The Best Advice You Ever Got

That was the question posed the other day; what was the best advice anybody ever gave you? It's not easy to answer unless, well, unless it is--like if you're a firefighter and you love it, and the best advice you ever got was "stay the course, you'll make it!" Then you'd just point to that and say, "and now I love my life, so there you go!"

But I don't think I've had a moment like that before. And when I try to think of good advice I've been given, I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting the source/manner of giving of at least 75%. And I think I'll end up doing my parents a disservice, as it would seem that all the "advice" given during the formative years just sort of blends into my personality now. I'm sure I'm the way I am because of stuff I was told way back when, but I can't single out any particular comments.

So with all that being said, I think the best modern advice I've been given (i.e. fairly recently) was to be more confident. It wasn't phrased exactly like that, but for awhile I had labored under the largely incorrect impression that people would just like me for me--true when you're a great person, but less true if you let your insecurities define you. If you want to Make Friends and Influence People, you must be confident in your good qualities, and keep your less attractive aspects a bit more secure. Not hidden away forever, just not out on your sleeve.

Anyway, the person who gave me the advice probably doesn't even know that he/she did so, but I've always been grateful.

....

I totally just remembered, my step-mother's advice to go to San Diego for law school, when everyone else was leaning towards Jersey and Rutgers, was really good advice. I mean, I think it was. I may not be far removed enough for 20/20 hindsight. But it feels like it was good advice.