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Sometimes we get stuck in a rut. We can't install a dating app, look for work in another city, or take up a new hobby because we tell ourselves, "That's not me." But when we think that we can't succeed, we don't even try. I know, it sounds corny, but most universal truths do.
Interested in what helps people to keep moving forward, Redditor u/Mememakermaker asked other users: "What advice did someone give you that changed your life?" And they were heard. As of this article, the post has received over 2.2K comments, many of which share tips on relationships, career, and other important areas. Here are some of the most upvoted ones.
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#1
If you wouldn't take advice from them, why would you take criticism?
RELATED:
#2
My therapist told me not to fight my drinking cravings, but rather to ignore them.
Instead of white knuckling it on the couch trying to ride it out, she suggested I find a project and keep myself busy instead.
It worked. Today I'm 41 days sober.
#5
If something is worth doing, its worth doing badly.
At one point in my life I just did not want to do anything because of depression and anxiety and it sucked. I was brought up to believe "if something is worth doing, its worth doing right." So I decided because I didn't think i could get it right I wouldn't bother doing anything.
I read this, and realised I'd been doing it all wrong. I may not be able to get up and shave and shower and run 2 miles in the morning. But I can get dressed and brush my teeth. That'll do.
#6
"You can be the ripest, juiciest peach there is, and there will still be people who don't like peaches" - Dita Von Teese
Used to stress about people liking me or not, stemming from different experiences as a kid. I read this quote and realised that I can be the best I can be, but I'm still not gonna be to everyone's taste, and that's alright. Helped me stress down almost entirely about that.
#7
Not everything in your brain needs to come out of your mouth
#8
Not quite advice, but a male co-worker said his wife was his best friend and I realized my husband and I weren't friends at all. tried to change the relationship but eventually left. 10 years later married a man who was my friend, still married 13 years and he is my best friend.
Jody Brown 3 years ago
My husband and I knew we were soulmates within a few weeks. We were married 1 year later. Just had our 28th anniversary and most days together are still honeymoons.
#9
My 5th grade teacher ms. Davis.
“If you are getting frustrated it’s perfectly ok to walk away for a bit a come back to the problem, it’s better to walk away and come back with a clear head then just getting more frustrated”
This was the first person I met that saw me and got me.
#10
I was always told to think three things:
Does this need to be said?
Does this need to be said by me?
Does this need to be said by me right now?
If it’s a no on any of these, shut up.
Skara Brae 3 years ago
Wow, this would dramatically reduce the comments here on B.P. (Oh, I shouldn't have said that)
#11
Be the person your dog thinks you are.
Michelle M 3 years ago
Their expectations are just too high. If I am half the person my dog thinks I am, that's good.
#12
Hating someone is like drinking poison yourself and waiting until it kills them.
#13
Comparison is the thief of joy
Leonard Hamers 3 years ago
Comparison can also be the source of happiness. Be happy with little things, they are the important things in life. A lot of people live in horrible places.
#14
Dont find someone to grow old with, find someone to stay forever young with.
#15
"Good memories can be just as toxic as bad memories"
For people in bad friendships/romantic relationships, so many people hold on to the good times in the past, hoping that it'll be like that again. You remember how good things were at the start, and you convince yourself 'they're not that bad, remember that one good time.....", even though at present, you're being treated like sh*t.
But what's in the past has already happened. Your current reality is not that anymore. Good memories can really trap you in bad places if you're not careful.
This advice has definitely been a wake up call to me before.
Leigh C. 3 years ago
I realized this in my last relationship. All the good times became far and few between. I would try to plan outings but he would decline or grumble. He didn't seem to be interested in family activities and would rather get high with his friends. Don't do drugs, people. Seriously. You could lose everyone in your life you would have loved if you had a clear head.
#16
Not really advice, just a remark someone made a few times that hit home.. They said that most things people do have nothing to do with you, even if it’s directed at you. It really did change my life in that I hardly ever take things personal anymore.
#17
Nobody knows what the [hell] they’re doing
#18
Never have an argument with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you through experience
Ruth Kennedy 3 years ago
Or as I've seen it phrased - 'You can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't reason themselves into.'
#19
"you don't have to know exactly how to do something. You just need to know that it can be done, and the rest can be figured out.". My former boss when I started my IT career. Changed how I looked at the problems I dealt with at work and at home.
Jo Johannsen 3 years ago
In most of life, you don't need to have the answer memorized; you just need to know how to look it up or look up the tools to figure it out.
#20
Wear sunscreen.
lara 3 years ago
If you have psoriasis or eczema sunlight on your skin, twenty minutes a day at least, will do wonders in help clearing it up. I have psoriasis on my hands. I used to wear gloves when I drove. One day I had to get the horse ready for the vet. I was out there for over an hour in the sun, at one in the afternoon. It was 97 degrees, full sun. I had no gloves or hat, because I thought it would only take about twenty minutes max. Well, it didn't. BUT that evening and the next day I noticed that my psoriasis was MUCH diminished. Doctor said it was the ultraviolet rays. Since then no gloves when I drive and the psoriasis is much reduced.
#21
ONLY worry about what you CAN control... which isn't very much.
KatHat 3 years ago
Ehhh, I don't like this much. I can't control climate change, or the hurricane offshore, or if someone's angry with me - but I need to live in the world and prepare for bad weather and try to get politicians to take action, etc. I fully agree that we shouldn't let that worry overcome us - which is the hard part - but not worrying at all would mean we don't take actions that will protect us in the future.
#22
A manager at my boring office job questioned my motives for being there, leading me to pivot completely, go back to school, and pursue a career in an industry im passionate about.
After graduating college I worked retail and food service for about 5 years before landing a decent paying office gig. I was pretty miserable there, but I always assumed that was the best path to success cuz it worked for my dad. I was in my managers office doing a quarterly review or something and she asked me the classic “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Since my dad started out as a programmer and worked his way up the corporate ladder, I’d always assumed that was the best way to success and happiness. So I told my manager “idk doing what you’re doing I guess.” “Why?” She asked. I responded “I mean…isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?” And then she dropped a line that literally changed the course of my life: “Is what you WANT to do, or is it what you’re EXPECTED to do?”
Y’all, I was floored. I was at a loss for words making that ‘surprised Pikachu’ face. You know the one. After my review I went back to my desk and spent the rest of the day thinking about her question. I decided in the following weeks that being an office drone WAS NOT what I wanted to do so finally, at 27, I decided to forge my own path instead of doing what my parents/society expected me to do. I went back to school for media production (didn’t finish cuz I ran out of money/COVID) and here I am 4 years later with my first production job working teleprompter at a local news station. It’s not where I want to end and it’s been a long hard few years to get here, but it’s the foot in the door job that I’ve been searching for.
SentimentAndBadJokes 3 years ago
Honestly, great that they had a boss that actually looked out for them and their best interests, rather than trying to suck the soul out of their employees. I love good managers :)
#23
Be curious not judgemental
#24
Work is not like school. You don't hand-in an assignment and it's done. Instead, you constantly chip away at things over time. In my first job I was upset that my work was never "perfrct"/done like it was at school. This advice helped me shift my mindset so that I wasn't so hard on myself.
#26
Consider what saying "yes" will cost you - time, energy, money, etc.
If you really can't part with what it would cost, then "no" is a statement of fact, and an act of self-respect.
Also, recognize that other people are allowed to be upset or have negative emotions, without it being your job to fix that - even if they say you're the source or reason.
Obviously if you've hurt someone with your words or actions you should apologize - but if someone's mad at you for not doing them a favor? Too bad. You're probably not their only option and they'll just have to learn to solve their own problems.
We're each responsible for our own happiness. We can choose to add to the happiness of others, but it's nobody's job to ensure someone else's happiness.
Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today,
#27
Don’t worry about what other people are thinking about you, because everyone is only thinking about themselves.
#28
"Act like you have been there before."
It's just another way of saying be confident in yourself, but just saying "be confident," doesn't really tell you how to be confident. Saying "act like you have been there before" is more like instructions.
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
Act like you have been there before and risk making an @ss of yourself. Seen to many occasions where people embarrassed themselves because they acted like they knew how to act in a particular setting.
#29
"You can't help people if you can't even help yourself."
#30
You can't change what happend. No matter it was your fault or someone else messed it up. Don't be mad about it. Deal with the challenge.
What do you think ?
Zoe's Mom 3 years ago
Never borrow something you can't afford to replace; never loan something you can't afford to lose. Be your own best friend. Remember that people will not treat you the way you would like them to but they will treat you the best way they know how. Doesn't mean they don't care, just means they care differently. Be kind to your body.
~hUmMuS vIbEs~ 3 years ago
I used to tell myself that I should always expect the worst, because then I won't be hurt if it turns out better than I expected, rather than expect good things to happen and be let down. I stopped living by this when I took advice from others and realised my stupid philosophy was preventing me from doing things and getting out of my comfort zone.
Susie Elle 3 years ago
Wish for the best, but also be equipped to deal with the worst :)
Load More Replies...
Lily Mae Kitty 3 years ago
When I was in my early 20s there was this older, very classy looking lady who shopped where I worked. One day we were talking and she mentioned that she thought I was very skilled at makeup(I am from NJ where it's common to have a face full) but to please remember that "as we age, less is more." I thanked her but remembered thinking, "what does she know?!? less is less and more is better!" But her words came back to me as I got older and toned it down a bit. I am 60 now and realize what wonderful advice that was! I like a classy retro cat eye with bold lip but in a more natural toned down way that works for my age and looks. I get taken for younger constantly.
Zoe's Mom 3 years ago
Never borrow something you can't afford to replace; never loan something you can't afford to lose. Be your own best friend. Remember that people will not treat you the way you would like them to but they will treat you the best way they know how. Doesn't mean they don't care, just means they care differently. Be kind to your body.
~hUmMuS vIbEs~ 3 years ago
I used to tell myself that I should always expect the worst, because then I won't be hurt if it turns out better than I expected, rather than expect good things to happen and be let down. I stopped living by this when I took advice from others and realised my stupid philosophy was preventing me from doing things and getting out of my comfort zone.
Susie Elle 3 years ago
Wish for the best, but also be equipped to deal with the worst :)
Load More Replies... Lily Mae Kitty 3 years ago
When I was in my early 20s there was this older, very classy looking lady who shopped where I worked. One day we were talking and she mentioned that she thought I was very skilled at makeup(I am from NJ where it's common to have a face full) but to please remember that "as we age, less is more." I thanked her but remembered thinking, "what does she know?!? less is less and more is better!" But her words came back to me as I got older and toned it down a bit. I am 60 now and realize what wonderful advice that was! I like a classy retro cat eye with bold lip but in a more natural toned down way that works for my age and looks. I get taken for younger constantly.
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