Tom Guarriello, Ph.D.Psychologist. Founding Faculty, Masters in Branding Program School of Visual Arts. Co-host of BrandBox.Show podcast.

Re: What You Would Have Liked To Know When

30 Nov 2006 · 2 min

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2:08

In this reflective monologue, Tom Guarriello, Ph.D. shares the key life lessons he wishes he had known earlier. He notes the reality that one will have only a few long‑term friends and the importance of becoming comfortable with people entering and leaving one’s life. He contrasts fully committing to one’s work with merely “playing at” it, emphasizing that full attention and effort yield great rewards. He describes his evolving understanding of real love as calming, engaging, stimulating, and enjoyable—a treasure often misunderstood in youth. Finally, he expresses regret about not spending more time with his parents and not saying the things he now wishes he had before they passed away.

Chapters

Well, that's a nice big question. Let's see, I wish I would have known how few friends I was really gonna have over my lifetime and how to get comfortable with people coming in and out of my life. Friends, I wish I would have known how different it is to give yourself completely to what you do versus playing at what you do. Um, that cleverness isn't enough, uh, and that full attention and full effort pays tremendous dividends. I wish I'd have known that. I wish I would have known most of all, however, what real love felt like. That it's a lot more comfortable than we think it is when we're young, than I thought it was when I was young, um, that it's, uh, calming and engaging and stimulating all at the same time, and that it's fun, and, um, that it's a real treasure. And I wish I would have known how much I was going to miss my parents when they were gone. You know, I'd have probably spent more time with them. And I'd have probably said more things to them that I didn't say. So that's a few of what I wish I would have known.