Advice: A Helpful Life Tool

Life is one big learning curve. As we go through the trials and tribulations of life, we hopefully come out at the end a bit stronger, wiser, and more compassionate (towards ourselves and others). There is no right or wrong way to live your life (besides perhaps following basic human rights principles such as being respectful to others and doing no harm). We may often feel the societal pressures of needing to do things a certain way, or needing to portray ourselves in a particular manner. However, the truth is, trying to fit ourselves into a mold or allowing others to fit us into a category is only going to restrict our growth as human beings. Author David Pogue is an active Twitter influencer who engages with followers by asking provocative questions. One evening he asked his followers what their biggest regret in life was, and one follower changed his life by sharing her answer. In simplest terms, this follower’s biggest regret was regret itself. This post will explore Pogue’s article on advice and how it may be helpful for you.

Life Advice

One follower of Pogue’s Twitter handle shared that for her, one of the most valuable pieces of life advice that she has learned was from her grandmother. The message of this advice highlights that sometimes, you need to shift your perspective on a problem to see the solution. I believe this advice to be extremely helpful and relatable. When we are faced with stressful or tough situations, our negative thinking turns on pretty quickly. By noticing when this happens and making a conscious effort to reframe your attitude and outlook on the problem, your whole experience of the situation will likely change for the better.

Another follower shared that her best advice received was “things don’t have to be perfect to be wonderful”. I find this to be so helpful and so true. We often place many expectations on ourselves and our lives, and when not all of our expectations are met exactly how we want them to be, we feel disappointed. But, it’s important to remember that not everything is going to be aligned exactly how we want them to be, and that’s okay. We lose sight of the many other wonderful things that we have going for ourselves because we might be hung up on expectations and perfection. This advice, for me, is similar to “count your blessings”. We need to remember to have gratitude for all of the great things that we have in our life.

Parenting Guidance

The advice in this section of Pogue’s article that most resonated with me (because I believe it’s important for all parents to remember this) is “the greatest gift you can give to your children is your own emotional well-being”. Parenting is a great joy but it is also very challenging. When parents give so much of their life and energy to their children, it’s easy for them to sometimes lose sight of who they are as individuals. If you are a parent, I encourage you to take time for yourself when possible, and don’t feel guilty about it! Your mental health and emotional well-being is critical, and not jut for yourself. When you are thriving emotionally and mentally, your children reap the benefits as well.

Work Life

Pogue shares another follower’s advice on work life, which is “never accept work where you’re not learning”. It is important to note that not everyone has the luxury of being in a work place that promotes personal growth or is fulfilling, and feeling stuck in those situations is hard. However, it is important to recognize when we feel this way so we can then work towards finding opportunities that are more fulfilling for us. Whether you love continuing education or focus your endeavors in the workforce, strive to keep on learning. Learning doesn’t stop, nor should it.

Final Words

Life is one big learning curve, and we learn so many things along our personal journeys. If you receive great advice, acknowledge and follow it if it speaks to you. Do not live life with regrets, as you always do the best you can with the information that you have at the time. If you feel like life’s twist and turns have been bogging you down lately, therapy may be a great sounding board to reflect and learn from your experiences. Contact Symmetry Counseling to get connected with one of our talented clinicians today!

David Pogue’s article, The Best Advice You’ve Ever Received (and Are Willing to Pass On) was referenced for this post.