Advice is something in life that people all too often don't use. Don't get me wrong, I have been given some terrible advice and know immediately not to use it, such as, oh you should just tweak your resume , they won't check it. I don't lie. I don't even like to "extend" the truth. I'm not saying that I haven't, because God knows, along with our best friends who were our partners in crime at that given moment were there.
One of my most favorite cartoons, Snoopy! Boy could he write!
Advice can be great to have an utilize when done the right way. Let me give you my best ten tips right now as I am feeling like I just want to hand over some well kept knowledge. Let me assure you, I'm no Lucy and would never pull the ball away before kicking it.
1: Don't ever try to change someone.
This will never happen, no matter how hard you try or think, oh they will change because they love me or say they will, bullshit, I say, pure unadulterated bullshit. You can change you surroundings, your clothes, your friends, hair, how you eat and everything you own, You can change your job and anything else tangible in your life, but YOU will never change, you will always be you. Your personality is fully developed by the time you are seven years old. So think about it, if you want to change a person and how they are, good luck to you. You can change some of what they do and how you dress, where you work things of that nature, but who you are, this isn't going to happen.
2: If you want to be happy, surround yourself with happy people.
Exactly what it says. Otherwise, misery loves company. People feed off one another. I am a positive person and tend to be happy 95 percent of the time but find myself being negative and unhappy if I am around unhappy people. I start talking that way and acting that way. Get away from them and fast.
3: Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes perfect and perfect practice makes perfect.
I read this on a blog somewhere about tennis and to me it makes absolute perfect, lol, sense. I am a perfectionist and love to do things once if possible. I don't like to do them over and over because it just make for wasting time. Do things slow and easy and right the first time, this way it's done right!
4: You don't know anything until you've done it.
This is probably one of the best things I have heard. I cannot stand when someone says, "I know" or "whatever". UGH!!! My two most dislike lines. How do you know if you haven't tried it or done it and what does "whatever" really mean?? It can mean a host of things. Bad, good or indifferent. Say what you mean and not what I think it could mean, because I think it means the worst and usually take it to heart. I would imagine most people do except of course the one saying it, they mean "whatever!"
5: Arguing is pointless.
I mean really, come on now. Not everyone in life agrees on the same thing, but why argue about it. You can have a disagreement without the argument. Even if you do argue, in the end you still got over it and made up, so why argue to begin with, just a bunch of hurt feelings for no reason what so ever, you didn't even do your homework on the topic at hand to begin with. Just don't argue, simple. No reason. Go have that romantic dinner anyway ;) If it's a work issue, well then you don't get into trouble and your not the bad guy. Like I said arguing is a pointless waste of time and you could have gotten some of those unfinished projects done.
6: The two most important questions in life are: "Why?" and "Why not?"
The trick to this one is really which one to ask and when to ask it. People change every day and learn new things along the way. Asking questions comes with this change. Knowing which questions to ask and when is a big part of change. How do we know when and where to ask? We don't always know and how do we know what motivates us to ask these questions, we don't; most of us don't know anyway. We have to analyze ourselves and then we can begin to ask the questions which, will enable us to grow and learn, with this becomes change.
7: Choose your battles wisely.
I can't tell you how many times I have heard this over the years, ten, twelve, maybe more, but this is a great one to pass on. I can remember growing up and riding the bus to school, Mrs. Carr was her name, the bus driver, she was strict yet nice. She would tell us, "fight nice." I could never figure that out until I heard this. I know what it means. Be happy, choose wisely and why argue all wrapped up in one. You don't need to fight over the last piece of gum, split it in half and share, change seats instead of not letting friends sit together and fight over it. I get it Mrs. Carr, thank you :) Don't fight the things you can't win, its a waste of precious time and fighting is just not nice.
8: Today is the only guarantee you get.
This is so very true. I have come to the point in my life when I should have died on more than one occasion. Never self inflicted, if you have kept up with my blog,you know that I have been sick for years. I have Arnold Chiari Malformation, which is a malformation of the brain. Surgery, which I had is just a "band-aid", and there is no cure for it. If I didn't have the surgery I would have more than likely been dead already as my cerebral tonsils were 25mm below the base of my skull. So when I tell you today is the only guarantee, I'm not kidding! I had no idea I was dying, for years this was happening slowly. It took me many to figure out what was wrong, but once I did, I learned how to live again and how to be much happier, not that I wasn't already a happy person. Take all the good in people and give back. Live, love and laugh. By writing this is what I do. I also volunteer as often as my body allows me to. Think of this:
Dew on the grass on a beautiful spring day. The smell of a new born baby. Laying in the hammock with nothing but a breeze and and the warm sun while you read a book while getting lost in the words. I read somewhere that if you think of life like a terminal illness you learn to live it with joy and passion as it should be lived out every day. Smell the fresh flowers every everyday and enjoy the scenery as you drive listen to the sounds of life as you go about your day and remember today is the only guarantee you get.
9: Men aren't mind readers. If you want something, tell them.
Come on now ladies. I mean seriously, do you really think that they know you want those boots you been eyeing in the window of Macy's for the last two weeks? Believe me, most of them have no idea. There are those few that may have a knack for shopping, which believe me is great, but unless you tell them, leave more than subtle hints around, have no idea. Let me put it this way, put big hints up. Put them everywhere. I mean the right places, the refrigerator, computer, the mirror. The places that he sees. If you want them, put the circular there, circle them with a heart and say great gift idea. Or of course you would love some new lingerie, who wouldn't, take your man shopping, but don't buy it, go try it on and say what do you think, maybe this would be a big enough hint that they would remember. Come straight out and tell them you would absolutely love flowers and chocolate or chocolate covered strawberries, yummy! When women are happy, them men are happy....just saying guys! And guys, hey ask the women if they would like some new comfy pajamas for Valentine's Day or what their favorite color is. The men have to get into the swing of things too, don't just lay all the responsibility on the women, after all with today's technology, you can send yourself alerts and reminders to bring home milk, why not gifts for "just because."
Now for the last one and my most favorite!
10: Negotiate everything!
Everything is negotiable. Cars, furniture, jewelry, homes, insurance even cell phones. In this day and age you can even negotiate life if you sit and think about it. If you don't like the answer, walk away.
You have free delivery, coupons, two for one, percentages discounts, Holiday discounts, tax refund discounts, credit card rewards, no sales tax. I mean everything. Look at the insurance companies and going to court, takes years but seems the longer you hold out the more you might get in the long run.
Haggling, walking away, paying cash, there are so many different methods of getting a better deal it's a negotiating world out there. Just remember all you have to do is wait it out and you too can negotiate.
My friends and followers, this is my advice list to you, use it in good health and remember live, love and laugh...that is non-negotiable.
