The Hits radio hosts Anika Moa, Mike Puru and Stacey Morrison. Photo / New Zealand Herald photographer Sylvie Whinray.
The Hits radio hosts Anika Moa, Mike Puru and Stacey Morrison. Photo / New Zealand Herald photographer Sylvie Whinray.
Does wisdom really come with age? Lillie Rohan asked six New Zealand high achievers to write a letter to their 25-year-old self. Today, Mike Puru.
Well, first of all, I just wanna say that everything is about to come to a head, so I need you to be prepared forheartache, confusion, dreams coming true and the world being about to change.
Well actually, the world will change twice rather dramatically for everyone. More on that later, but let's just take some time to see what you can do personally before you worry about the rest of the world.
Right now you are living in Hamilton, working for a radio station that has grown pretty fast. Your family in Southland can listen each day and you have a girlfriend who you share a flat with, so life's pretty good.
But I need you to be honest with yourself about your sexuality - you love your girl but you don't actually love, love her. You are gay. You need to accept this and stop being so worried people will think less of you. In fact, you are missing out on meaningful relationships and a time of self-growth.
I know that you want to be "normal" but there is nothing normal about lying to yourself and hurting people along the journey, trust me. It will be okay, in fact life-changing, and you can get on with doing the things that matter like living life and thriving in your career.
The Hits presenter Mike Puru pictured in 2019. Photo / New Zealand Herald photograph by Dean Purcell.
Speaking of which, your radio life is about to move you to Auckland where you will meet Britney Spears, break up with your girlfriend, host a daily TV show for TVNZ, meet a boy, buy a house and finally, after nine years, push open the closet door. But hopefully you'll do the last part earlier - or this letter is a waste of time.
The other thing I need you to concentrate on is money. You are rubbish with it, you waste it on all sorts of s*** that you don't need. It's like you are trying to prove something, but no one cares except your financial future.
You need to start saving or even paying a bit more of the mortgage - anything! You will earn a bit more over the years but you need to be clever with it rather than upgrading your lifestyle.
Oh, and get a prenup too.
But why save? Well, at the peak of your career, while hosting TV shows and award-winning radio shows, you will find yourself out of a job with the company you worked for for more than 20 years.
Turns out being loyal doesn't guarantee a paycheck and you will need that saved money to fund your life. But don't be bitter because business is business and New Zealand is a small country.
Mike Puru (right) pictured in his early 20's working for The Edge radio station. Photo / Instagram
Oh, I nearly forgot to warn you: just before all this happens, you will muck up your first relationship and learn some lessons about love and splitting property. But they are lessons well learnt and you still need to save and pay the IRD when they ask. Honestly, you are rubbish with money and ignoring the IRD can be costly.
Anyway, back to the career. That all works out in the end and you also have a new loving partner, family and friends. You will reluctantly get a dog that you will love, but don't let him sleep on the bed or feed him human food in the puppy days - once that starts it never ends.
There's only a few more things I think you should be aware of as I don't really want to change destiny too much. Because that's what's great about life as you get older - there are things you can control and things you can't and part of life's joy is the unknown.
• Go to a dental hygienist from today otherwise you will spend a fortune on fixing your teeth.
• Exercise and stay fit and healthy. Wellbeing will be a big thing in the 2020s and being happy with yourself will be a great base for your mental health.
• Stop drinking so much and give up smoking.
• Buy a rundown villa in Auckland and just sit on it - in fact, buy two if you can.
• Stop using plastic and try to be sustainable when it comes to food.
• Learn Te Reo.
• Create a hand sanitiser brand - trust me, it will be huge.
• Travel overseas whenever you can.
That last one relates to how the world has changed in the past 21 years. In late 2001 a terrorist attack will change the way we fly and in 2020 a virus will stop us flying to far-off destinations, so go see the world before you can't.
The other thing I need you to do is to stop worrying about everything so much. It's a great quality as it keeps you working hard, being polite and empathetic to whatever environment you are in, but it does cause unnecessary stress.
The Hits radio hosts Anika Moa, Mike Puru and Stacey Morrison. Photo / New Zealand Herald photographer Sylvie Whinray.
You can't change the world and you are not responsible for everyone else's actions. But you are responsible for your actions, so just take those steps I've outlined above and you will be far more effective for the world, rather than just worrying about it - it's wasted energy when it's not focused.
• You can listen to Mike Puru on "Stace, Mike & Anika", on The Hits, every weekday from 4pm to 7pm.
