What is the most useful piece of advice anyone has given you?

1. 83

   midget38posted 11 years ago

   What is the most useful piece of advice anyone has given you?

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   WalterPoonposted 11 years ago

   "Lead a simple life", my dad used to advise me. But I thought it was a ridiculous piece of advice, so I ignored it. Now that I am older, it's my turn to advise my children to lead a simple life. But they choose to ignore my advice and spend a bomb on i-phones and stuffs, LOL.

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      Taleb80posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      One of the ridiculous things in the life, that we give up many thing we learned when we was kids, and after so many years we recognize that they were great.

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3. 95

   peeplesposted 11 years ago

   "Mind your own business" By far the best piece of advice I have ever been given.

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   savvydatingposted 11 years ago

   Have staying power in the workplace... which requires developing inter-personal skills. It's the only way to outlast negative people, move ahead of them, and eventually achieve the position you want.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That is, if you choose to be an employee-slave in a sick system, stay in a negative environment, play the boring old competition game where there are winners and losers, and live by your wanting rather than by who you are in the core of your being.

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      savvydatingposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hmm. I just came upon your comment from two weeks ago, Emanate. Believe me, the core of my being is still intact, despite having worked. I catch your drift, but keep in mind that having inter-personal skills means "letting go of self-importance."

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Diversity is beautiful and I favor diverse viewpoints, as it takes all to make the whole. Mine is that outlasting and moving ahead of negative people and achieving position are part of an old competitive paradigm that I choose to leave behind.

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5. 67

   EJ Lambertposted 11 years ago

   "Throw strikes."  It was initially advice my Dad gave me when I was a pitcher in little league.  However, as I got older I began to see the wisdom in his words.  Throwing strikes in baseball was the first important job of a pitcher.  Throwing strikes in life meant making sure if you aimed at something you hit it.  Do say you'll do something, take a half-assed shot and let it go.  Even if you don't reach the heights you hoped for, at least finish what you started.

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   Lisa HWposted 11 years ago

   Most advice anyone has ever presumed to offer me has generally been idle, useless, "advice" that "everyone" (at least most people) already know anyway.
   
   The one thing that sticks in my mind as having served me very well, though, is what my father used to say when I was a kid (and it's essentially the same thing as Peeples posted):   He's say, "YOU worry about what YOU do, and let OTHER PEOPLE worry about what they do."   
   
   The world would be a better place if a lot of people would mind their business and worry about what they, themselves, have to worry about.   

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      maggs224posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      My dad use to say the same thing Lisa

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      WalterPoonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Lisa HW, your dad must be very long-winded! He said in 15 words what people usually said in 4: "Mind your own business"!

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      maggs224posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I like Lisa's dad's comment better than the short version

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7. 67

   Alecia Murphyposted 11 years ago

   Be yourself. Trying to fit in is more trouble than it is worth.

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      maggs224posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That is the truth Alecia it is more trouble than it is worth

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8. 34

   wqaindiaposted 11 years ago

   "Speak Truth and Forget", My teachers and parents always preached the sentence again and again. I could not implement it 100% during my active life and now I am following it 101%, because I am not to remember what I posted in the first line of my answer. Now I am spreading this advice on the web.

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      Taleb80posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It is true.

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   Motown2Chitownposted 11 years ago

   Don't worry about what anyone else is doing.  If everyone in the world swept their own front porch, the whole world would be clean.

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10. 0

    Ghost32posted 11 years ago

    I'm not sure, 'cause I never listen to good advice in the first place.
    
    However, the best piece of advice I ever READ ABOUT was given by a master sculptor to a frustrated apprentice, back in Renaissance days.  The younger fellow wanted to know what to do with the block of marble in front of him on a morning when he had no inspiration.  Sculptor's block, like writer's block.
    
    The master told him, "Make a pile of chips."
    
    That made perfect sense to me the first time I read it, and I follow it pretty faithfully, including here on HP--pumping out one Hub every day, whether it's good, bad, or ugly.

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       WalterPoonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Well, but you did listen to bad advice, right? So what's it? By definition, the very fact that you listen to any advice, good or bad, is because it is useful to you, right?

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11. 69

    sarahmooseposted 11 years ago

    When I had my daughter, my mum told me to take on board the advice of others that I want to use, and ignore the rest. It was the best thing I've ever done!! No matter what you do, people will always have an opinion, so listen to the advice you feel will be useful to you, and ignore anything you feel will be unhelpful.

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    soconfidentposted 11 years ago

    Look at what everyone else is doing then do your own thing.

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    Sarra Garrettposted 11 years ago

    Never give up no matter how bad things get.  Forge forward and you'll get to where you want to be.

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    Bhawna Dixitposted 11 years ago

    Do what you really want to do. Don't care what people will say.They are going to judge you no matter what. Follow your dreams. Somehow they know how to reach your destination. I read these lines in some quotes on facebook. This piece of advice has also been given to me by some bitter experiences in my life.

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       WalterPoonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       When I was in deep trouble, my best friend pointed to me the way to Timbuktu. Since then, I never ask. Pack your own parachute.

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       Taleb80posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, live for yourself, others, mostly, will not be happy whatever you do.

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    Taleb80posted 11 years ago

    "You can control your anger." - It is true, I found that it is a matter of attitude.

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, so much of our life experience is in our own control if we accept the responsibility for it.
       
       When the control of angry outbursts is refined further into being aware of one's own slightest reaction or resistance & shifting it in the moment.

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    MizBejabbersposted 11 years ago

    Don't worry about what other people think of you, just listen to your conscience and do what is best for you.

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17. 68

    Nationetteposted 11 years ago

    "It's never in the cards you are dealt, it is how you choose to play that hand"

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       How true!
       
       It is not 'what happens to me,' but how I respond to it.
       
       I can accept responsibility, let go of resistance, blame, judgment, etc., and expand beyond the feeling of loss.
       
       It seems especially in these times, all of us have a full deck!

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18. 68

    maddotposted 11 years ago

    It was written on the back of the toilet door at uni:
    
    He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes
    He who never asks a question is a fool for ever.

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    Beata Stasakposted 11 years ago

    'Stick to your guns, keep your ground', if you are sure in your mind and your soul you are right:) And 'follow your intuition', it always led me to the right path. I have a partner who is very practical and always follow the reason and common sense, throughout the years I have learnt that being more of artistic nature, I don't need to always explain what I am doing if I know in my heart I am right.

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, following one's intuition, the inner voice of wisdom - and staying one's ground when one knows by intuition the way - are beautiful ways to self-completion.
       
       And what greater gift can we give to ourselves and the world than to be self-complete?

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20. 71

    Windclimberposted 11 years ago

    "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."
    This applies to many and varied situations, and it is surprisingly powerful.

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Gaining an understanding of others first often requires that we humble ourselves, let go of our self-importance, and feel empathy for another being - even someone we have resistance towards. We can see more deeply, and say to another, 'I see you.'

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21. 68

    Emanate Presenceposted 11 years ago

    I enjoyed browsing the answers from all.
    
    One life-changing piece of advice did not hit me immediately but came back some years later. I had to complete my process of limiting myself in a fundamentalist belief system before I could accept the advice. It was given in the form of a question asked by a couple passing through the area. So it was not exactly advice, but a provocative seed planted. After a church service, they came up to me and asked, 'Why do you put your power outside yourself?'
    
    I do not know why they singled me out for this question, but feel they were messengers of truth. It makes so much sense, to see how I was then and how I am now and to realize the essential differences in myself when I drew my energy and guidance from dogma outside myself or now, from intuitive and experiential knowing within.
    
    Another key piece of advice came from various corners, and finally came together in my experience. In a nutshell, it is, 'Know when to let go.'

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    1. 94

       MizBejabbersposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Wow! that is empowering yourself. I love it.

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22. 74

    whitneybraunposted 11 years ago

    Work Hard! This way you will never be disappointed in your own achievements, as long as you did your best.

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23. 71

    Man of Strengthposted 11 years ago

    While going through Marine Corps basic training, my dad would write me letters. To encourage me he'd always say, "Tough times don't last long, but tough people do." Those words stick with me to this day. All times of trouble are temporary, you have to persevere and fight your way to your victory.

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       WalterPoonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Was Alexander the Great tough? Was Julius Caesar tough? Where are they now? Okay, okay, just pulling your legs. I think that statement,  "Tough times don't last long, but tough people do", was made by Norman Vincent Peale.

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       Man of Strengthposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I knew it was a quote, I just didn't know who said it. I find myself saying it to people to motivate them.

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       "Tough times never last, but tough people do!” is the title of a 1983 book by Robert Harold Schuller. The book popularized the phrase.
       
       What is important to me is that it helps people focus on their own strength rather than external circumstances.

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24. 79

    AnnaCiaposted 11 years ago

    When you ask for a favor do not expect the other person to do it.  TO understand that when the favor is asked for, does not mean that is the other pesos responsibility to say ok.

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    oz-vitezposted 11 years ago

    Always keep your knees bent. Then you're ready for anything.

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    maggs224posted 11 years ago

    My dad told me 'Don't eat the yellow snow' sound advice and I never have lol...

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    Jared Milesposted 11 years ago

    My father has always been a practical, hands-on person, and he always reminded me, "If you want respect, put your head down."
    
    He meant it in a way that encouraged level-headedness and a calm temper. He taught me that you don't get the respect of people by always being a spectacle.
    
    As I've grown up, his phrase has come to mean the amount you apply yourself to your work, to your sport, or to your relationships. If you work hard, work is its own reward.

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       It says a lot, in a metaphor.
       
       Your writing, 'The amount you apply yourself to your work...,' reminds me of another saying, 'It is not what you do, but how you do it.'
       
       That is, the quality of attention given to the mundane can make it noble.

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28. 71

    connorjposted 11 years ago

    
    
    I believe the most useful advice anyone has given me and in-turn I could provide to  anyone is to quite simply "never be in a hurry."

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       It is good advice to give centered attention to one's every action. Even if it is simply to be more fully in the present moment, thus more fully alive. Being present and not in a hurry also prevents 'lack of attention' accidents so is safer!

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    Pollyannalanaposted 11 years ago

    The most useful piece of advice I ever got was, "Don't get married."

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30. 0

    Deb Welchposted 11 years ago

    "Keep on - Keeping On"  said to me by my daughter's gramma with perfect timing.
    I needed to hear that and it changed something, a turning point.
    Another -  "Moderation in Everything is the Key to a Good Life".
    My Dad always told me this piece of advice and it is also a Taoism quote.

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Dory the fish from the movie 'Finding Nemo,' met over our 2 year old grandson, speaks to us like a wise guru with her words, 'Keep on swimming, keep on swimming. Swimming, swimming...'
       
       And when faced with hard choices, we look for the middle way.

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31. 76

    stclairjackposted 11 years ago

    the only person you can change is YOU,.. you cannot change others,... the only person you can controll is YOU,.. and how YOU handle the things that you cant controll,.... life is about controll, self controll being the first and most important part of it,.... if you can controll YOU,... youve won.

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32. 74

    joanveronicaposted 11 years ago

    The best advice I ever got, was provided by my granny Madge: Never expect anything for free, you usually have to work to achieve the good things in life!

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    nabeeljamilposted 11 years ago

    Run and get your dreams otherwise someone will get you hire and get his dreams

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, employment generally is a sick system of enslaving workers to make the owner richer. Better to chase one's dreams, unless employed from a heart of service. I have learned much but not yet found even this balance to be possible in the job market.

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34. 61

    Darksageposted 11 years ago

    "I rather die as a hero, than see myself live, and become the villain."

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    Bronteraeposted 11 years ago

    "Be your own best friend":
    
    Would your best-friend berate you for your mistakes all day and night?  Don't do it to yourself.  What would your best-friend say to you?  Then say that to yourself.  This works in any situation. Self role-play.

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    mybipolarIIlifeposted 11 years ago

    I've gotten a few but I think the best one may have been "Always be yourself."

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Marvelous answer. It would be interesting to know how each person here views what it means to be oneself.
       
       If I am fully who I am, there is no place for me in the world. I am already on the outskirts!
       
       Courage to you in being your complete self.

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    erorantesposted 11 years ago

    My friend and boss told me  once upon a time. Maria do not worry about your kid. As long as he finish  Highschool and stay away from drugs. He will be rigth. He was right.

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38. 79

    Jade89posted 11 years ago

    You may be torn up today, but the sun will shine again tomorrow. - My daddy

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    Lady Guinevereposted 11 years ago

    This too shall pass.....my husband told me this before we were married.  I had a horrible attack of pancreatitis and was put n the hospital.  I do not drink and had to convince my doctor of that and it was a horrible time in my life.  I have had more of those times in my life, but they always seem easier when I remember those words from my husband.  Ha!  He even got me a stuffed bear to put by my hospital bead.  I still have it and it has been 15 years.  This Too Shall Pass.....

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       MizBejabbersposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       That was the favorite motto of a guy I used to work with. He was middle-age and I was real young, and he would say it to me when I was upset. I didn't appreciate it one bit. Now I look back and laugh because he was right.

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    djdaniel150posted 11 years ago

    When I asked my uncle how he managed to become so successful, his answer, "If you spend all your time trying to figure out how to make your next hundred dollars, you will 45 years old and have $100.00 in your pocket; but if you spend all your time thinking in terms of something bigger, then anything can happen!"
    
    I think the point of his statement was, if you're content with your 9to5 job, fine, but don't be surprised when you're old and broke either! Those who are successful in all areas of society tend to share one common trait, they are all innovators what they do! They take something they love and push it to the next level, people take notice, they get rich. Its not rocket science either, its logical reasoning.

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       Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Excellent advice.

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    Dvd Zermeno Perezposted 11 years ago

    "Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, not even yourself”....my Aikido Teacher when I was starting my training in martial arts, now I'm a black belt.

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    liesl5858posted 11 years ago

    My father said to me when I was young, Linda, the only inheritance I could give you, is your education because wherever you go, you will never get lost. How right he was.

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    BChild75posted 11 years ago

    What you think of yourself is much more important than what others think of you.

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    ocfirefliesposted 11 years ago

    It is difficult to select what advice has been most useful.
    Listen More.  Speak Less.

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    Martin-ddpposted 11 years ago

    Stop trying to make money on Hubpages and just enjoy using the system. I done that and guess what happened. I started to make money

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    cloverleaffarmposted 11 years ago

    "No matter what happens, the situation always works out for the best"

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    ud1093posted 11 years ago

    If you don't do it today then when will you do it

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