Life is far more complicated than just one thing.
Time. Choices. Consequences. We are all on a timeline. This is difficult to comprehend when we are young but worrisome when we get older. Choices can be made on a whim or with great deliberation and study. The consequences of time and choices can be dire to wonderful.
My parents never talked about any of this. Go to school, make good grades and get a job. Not much in between. I guess they would have been considered conservative libertarians. By my experience, the rest of your life starts at about 7th grade. Everything from course study to athletics starts here. Your character is molded through socialization and new experiences(girls). Questions from "can I be a pro athelete?" to "could I really fly jets in the military?" to "what does it take to be a doctor?" to "I'm going to be a truck driver?".....
One thing? Ask lot's of questions and consider the information carefully.