A friend at work posed the question earlier:

Which option would you take - $30M or the ability to return to 18 yrs old and "re-do" life?

My first, and only thought was "maybe those "mistakes"" in life were really not mistakes but just learning experiences.

You see, I am one of those cursed with a very, very high IQ. Where I think something is, or should be, common knowledge, gets me in trouble with the reality some things are not so common. Me personally, I would not accept the $30M for fear of where the sudden wealth may lead but then again I might also not change those decisions I perceive as a "mistake" for fear of where my life might not be.

How about you - what might you do?

Knowing what I know today?

Back in time.

$30 million please. I'll take cash or certified check.

The past is the past.

quote:

Originally posted by Snapping Twig:
Knowing what I know today?

Back in time.

Bingo!!!!

I love thinking about this stuff, its fun to daydream. But there was a pretty convoluted series of events that lead to the birth of my two boys and I wouldn't give them up (most of the time) for anything. I can't imagine a world that doesn't have them in it. So, for me, its easy and "Gimme the cash!" (said in the tone of that loser from the 5th Element Bruce Willis schools shortly after uttering that).

Interesting question.

There are countless mistakes that I regret to this day, but most were relatively minor and there would always be the risk of unintended consequences in changing the past. I’m pretty content with my life now; those things I wish were different today couldn’t be changed by changing the past; and $30M would be nice even with the time I have left.

$30M. I've made no mistakes and still here I am.

The $30 million. The mistakes I've made in life I can live with.

Well if I know current stock prices it's back in time. I could make the $30M.

While life is full of choices and there are some I might change I'm happy with the things I've done. $30M now I could retire and see and do the things I can't now because I need a full-time job to pay for my needs and wants.

Gimme the $30 Mil baby. I've made a ton of mistakes but I learned from most of them and that's what life is all about. Got smart enough to make a nice life for myself and find a great woman after finding the wrong ones way too many times. At this point, the money would just make this great life that much more comfortable, pay for my boys college, set him up for a better future, allow my lady and I to travel more and work less.

Take the 30 mil. Our scars are who we are.

I'll take $3 Mill for new money spending, split the other $27M to a few different brokers. Tell one to keep it safe, one to grow it conservatively and the other to MAKE IT GROW. Live off the dividends.

Without those mistakes I'd spend all 30 within a year.

I'm pretty ok where I'm at, so I wouldn't risk changing the past in case it screws up the good stuff I have now. I'd take the cash and donate most of it.

It's not just that there aren't any mistakes I really want to correct. I just have absolutely no interest in going back to being 18 and starting over again. I've lived my life, I'm looking forward to retirement and the end. I don't want a mulligan.

How about give me 15 million...and let me go back to 30..

Cash.

Not worth $30M to go back six years

Well, if I can time travel back with everything I currently know then making 30 million would be easy. But if that part isn't true, then I'll take the money now. Sure, I've made mistakes but none Id sacrifice 30 million bucks for.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Decker:
Take the 30 mil. Our scars are who we are.

I'll take $3 Mill for new money spending, split the other $27M to a few different brokers. Tell one to keep it safe, one to grow it conservatively and the other to MAKE IT GROW. Live off the dividends.

Without those mistakes I'd spend all 30 within a year.

How about a time machine, lets take $100K, go back to ~1978, invest it all in Apple. Then come back to today and sell the stock.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:...I just have absolutely no interest in going back to being 18 and starting over again. I've lived my life, I'm looking forward to retirement and the end. I don't want a mulligan.

I happen to believe we move on after we "depart" here. We take our experiences, our character, lessons learned, our relationships. But we don't take anything of material value or wealth.

Got my Sports Almanac right here. Fire up the Flux Capacitor, Doc Brown....

I would like to go back to 18. I made a wrong career choice 20 years ago and I've grown to regret it in the past few years. I always wanted to be a master wood worker and when I was younger I was very good at it. Now 20 years have past and I haven't touched a table saw once. Even if I started now there is 20 years worth of experience and wisdom I've missed out on. The more I live life the more I wished I would have chased after that dream. I've also grown to realize that money really isn't everything, 30 million would be nice but it would not satisfy me.