The best advice you've ever gotten?

[forever_town]

Is there one piece of advice that's stood out for you as you've made your way in this world? Perhaps it was a sage reporter, a crotchety editor not named spnited or some random person on the street who said something that just resonated with you.

For me, the piece of advice that's stood out even though it's been 20 years since I heard it came from a 13-year-old when I was in summer camp. I was 16 at the time and I'd decided not to compete in certain events because I knew I wasn't athletic enough or coordinated enough to do anything but finish dead last.

The thing I find interesting about this is the kid and I did not get along, but for some reason, he felt it was necessary to give me advice that has rung in my ears since. He told me to try and don't worry if I'm not good. "You'll get good." Whether I believed it or not when it came to athletics isn't that important since I'm certainly no LeBron James, but when applied to life, it now reminds me of lyrics from a long-ago Stevie Nicks outtake: "If you do not run the race, then you cannot win it."

I guess one of the reasons that advice stood out was the fact it came from an unexpected source.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

The best advice I ever got was "Know when to shut the **** up."

It sounds very simple, but it really is great advice.

 

[expendable]

My grandfather made furniture after he retired. I have some of his works in my house, and I treasure them as much as someone could treasure something that isn't living. When I was little, I'd wander down to his shop, and ask him "Daddaw, what are you trying to do?" "Trying? I'm not trying to do anything. I'm doing."
I've since taken that to say "try" admits that one is okay with failure from the beginning. I don't know if that's what he meant, but that's how I'm viewing it now that I'm older.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

My best friend keeps telling me, "You're your own worst critic. Don't beat yourself up." I'm convinced that when I'm able to do that, I'll be much happier. It's a work in progress.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

From my parents: Work hard in school, so you can sit in an air conditioned office in the summer time and don't have to dig ditches for a living.

Although at times, journalism sure felt like digging ditches.

 

[imjustagirl]

The best advice I ever got was "Know when to shut the **** up."

It sounds very simple, but it really is great advice.

You should follow it every once in a while. :D :D :D :D

 

[Just_An_SID]

My grandfather made furniture after he retired. I have some of his works in my house, and I treasure them as much as someone could treasure something that isn't living. When I was little, I'd wander down to his shop, and ask him "Daddaw, what are you trying to do?" "Trying? I'm not trying to do anything. I'm doing."

Expendable's Daddaw is Yoda.

On the advice front, I was told to find out what it was I liked to do and then find a way to make a living doing it.

 

[expendable]

My grandfather made furniture after he retired. I have some of his works in my house, and I treasure them as much as someone could treasure something that isn't living. When I was little, I'd wander down to his shop, and ask him "Daddaw, what are you trying to do?" "Trying? I'm not trying to do anything. I'm doing."

Expendable's Daddaw is Yoda.

On the advice front, I was told to find out what it was I liked to do and then find a way to make a living doing it.

Awesome. He told me that long before Yoda came along. Thanks for the connection. When 90 years old I reach, look as good, I will probably not.

 

[mustangj17]

Two stick out.

The first is from my dad "I don't what you do, but quit breaking up and getting back with your girlfriend because you're going to get her pregnant and then we're all going to be screwed."

The second is from my friend's uncle, who despite being gay, knows a ton about women. "Always have confidence, never burn bridges, and always leave them wanting more."

 

[Steak Snabler]

"Go to class."

 

[Dick Whitman]

I never thought about it until advice until, oddly enough, I thought back to it a couple days ago while at an MLB game, imparting it to my own little one.

When my dad and I would go to games growing up, if someone made a great play to rob my team, he would always clap for that person. Sometimes, if the catch was really amazing, he would give a standing ovation. Often, he would be the only person in the section, possibly one of the few in the stadium, cheering for this guy from the opposition. I thought he was nuts. But he explained to me repeatedly that when someone makes a great play, you should show your appreciation whether he plays for the team you cheer for or not.

I think that mindset really helped me appreciate sports as a grounded, impartial observer from the very beginning, rather than as a lunatic idiot face-painting talk radio fan. And I think it has seeped over into the real world, as well, where I tend not to divide the world - be it politicians, celebrities, athletes, people I work with, etc., etc. - into good guys and bad guys in a way that I think can often become counterproductive.

 

[jackfinarelli]

Cowboy Wisdom:


Always drink upstream from the herd...



Financial Wisdom:


Buy low; sell high...

 

[dooley_womack1]

From my mother: Everything works out for the best

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Stop doing that.

 

[RickStain]

Know when it's time to quit trying to keep all the plates spinning, so you can get started up on the clean-up when they inevitably fall.

 

[BTExpress]

If you can't afford it, don't buy it.

And even if you can afford it, ask yourself, "Do I really need it?"

 

[Ace]

I'm sure I got a lot of good advice. Can't say that I ever followed any.

 

[spnited]

The best advice I ever got was "Know when to shut the **** up."

It sounds very simple, but it really is great advice.

You should follow it every once in a while. :D :D :D :D

Ahem!

 

[21]

1. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

2. Knowledge is power.

3. Your career is what you do, not who you are; don't let it define you.

4. AOL sucks, get gmail.

 

[Huggy]

Years ago I worked for a VP of Sales who was a big, loud, profane ex-British Army vet who had a powerful speaking voice (it was awesome, he could have been a stage actor) and a very low tolerance for ****ups.

Many people in the company couldn't stand him and I had been warned plenty before taking the job that he was rough on those who worked for him and turnover was frequent. I wasn't worried, my old man was a loud, large, profane British Army vet with little tolerance for me too. I figured this was nothing I hadn't seen before.

Anyway, I noticed a large screwup on one of the first sales reports I had sumbitted to him and he caught it before I could fix it. Sure enough I hear his booming voice beckoning me to his office and I headed in there figuring I was ****ed.

He called me every name in the book for allowing this mistake to get to his desk but I told him it was nothing malicious, I just zigged when I should have zagged. He told me to be more careful and pay attention to detail more than I was probably used to. And he left me with some advice I have never forgotten:

"There's a reason they put erasers on pencils. People make mistakes."

And that was that. I was on my way back to work and never made that mistake again. He was one of the best bosses I ever had.