productive, positive people going places, people that had contributed positives in my life. It's just the joy of a friendship or friend and, uh, like-minded going places, have ambition. And counter to that, I would cut those other people out that weren't going anywhere, no desire to go anywhere, don't care about going anywhere. Uh, just, I would have cut them sooner than later. I eventually cut them or they cut me, you know. Thank you, god bless you, and I would have done it at the high school level and early college level, absolutely college level in high school, boom gone.

Speaker 1: 4:39

People that just I didn't have too much in common, just if, yeah, if I can just go back, if I could do it all over again, just eliminate, erase those folks from my life. So I would enjoy my life more by doing the things I wanted to do and believe in myself more. If I could go back and not believe the lies of situations yourself. You could lie to yourself, by the way, which I did and lie and other people lie to you or say things that to make you believe that you're not good enough, you're not worthy enough All those people would be gone. If I could go back, give me the time machine or, jeannie, give me three wishes, go back and that's it. Not believe the lies, and let me stop there. Don't you believe the lies that you tell yourself that you're not good enough, that you can't make it, that you're not worthy enough, that you can't make it, that you not worthy enough. Don't believe that bs from other people. Okay, just don't. I know I make it sound so simple. You know what? In hindsight it was simple, but we make things more difficult for ourselves.

Speaker 1: 6:00

So, that said, doing these things, I would have enjoyed my life a hundred thousand fold if I didn't let the bs and the crap come in like a cancer, a disease, a virus. Not believe in the lies. So if you're in my situation high school, college, boom, do it. Don't wait till your 20s, 30s, 40s, don't have regrets. But you know what that said gotta move on regardless.

Speaker 1: 6:30

I, I moved on, but I'm just saying. I'm just saying, if I could do it all over again, what would I do? What would I change? What would I do that I didn't do? What would I do better? How to avoid the wrongs, how to be more in the right right, I would, um, also, I knew at an earlier age my parents were savers and and they invested in stuff and just took care of us, and I would have continued with their legacy and wouldn't have skipped a beat, or I would have maintained a healthy savings habit, saving my money more wisely. If I can go back, I did a good job for the most part, but I could have done 50 times better through my life. I could have done 100 times better and saving more money, putting something aside and investing sooner. I would invest it properly earlier, sooner than later, because time you cannot get back, folks and that's another podcast you just can't get that time back that you lost. So if you're you're still young and stuff, really evaluate your life to see. Is this where I want to go? Is this who I want to do it with? Is this should be my posse that's around me, or is it productive? Am I moving forward as opposed to backwards. I'm not telling you to do anything. Make a decision for yourself. But that's what if I could do it all over again? Those are the things I would look at In addition to getting a degree.

Speaker 1: 8:13

I would have gone to a trade school too to be able to use my hands on things, whatever that is. I would have done that in addition. It wouldn't have been an either or scenario, because I love my experience in college. I love the learning experience, and the things I learned have benefited me greatly, and so I wouldn't have known those things if I didn't. But I also would have taken two years out to do a trade school, two, three years on top of regular academia. I would have done both. It wouldn't have been either or. For me Some people is either or that. Fine, that's your situation.

Speaker 1: 8:49

But me I'm saying if I could go back, I would do that probably also master a language, a second language outside english. Oh yeah, if I can go back, I'd have made a priority become bilingual. Oh, absolutely great benefit in that, not just talking to people getting around. But you know, you can make more money too. Definitely. Get more clients, get more whatever if you, if you have that, so I don't knock it. Don't knock it. I've known people that knew three, four or five languages and, in hindsight, boy, yeah, if I could do that, I would, but that's something I can do now, right, okay, so some of this stuff I corrected. The ship is going in the right direction. It's going to the right place now as I'm older.

Speaker 1: 9:42

But I'm just saying, if I can go back to being 20, no, 15, 14, 15, 16, and then from there, oh my gosh, um, but I can't, so forgive myself. I'll forgive you, mike. Okay, you're not making the best decisions, but I'm not bad, it's not. I don't live a horrible life, though, either, so I don't want to give that impression. I'm blessed. I'm blessed in many people in this world seven billion people probably blessed, uh, more than six billion of them, probably a billion people ahead of me. So, and uh, just grateful, always be grateful for what you have. So if I could do it all over again, oh my gosh, probably.

Speaker 1: 10:31

Pray more, meditate more, eat healthier, more so than I would have avoided some health conditions. Exercise I used to as a kid. That was my thing, running and staying in shape. I wouldn't have stopped that. It would have been part of my daily or weekly regiment. I gave up a lot and uh yeah, of who I am, just simply the way I was raised and who I came to be should. I should be proud of that, divinely proud.

Speaker 1: 11:11

And for some reason I rejected me. Yeah, I wouldn't have rejected me. I would have said screw you If you don't want to be my friend. You wouldn't, and I had those kind of friends that I didn't keep up with over the years, so they were natural. It wasn't.

Speaker 1: 11:26

No BS, no phony stuff, no trying to convince people and drama. I hate drama. If I could go back, if I could do it all over again, I would avoid drama at all costs. If you're a drama, buy you know, fire me too. If we're not a good fit, let me go too. Thank you, do me a favor, bless it. And so I definitely would have been simply me if I could do it all over again, because in hindsight, looking back, I loved me, wasn't nothing wrong with me until someone tell, told me something was wrong with me. Isn't that funny, you're okay. Until someone does, boom, slap you in the head, say, oh, you're not, you're not good enough. Well enough, this enough. Isn't that funny, you're okay. It's sort of like selling a script they like in the main character is a dog and by the time they finish rewriting the story and directing it, the dog is no longer a dog, it's a pig, it's a bird, it's kind of something other than the original People.

Speaker 1: 12:29

You're allowing to alter your life course. Now certain things are for the best and the better, but still you got to be you. In the context of that, it's okay to improve. You should develop, you should. You should grow and develop, but you still have to not be lost and lose yourself. Do not lose yourself in this.

Speaker 1: 12:54

Even though people have good intentions of trying to help you improve your situation, now you shouldn't listen and you shouldn't avoid and don't be stupid. Now, if someone's giving you good advice or trying to help you, listen, I'm not saying not to do that. Don't say michael k said don't listen to anybody because people will help you. Good, the good people in your life help you avoid being stupid and doing something foolish, blowing your toes off. So you need to be balanced. Have a balanced life here. Balance what comes in inflow and outflow to your brain, your head, your ears. So that's all I have to say.

Speaker 1: 13:37

Um, I said I. I think I said enough. Am I straight to the point? I hope so. Well, anyway, we're gonna call it. All these episodes, these shows don't have to be long, just want to get straight to that point, because it was in my spirit, and so I want to thank all of you again.

Speaker 1: 13:57

And also, you can go to my website, sign up for my newsletter. Catalyst I'm this, I'm been rolling that out slowly but surely, working on another article to go go up to post. But also, uh, you can go on amazon and buy my book, um, slaying your dragons, living a life you always wanted. Uh, there's a paperback version on on amazon as well on that, and so, um, I appreciate, uh, uh, you giving a time, taking the time to listen to what I have to say.

Speaker 1: 14:38

So, and remember to you, my listeners, please share this podcast and don't ever, ever, allow someone in your head to put you down. Where you give up your dreams and give who you are and you're changed, where you know it's not, it's not you, be you, and but also listen to those who are trying to help you. Where you can improve, who you are right, and because that can happen each stage in our lives, we should improve, we should grow, so don't confuse that and avoid that. So, not to your detriment. I want you healthy, wealthy and wise. Healthy, wealthy and wise. That's another podcast, right? So, anyway, I appreciate all of you for listening. This is Michael Caine, with Living your Success 24, 24, 7. Until next time, my friends, and I'm gonna give you some bilingual adios. Ciao, until next time.