Advice for life

[hyphenate]

Think. Is there a piece of advice that was given to you, that you read somewhere or otherwise gained, that you have followed for the most part through your life?

Something that registered with you and is therefore profound in its own way?

If so, are you willing to share?




I gained one piece of sage advice a long time ago that I pretty much follow, though there are some exceptions to it on occasion.

"Be nice to everyone, because tomorrow the janitor could be your boss!" This came from nearly 10 years of working in the entertainment industry, a field notorious for discarding people on a whim or giving others the sudden break they need to go on to glory. It's pretty much the Golden Rule, with just a touch of cynicism attached.

[AllegroRondo]

1. Never make any decision based solely on which choice is safest

you may be safer, but you'll be bored.

[Heidi]

2. "Create lots of choices for yourself." -- my mom (nt)

[Phillycat]

3. Don't put a sweater on over your head with a lit cigarette in your mouth.

:shrug:

But seriously, my best friend gave me the best advice I've ever gotten in my life, "Wear your tiara and fuck 'em." YEAH.

[bluethruandthru]

4. People might forget what you said, People might forget what you did,

But people will never forget how you made them feel.

[Hugin]

5. "Even people who practice Alternative Medicine agree Oxygen is a required nutrient." -- Prag.

"Take care of your liver." - Prag.

[reyd reid reed]

6. There are a few....

1. "It's not what you say, it's how you say it." Truer words were ne'er spoken.

2. "Kill 'em with kindness."

Both have served me well. Along with, "TTI, Lisa. TTI."

:eyes:

[MissMillie]

7. "Don't cheat yourself out of anything"

More accurately "You'd be pissed as hell if you thought someone cheated you out of something, so don't cheat yourself out of anything. Work hard!"

[hyphenate]

8. These are all excellent!

Anyone else have tidbits of wisdom to share with the class?

[jobycom]

9. From my high school physics teacher: Treat every statement as a question. nt

[montanto]

13. good one!!

[ceile]

10. "Don't confuse history with the Bible"

My 6th grade Social Studies teacher.

[datasuspect]

11. "travel lightly"

[Hugin]

12. Sage advice, indeed!

:thumbsup:

[datasuspect]

18. my grandmother used to say that

i think she meant to keep as little as possible in life, to divest oneself of excessive entanglements.

[hyphenate]

14. Something

I've never been able to achieve, even after nearly 45 years of traveling!

[pitohui]

15. when you get a chance use the bathroom -- queen elizabeth

it has saved my ass more than you'd think

[Midlodemocrat]

16. If you envy people for what they have, you will be miserable

your entire life because someone will always have more...or better.


My mom.

[_testify_]

17. Measure twice, cut once.

Applies to many, many things....


Another one:

Nothing good happens after 3 am.

[1gobluedem]

19. I've always liked this

Take everything less seriously, less literally, and less personally, and as a result you will become wilder, kinder, and smarter.

[Courtesy Flush]

20. Expectations are nothing more than premeditated resentments

[eyepaddle]

21. Just keep it floored.

Actually, that's really more like advice that is always WRONG!

I still like to offer that to people though. :)

[hyphenate]

22. I'm going to have to compile a list

and meditate on it often. :)

Hope there are others who will share as well!

[unpossibles]

23. "Life is far too important to ever take seriously"

or something like that - I am more of a paraphraser than a quoter...

Oscar Wilde

I also like the litany against fear from the Dune book:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.


I think the best advice for me is to always try to enjoy life, learn something new from the times you don't enjoy, and keep an open mind about new things. And don't get cocky or self-defeating - there's always someone better and always someone worse.

[Missy Vixen]

24. "Everybody works with everybody else."

Invaluable, and keeps me from sticking my foot in my mouth on a daily basis, at least with those I've worked with.

Julie

[CharmCity]

25. If it doesn't kill you, it's a learning experience.

From my dad.

[northzax]

26. keep the friends who help you move.

and, as a special bonus piece of pithy advice:

When you are asked to fight over nothing, pick the side that's going to win.

[northzax]

27. never try to teach a pig to sing

it's a waste of time and it annoys the pig.

yes, it's actually relevant, when you think about it.

[mentalsolstice]

28. An oldie: You can pick your friends...

...and you can pick your nose, but you should never pick your friend's nose.

[Book Lover]

29. Don't burn bridges

Which gets easier as I age, I think.

[mentalsolstice]

30. My own: Never order a margarita in a Chinese restaurant...

not wanting to anti-cultural about Latinos or Asians...just sayin' I've learned the hard way!

[hippywife]

31. From my dad:

"You can learn the hard lessons in life one of two ways: from your own experience or by the experience of someone else. It's always easier to learn them from by the latter than the former."

That, of course, only applies to when you are considering doing something totally stupid.

The newer one I love is from Gandhi:

"Whatever you do may seem insignificant, but it's important that you do it."