Be true to yourself - you can't be anyone else you can only be you. I don't struggle with that now in my late 40's frankly I don't gaf what people think a lot of the time - one benefit of ageing! But I did struggle when I was a late teen/early 20's and still learning who I was. It was advice given by an aunt who I admired as she clearly gave no fucks!

but she'd noticed I had a bad habit of trying to seem interested in things I wasn't for boyfriends/new friends.
This too shall pass - not a popular quote on mn but I like it. Not only to get through the bad times (of which I've had many) but also to savour the good, as they can be all too short and infrequent.
First said to me by a mentor when I was doing my nurse training and not particularly enjoying the placement I was on as the mentor on the placement was a nightmare!! But it was only 6 weeks thankfully. Once I got my head around "it's just 6 weeks and I never have to deal with her again!" It made me relax a bit which helped in things not being so tense with her too.
Don't take criticism from someone you wouldn't take advice from.
oooh I like that one! Might be using that!!
I’m not an addict myself nor am I religious but many in the family are so I’m VERY familiar with the serenity prayer and I do think it’s a good mindset to have - I don’t always manage it though!
@icecoldfan - I apparently forgot ALL my experience and training in childcare when I had dd (I’d been a nanny before having her and had loads of childcare experience) and couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t settle when we moved her into her own room, it was cosy, dark and quiet what could possibly be wrong! After several very broken nights and ex and I despairing I eventually deigned to ask my mum! She laughed and straight away said she (dd) probably thinks she’s been abandoned to the wolves! Make some noise, put a nightlight in there...
Right enough soon as we started behaving and being as noisy as normal she was fine! D’oh!!
Advice from parents when I was unwittingly and naively used in first couple of jobs by less than scrupulous types - don’t fire a gun someone else has loaded - basically means don’t be tricked into doing someone else’s dirty work for them!!
When running late for work do not risk your life or the lives of others by speeding.
That reminds me of my grandas favourite (and he was generally a very punctual person) “better late in this life than early into the next” mainly applied to speeding drivers of whom he’d also say “fools risking their lives rushing to get home and do nothing”
@yesyoudoknowme - wrote the above before reading yours! Sort of x post