How to live a life you won’t regret | Bryan Cranston

Aimless wandering is essential for understanding yourself. Here’s why.

Over 60% of high school seniors in America go straight to college after graduating. Out of the other 40%, some will get jobs or internships. Some will go to trade school. And some of them might be totally lost: unsure about their future, and what they want it to look like. But Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston thinks that being lost can be a good thing.

Cranston’s own journey of self-discovery started on a two-year motorcycle trip he embarked upon with his brother in the seventies. The freedom of exploration, sleeping wherever he could lay his sleeping bag, and living without an itinerary, helped him to find what he really wanted, which was to become an actor — not a policeman, as he had thought in high school.

Overall, Cranston's message is clear: embrace the unknown, wander, and allow yourself to get lost. Through travel and exploration, one can gain a sense of direction and self-governance that can’t be found in the rigid and unrealistic expectations of a high-productivity society. To know what you really want, you have to go out and find it.

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[ICDeadPeeps]

This advice is something I would've welcomed in my youth. You can't go about living your life to placate or pleasing others, even your own parents. You have to find your own path, regardless of how many twists and turns you encounter along the way.

[rajdivecha]

To any young person out there: the advice given in this video is a very practical and a good advice and it works. It actually naturally comes to humans. You don’t necessarily have to go out with no or negligible money in your pocket. The core idea is to take your focus off of that is what you want. Just plant the seed in your subconscious and then let it work on it.

[fishface]

Man I'm 34 years old. I work a entry level job for 2-3 months, quit, and then spend my time in nature and hiking/biking. Sure there are months where I'm eating beans/rice/chicken and I have an old phone but it makes me so happy. I'm a wondering man...

[hanswoast]

Without first hand experience, we can only try to predict what we like and want. That's why sitting around thinking about life choices usually does not work that well. We need to do and experience a lot of stuff, before we have a somewhat reliable understanding of ourselves and the culture we live in. I think he is spot on.

[mileswhite]

I dropped out of college and went on the road with a rhythm and blues band for two years, playing from Florida to California, growing up and having a real blast. Music was my motorcycle.

[gaylepeeples]

I have a terrible sense of direction and 'get lost' frequently. I've discovered some of the coolest places this way. It's no longer a source of stress like it used to be.

[CONNORMFL]

Im lost, everyone figured out what they wanna do, and it feels like im waiting on a miracle to happen

[pajamasam]

I've been going through a rough patch, and wow, this so resonates with me. I've been adamant I should go travel for a bit. I'm 33. I don't think it's too late to do it.

[nzacara]

6 minutes of better advice than my own parents advice my whole life with them

[User-kpo]

This resonates so much w me, as someone who’s lived and worked in 5 different countries, travelled to 30+ countries, and stayed at 70+ accommodations, I agree w Bryan. I definitely travel because i know i get wiser every time i do it and i found myself by doing so.

[dangerous_tangerine]

I regret going to college. I only went because my family expected it of me. Now I'm graduated and have a useless degree that I am not going to use. My family is all shocked like why didn't I use my degree. Because I never wanted the fucking thing. I only went because of you all. I am exploring new avenues now and I am starting to see the wisdom is Bryan's words. It all takes time to some extent. Even what I went through. Based on who I was at the time, I don't think I could have made a different decision. I can only decide what I do now.

[carrie_lol]

Being lost in a foreign country also make you realise how many wonderful people are out there who will offer a hand when you’re in need!!! ❤❤❤

[stevewynne]

I feel like this advice can also be applied to everyday life without traveling. Instead of staying in your house explore your city without any intention and meet new people along the way.

[izucutiepie]

Absolutely fantastic advice. I went to a 4 year college right after high school because that’s what was expected of me and I thought that’s what I HAD to do to be successful and have a good, respectful life.
Throughout college, I changed majors so much, and didn’t even settle into one until halfway through my third year. It took me an extra year to graduate because of that, but I learned that that’s okay. And I learned that going to community college is a valid option, going to a trade school after high school is a valid option, NOT going to school right away is a valid option, and so many more things.
I did complete college with a studio art degree, but I graduated in 2021…. And felt so lost and so confused and so underprepared to go into the world while we were baaaarely coming out of Quarantine.
So I took the next year and a half to just exist and work a part time job and pay my own rent and learn how the world works as an adult on my own, before moving back home with my mom (she lives alone and really wanted me back home). I finally settled on becoming an art therapist and I’ll be going back to school for that this fall, but I truly don’t think I would have come to that conclusion if it weren’t for that break. Or at least, wholeheartedly come to that conclusion and be happy with it. My mom was suggesting that option for a long time, but as a Filipino, all my relatives want me to go into some sort of medical field, so I never gave it any thought because “it’s what my family wants, not what I want” but after some time and exploring, I came back to it and thought “hmm, I do want to be an art therapist” but not because it’s what other people want from me, but because it’s what I want for myself. I wouldn’t have come to that conclusion if it weren’t for that year and a half where I just focused on me and what I’m good at and passionate about.

[David-nukw]

This is why camping is so beneficial for so many reasons.

[readrushreviews]

If you really want to live a life you won't regret, remember to always double-check your chemistry before attempting to cook anything in an RV.

[SS-hvbo]

I lost my marbles at 17 and never really got them back now that I'm 24 and just out of uni because I couldn't deal with the weight of being told as a kid at 17 to decide who I wanted to be.There is just no forcing some things, you can do it the easy way or the hard way.

[andydixon]

My biggest regret is not travelling when I was 18/19. I would have been an entirely different person growing into a confident young man, instead of the depressed mess I became. Been trying to make it up every since now I'm nearly 50. Go travel kids!!!

[mohamedaityoussef]

2:35 at this exact time stamp i was filled with joy.
i didn't exactly travel but i took a year of after high school to really think about what i'm doing with my life and i ended up wanting to be a software engineer, and i'm currently going on that path, you can say it was really helpful to just break the norm for once

[RealMiia]

I really loved the taking year off the high school part.


I remember back when the outbreak started in 2020 and it was national lockdown, everything shutdown. Those two years off school played a really significant part for my personality or atleast becoming self aware and recognize how much of a state i was living in.