What's the best advice you ever received?

An aunt of mine had a wee saying - a bit twee but so true.

Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is a mystery
Today is a gift
That is why they call it the present.

She has been gone for a long time now but I often think of her and of her wisdom.

I like that rosieb

A girlfriend of mine said 'always apologise when you've quarrelled even if you feel in the right. It makes things better every time!'

I am afraid I can't agree with apologising when you are in the right. Of course, it depends on how serious the disagreement was, but sometimes it is not wise to reinforce somebody's wrong thinking. I couldn't apologise to my sister when we had words about her openly racist attitude. We just agreed to disagree.

My mother would say, 'you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.'

From my father when I left home: you can always afford insurance, it's not a luxury but a neccessity. This good advice was especially remembered when my house caught fire in 2007. I had water damage and the flat upstairs had fire,smoke and water damage. Their landlord and I shared the buildings insurance and I also had home insurance. The young couple didn't, hadn't got around to it. So I ended up with a new flat,furniture and fixings - they had to make do with what they could beg,borrow or steal. All for because they hadn't paid less then £20 a month for contents.
The following year my daughter and her then boyfriend had their flat burgled, items like jewellry,lap-tops and cameras were taken. They had renters insurance which cost them £8.00 a month. They got all their stolen items replaced.

When asked to make a sentence with the word "horticulture", Dorothy Parker said, "You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think".

absent

Someone persuaded against their will, is of the same opinion still.

'Good Enough, gets more done'. As a congenital perfectionist, I have to try very hard to follow this one. OTOH with arthritic hands, less energy and memory lapses 'Good Enough' is quite an achievement most days.

My contribution to this thread isn't so much advice that's been passed on to me, more a book in the same vein.

I'm a worrier, I care what people think about me, I worry about what's going to happen tomorrow, I mither about nonsensical things that I have no control over.

My daughter is always telling me that a lot of what I worry about is wasted energy but she was trying to get blood out of a stone so she bought me a book.

I apologise before I go any further for the title of the book (just as my daughter did), I'm not a person who swears and I could have taken exception to it but, after reading it, the title is very appropriate. I'm hoping that I don't break forum rules by posting it. It's "f**k it", written by John C Parkin. I don't necessarily say the word printed in the book but I don't break any rules by thinking it.

We cannot change other people however hard we try but when you change yourself, people around you begin to change.

Elle - that is exactly what I say to myself sometimes when a thread gets too confrontational and I can't be bothered any more!

'No experience is ever wasted' has proved true to me throughout my life. Even the tiniest apparently ineffectual experience can pop up later and provide food for thought in a later scenario

'Reinforcement is absolutely necessary'. We were told this at teacher training college but it fits into all kinds of learning situations!

And some underwear ones....

When I moved into a student flat and had to cook (after being in a student residence and then digs) my mother said "When in doubt, add another onion" and I have found that to be very good advice.

"Every day's a school-day" ie there's always something to learn. Always

btw Elle - mither, lovely word! Thanks for that.

Like it granny23.

Elle your words

"I'm a worrier, I care what people think about me, I worry about what's going to happen tomorrow, I mither about nonsensical things that I have no control over."

could be a description of me! Did the book work? If so, I will definitely buy it. All this worrying is exhausting and pointless and I would love to find a way out of it.

One of the best bits of advise came from my ex! When people offer to help, if you are sure they mean it, accept it. People like to help and be useful and it makes them feel better.

It made this very independent and stubborn person think! Also I find that as I get older it is more pertinent and I actually ask for help occasionally now.

Worry never climbed a hill
Worry never paid a bill
from a Mormon cookbook I bought in the States
and I like my mother's saying-Do as you would be done by
Do as you would be did
Don't sit on the boiling pot
Don't sit on the lid
from The Water Babies. And Dorothy Parker's Offal is Awful so true especially as I'm married to a man who loves the ghastly stuff

follow your instincts, they are usually good

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest of intention.

Good old Oscar Wilde.

ELLE. I'm very lucky I think in that I don't worry! Maybe it don't have the gene.
I think it's because I'm pretty much a fatalist. I generally couldn't care less what people think of me and my ways...not because I am nasty, I am generally a very caring person but I just don't get the hassle of it all.
My parents are both worritts and so is one of my sisters and they waste so much energy thinking about what might go wrong and what people might think. I would find it exhausting. Friends say:- you must worry about your children being so far away! I'm afraid I don't, they are sensible grown ups and know what they are doing and I expect them to get on with it just like we had to do and if they need help they will either ask or pay someone to do it.

Generally people don't think the bad things you attribute to them. Just a thought - if your knickers fall down in the street in front of lots of people, how many would even know you or give it a thought after a few titters. So you might blush at the thought of it but the world hasn't ended.

Don't sweat about what you can't change and you will have more energy for the things you can. ��

My dad still quotes his father who was in the Dutch army before the war....
Do normal, and you do daft enough!

Quite true