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Theme Changer

 Topic: 20 Again ??

 (Read 5747 times)
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  • 20 Again ??
     OP - May 05, 2014, 06:36 PM
    Hey guys,

    So this question is directed at the forum members with some life experience under their belt. There are alot of us teens on the forum and I figured we'd find this thread helpful.

    If you were 20 again and knew islam was man made. What would you do differently ?  I'm talking about priorities, choices etc 

     
    In my opinion a life without curiosity is not a life worth living
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #1 - May 05, 2014, 07:28 PM
    I'm 33 now so it's not going back all that far for me, but here's the thing: despite all the regrets, the missed experiences, the wasted time, I would not change my experience with Islam. Through it I have learned so much about the world, and more importantly, about myself. If I had not considered Islam an option at age 20, there's no telling how my life might have turned out this far.

    But rather than simply knowing Islam was man made, if I instead was 20 again and knew what I know now, here's what I'd do differently:

    I would care more about myself. I wouldn't give a shit what anybody thought of me, what a waste of time and energy. Fuck 'em all. I would endeavor to experience as much as the world has to offer, and I mean really experience it, both the good and the bad, the big and the small. I would make travel a priority. At university I would choose a degree I really enjoyed, rather than just something I thought I could make money with. I would have a lot of sex. I would savor the emotional highs of life, and I'd allow myself to really feel the lows. I would cultivate close friendships and I would appreciate each friend for what they add to my life. I'd realize that no one person can satisfy every last one of my needs, and I'd realize that I can never satisfy every last need for anyone else. I would meditate more. I would appreciate more. I would judge less. I would worry less. I would let myself change and grow and adapt in whatever ways came naturally. I guess, I would just keep learning what it means to be me.
    The only thing we have to fear is fear itself
    - 32nd United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #2 - May 05, 2014, 07:48 PM
     clap That was freaking amazing. Hear, hear.

    It’s so tempting to say that I wouldn’t change anything because my experiences made me who I am, but as those words above sink in, I realize that is just a cop out. It’s exactly what Luthiel said.

    Live life, man.

    I wasted so much time not actually living, not actually experiencing. I’m only now beginning to appreciate just what I’ve been missing.

    I feel myself moving into what I am tempted to call a “post-ex-Muslim” phase. My belief in Islam, in conjunction with a lot of other personal factors I’m only now beginning to acknowledge, limited me, robbed me of some great experiences. Even as much as I was able to travel and experience as a Muslim, I’m realizing now just how much I missed out on and just how much more amplified each of those experiences could have been.

    The good thing is, life is still here and there is still time to do things. I literally feel a sort of anxiety at the prospect of missing out on anything else. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I set goals for myself on a regular basis, not only for the things I want to accomplish, but for the things I want to experience. I honestly do not want to let another moment pass me by. My time is limited, so my biggest fear is wasting any more of it.
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #3 - May 05, 2014, 11:55 PM
    Quote from: TheDarkRebel on May 05, 2014, 06:36 PM
    Hey guys,

    So this question is directed at the forum members with some life experience under their belt. There are alot of us teens on the forum and I figured we'd find this thread helpful.

    If you were 20 again and knew islam was man made. What would you do differently ?  I'm talking about priorities, choices etc 

     


    To be truthful, my entire life would have been different. I made all my choices based on "pleasing Allah" from that age to just a few years ago.
    I would have done what I, myself, wanted. I have no idea how that would have panned out. Would I have tripped myself up some other way?
    I guess, get out of your own way would be some decent advice, and don't ever tell yourself that you cannot do something. Don't think it won't work until you have first tried it.
    Don't let Hitler have the street.
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #4 - May 06, 2014, 12:08 AM
    Oh, and don't please other people. Make sure you want to do it, for you.
    Don't let Hitler have the street.
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #5 - May 06, 2014, 12:20 AM
    I'm going to turn twenty in a couple months and I've preemptively declared it my crazy decade.

    I'm going to use the upcoming ten years to just do all the crazy things I want and try to meet lots of people, do lots of things and figure out my personality.  

    I've wasted all of my teen years so I am gonna really need this decade to let it all out make up for all the fun I've missed.
    In my opinion a life without curiosity is not a life worth living
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #6 - May 06, 2014, 06:11 AM
    @ OP- Stop thinking that a non-existent being somehow controls my fate and start believing that it is mainly in my hands.
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #7 - May 06, 2014, 07:11 AM
    I rarely think about the "what if", because to be honest you don't know what kind of life you would have or choices you would have made instead. I am happy for the experience and knowledge I've gained, even though I from time to time mourn all the possible and potential experiences and I might have lost instead. As Luthiel said, if I knew what I know today, I would have made things a looot different. But since you can't have the experience you have except by going through what you've been through, it seems pretty pointless to think about "oh what if this or that".

    But as an older (well, I'm not that old) person to a younger, I say the same as everyone else has already said. Make sure to experience and not miss out on anything. Take chances, don't care about what others think or say. At the end of the day, you are the one living your life, no one else. Therefore, no one else should have power over you to dictate what kind of life you live. The reason why I don't feel bitter about losing out on my 19-26, is because it was my choice. Regardless of how stupid it was, it was I who had control over my life. I can't blame anyone else. I did what I did out of my own will and conviction. Had I been forced, had I followed someone else's wishes, I might very well have been the most bitter and depressed person in the world. But I'm not Smiley It was my life, and I lived it the way I wanted to at the moment. I started to feel resentment and bitterness when I was still a closeted ex-Muslim, but not anymore Smiley

    "The healthiest people I know are those who are the first to label themselves fucked up." - three
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #8 - May 06, 2014, 03:46 PM
    In hindsight I kind of agree with Luthiel and Cornflower in that I would not change my experience with Islam.

    It was only through me questioning my religion that I picked up an interest in science and skepticism and humanism.

    If I didn't go through my own internal struggle with Islam I don't know if I would have picked up my passion for secular humanism science and skepticism.

    In my opinion a life without curiosity is not a life worth living
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #9 - May 06, 2014, 03:48 PM
    This is the best advice I can give you. Think about what you want. Actually ask the question, "What do I want to do? What will I regret not doing?" Get it firm in your mind and do it. Sometimes it may take a while, but I cannot say how strongly you should not let life pass you by. Missed opportunities are the things that haunt you.
    `But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
     `Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad.  You're mad.'
     `How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
     `You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #10 - May 06, 2014, 06:31 PM
    Being a western teenager i had fun and did everything a teen does, well apart from sleep around, so i didnt miss out on teen fun, only thing i did miss out on was all the dating rituals etc as i got married pretty much as soon as i converted and didnt get to have boyfriends, i dont regret spending those years as a muslim, i find it has enriched my life and broadened my perspective of the world and its many cultures, because islam is a multi national faith the advantages are that you get to meet folks from all walks of life and places..   anyway theres no need to have regrets, we have the rest of our lives as apostates to do all those things we missed out on, age doesnt limit your ability to have many experiences.
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #11 - May 06, 2014, 06:36 PM
    Quote from: Quod Sum Eris on May 06, 2014, 03:48 PM
    This is the best advice I can give you. Think about what you want. Actually ask the question, "What do I want to do? What will I regret not doing?" Get it firm in your mind and do it. Sometimes it may take a while, but I cannot say how strongly you should not let life pass you by. Missed opportunities are the things that haunt you.


    so what haunts you quod?
    "I Knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then." Alice in wonderland

    "This is the only heaven we have how dare you make it a hell" Dr Marlene Winell
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #12 - May 06, 2014, 06:46 PM
     Smiley
    `But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
     `Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad.  You're mad.'
     `How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
     `You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #13 - May 06, 2014, 06:46 PM
     Smiley
    `But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
     `Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad.  You're mad.'
     `How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
     `You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #14 - May 06, 2014, 06:49 PM
    yeah you dont have to be a muslim to have missed oportunities, its part of life, atleast as a muslim you can lay the blame on islam rather than yourself  :/
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #15 - May 06, 2014, 06:50 PM
    oh i ruined ur post lol
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #16 - May 07, 2014, 03:40 AM
    Quote from: confusedagno on May 06, 2014, 06:36 PM
    so what haunts you quod?


    His mummy Wink (pun intended).
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #17 - May 07, 2014, 05:00 AM
     Huh?
    `But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
     `Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad.  You're mad.'
     `How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
     `You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #18 - May 07, 2014, 07:01 AM
    Don't to be too fascinated with yourself, and don't assume the world will share your fascination.


    I'd have done more stuff more quickly and better if I had known this. I expect someone told me, but I wasn't listening.
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #19 - May 07, 2014, 07:59 PM
    Quote from: Quod Sum Eris on May 06, 2014, 06:46 PM
    Smiley


    Quote from: Quod Sum Eris on May 06, 2014, 06:46 PM
    Smiley


    The most bone-chilling sequence of posts I have ever seen.
    Quote from: yeezevee on February 11, 2016, 02:05 PM
    how fuck works without shit??


    Let's Play Chess!

    harakaat, friend, RIP
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #20 - May 07, 2014, 09:02 PM
    I'm in my 40s now - I knew it was all shit at the age of 11 really...

    But I enjoyed the cultural part of it, which was very real, so I stayed on.
    Late Eid Mubarak, Where's my eidee present ?
  • 20 Again ??
     Reply #21 - May 07, 2014, 11:06 PM
    Quote from: asbie on May 07, 2014, 07:59 PM
    The most bone-chilling sequence of posts I have ever seen.


    I know. I didn't want to say anything. I was afraid he would do it to me.
    Don't let Hitler have the street.
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