The Most Influential Piece of Advice You've..

[legalcoffee]

given, taken, or should have.

"Shoot for the moon and you're bound to land among the stars."
-my Mom... or Womens Home Journal :D

[Warpy]

1. "Nothing lasts forever, it just feels like it"

"There's nothing like congenital illness to ensure longevity."

[SmokingJacket]

2. "Never judge a man til you've walked a mile in his moccasins."

Though I make exceptions for Republicans. ;-)

Also: If you've been drinking, have a tall glass of water before going to bed. No more hangovers!

Also: Stay two car lengths behind the car ahead of you.

Also: Nothing beats cotton sheets.

[legalcoffee]

7. Flannel?

Recently I've started using flannel sheets... I was always opposed because I never really saw them in a floral or trendy print but now I luv em.

[RPM]

3. Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down.

n/t

[kcass1954]

4. One that * etc would do well to observe...

"Avoid the appearance of impropriety."

[murray hill farm]

5. "I yam what i yam....

..and that is all i yam? Popeye.

[neebob]

6. The best advice I ever got:

Assume benign intent. It's really useful with friends, family, and co-workers; however, it does not apply in politics and should never be used with BFEE members.

[nuxvomica]

23. That's sort of like my guiding principle:

"Never assume malice when stupidity is just as likely a motive."

[Spazito]

25. Mine is similar also...

Never take it personal even if it is meant that way. In other words "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me."

[Journeyman]

8. "And this, too, shall pass. . . "

[NashVegas]

9. Should Have Taken: Get a 4 Year Degree

I loathed school. Hated it with a passion so had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to a two-year college.

My HS guidance counselor told me if I didn't get a bachelor's, I'd find myself in a position where I was working for people who weren't as bright as I was, and I'd resent it.

About 65% of the time, that advice has turned out to be dead on.

[troubleinwinter]

10. "Take a nap."

[stillcool]

11. Bloom where you're planted....n/t

[Az]

12. The Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao

I could tell you what it means but it would not be what it means to you.

[TacticalPeek]

13. "Try not to die like a dog."

:)

[OffWithTheirHeads]

14. always ask the prettiest girl in the room

to dance. Everyone else in the room is afraid to so you can't lose.

[purji]

15. Theres the easy way

and then there's the way that works.

[Cuban_Liberal]

16. "Always pay cash, if you can"

From my dad and mom.

:)

[jimshoes]

17. If it isn't broke

don't fix it. Invaluable advice.

[Poll_Blind]

18. "You can do more with that thing than just pee."

All kidding aside, the best piece of advice I've ever received...ever (and I don't know where it came from- maybe from something I read or just a conclusion after years of experience):

All structure is implied.

I know it's not quite a Poor Richard quote but I've found it a good thought to ruminate on when trying to overcome what may seem an insurmountable obstacle. I've also spread this around to others who may be facing something which appears undefeatable.

PB

[dbt]

19. From my Dad:

1. You don't make a living, you live on what you make.
2. Cokes are better in the short bottles.
3. It hardly ever hurts to shut up.

:-)
dbt

[sleepyhead]

20. From Eleanor Roosevelt

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

[ultraist]

27. "...we must do that which we think we cannot." Eleanor Roosevelt

"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot. " ~Eleanor Roosevelt

[DianeG5385]

21. Two things come to mind....

"Family first above all other things". I have a huge family, and last night, at a party for one of my aunties 80th birtday party, 12 plus of us cousins went to dinner. We toated, "To Cousins!!" We promised to make sure that our kids are as close as we were growing up as keeping the family united is important to us.

The other is...

"Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. As a woman, I am successful in a male dominated field primarily because my Dad had every expectation that I would go to college and succeed. When things got rough, that's what he told me, and it inspired me. He had a very successful carreer even though he was an immigrant who never made it past the third grade. He read every book he could and paid attention to everything. He may be a Republican, but there is noone I respect and admire more than my Dad.

[Duncan Grant]

22. "Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."*

*Warning: If you are misanthropic, it won't work for you.

edit: ,

[Solly Mack]

24. "Marry a man you respect more than you love...

otherwise you'll put that poor man through hell and neither of you will be happy"

Cricket aka Mom

she was right on target with me.... current husband excepted... but prior relationships, most definitely.

[julialnyc]

26. when you have kids

when you have children shower them with love and affection. Never make I love you an uncomfortable term. The more someone feels loved the more likely they are to end up a loving and compassionate person.- my mom (haven't had kids yet, but I will do that)

also, white wine gets rid of red wine stains-Oprah

[Lisa]

28. "It's better to be cheap but not easy than easy but not cheap"

Given to me by an 80-something woman who used to support herself as a semi-professional poker and blackjack player.

[Undercover Owl]

29. hmm..?

In what context?
That's a cryptic one.

[Lisa]

34. I believe she was referring, not just to personal relationships ...

.... but to "selling out" what you believe in. Or rather, it's better to have principles than not, even if it means you won't be living in luxury.

All I can do is explain the situations where I've thought of her advice, and it's helped me a lot.

1) offered a choice between a lucrative job which would have meant misleading people (being "easy" about my scruples, but getting a lot of financial compensation in return) -- and a job which paid very little (the "cheap" part) but which didn't have the ethical conflicts.

2) being tempted to stay in a relationship where I could have gotten a free ride in terms of economics, in exchange for doing everything he wanted and shutting up about what I saw around me -- vs. being on my own and having a precarious living (with the aforementioned job)


Hope this clarifies things a bit. PM me if you want more info. For me anyway, the most helpful maxims I get tend to be a bit cryptic or ambiguous -- it means I have to work harder to figure out what they imply.

[noiretextatique]

30. some things you just don't deal with

an older gentleman i use dto work with told me this about asserting my power and not dealing with bs.

[Bonhomme Richard]

31. One that I heard that I told my kids is.................

If you are not sure about whether or not what you are about to do is wrong then ask yourself if it passes the family/friend test. If you do this "thing" would you be embarrassed if your family or friends found out? If you think it better that they don't know about it then there's a good chance that it is not a good or decent thing to do.

[sabra]

32. "every dog has it's day"

[babylonsister]

33. "You'll regret...

quitting those piano lessons," from my Mimi (grandma). Darned if she wasn't right!
From Mom: "It's just as easy to fall in love w/a rich man as a poor one" (I didn't) and this little gem was also common: "why buy the cow when the milk's so cheap?"