To ask, what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

[Stripey3000]

I'll start. Mine was in the form of a post on the Postsecret website years ago, where people make postcards, sharing secrets anonymously. This one jumped out at me as it simply said 'You get what you settle for.' For me at the time, those were the exact words I needed to hear. I was heading towardsthe end of a failing marriage (aged 30) and thinking about whether to stay with him or not. In that moment I chose not to settle for what had become an unhappy situation for the rest of my life. 10 years on and I still remember that as a pivotal moment, seeing the sentiment I needed to help me make my decision. I have no regrets 😊
So what advice have you received that stuck with you?

@dizzydizzydizzy

Similar to *@greencatblue*. Nobody ever lies on their deathbed wishing they had worked more. DM told me this and I thought they were very wise words.

Hm, not sure I agree with that. I'm sure some people regret not working harder for the goal of a career they really enjoyed, or to secure a better life for their DC, for example. I think it's only a regret if you spend too much time doing something that doesn't fulfil or benefit you.

Anybody who never made a mistake never made anything.

There is no such thing as truth. Facts are just what people perceive to be true.

I agree nobody ever says, I wish I had worked more

At funerals, the comments have always been that the person enjoyed time with their; family, friends, pets, holidays, hobbies

My mum told me 'There's a price to pay for being different but it's worth it' (I was never quite as 'different' as her but it encouraged me to stick to my guns of being into different stuff to my peers during my early teens)

I suffer with anxiety and one day my husband asked me 'Will stressing or being down about something change the outcome? If not don't let it consume anymore of your evening and deal with It when the time comes'

At the time I was annoyed he thought it was that simple as I was in a vicious cycle of anxiety and being depressed because I was always so anxious!

Now I live by it x

Have the epidural. (This was VERY good advice!)

If a boat comes along and no one is rowing, get in and row. (This was career advice from my grandfather about seizing opportunities. I'm quiet and reserved and a lot of my career upturns have been as a result of grabbing opportunities that no one else had spotted.)

Don't breed with a chauvinist. (I always say this when young women I am mentoring at work ask about juggling career and children.)

You can rail against an imperfect world or you can get on with doing what you can to change it.

You've got to let them know you're on their team. (About kids but especially teenagers!)

There are things in life worth getting bent out of shape over; most things aren't though.

Don't eat yellow snow.

Oh another one that I first read on mumsnet:

Don't wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.

You are not obliged to maintain relationships with family members who are bad for your mental health

What’s meant for you won’t go past you

@Etinoxaurus

Always tell the truth to your doctor! So simple, but as someone who was brought up to put on a good front and bend the truth if necessary it was a revelation.

Yes in the TV series House he makes a big thing of saying that everyone lies!

@Alicetheowl

Anybody who never made a mistake never made anything.

Hmm not sure if that applies in the legal sector. You make a mistake and you're out.

Don't bother with restaurants, theatre, holidays until kids are 7. Much less stressful

Don’t put your finger(s) anywhere you wouldn’t put your dick. One that always comes to mind when working on anything mechanical, was given that 25 years ago, still have all my fingers.

Not direct advice to me but something I saw in a television interview years ago. Harvey Smith the equestrian was being asked about how he trained horses with little obvious ability to be great show jumpers. He said that the secret was to work with the horse to get it to improve by 1% every day. Not 1% in addition to where it was that day but 1% from the starting point. He said it was not unduly difficult to achieve that and then after 100 days - 3 months and a bit - you had a horse that was twice as able as when you started. I don't have a horse but I did think about it when facing daunting stuff in my own life and have applied it to new things I find difficult. It just made so much sense to me.

That people like happy, fun people!

Always trust your instincts, they are there for a reason.

My beliefs create my reality.

There's no such thing as can't

It's the one thing I remember my dear mum always telling me when I was growing up, a lot of where I am today comes from living by this mantra or variations of it and I like to think she'd be proud of me.

The version I like to tell DS is "shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars"

Never share any photo you wouldn't want your Nan to see.

" l would rather hunt in the wild, than eat in captivity".

" l dont want to get to the end of my life and find that l lived just the length of it, l want to have lived the width of it as well"

" Rock bottom will teach you lessons that the mountain top never will.

Encouraged to save by parents from a really early age and to start a pension as soon as possible once working.

Thank goodness for the pension and I still save whenever I can.

People are more worried about themselves than about you, this stopped me being bothered about what people think of me.

And also “ This too shall pass” helped me through a rough period.

What other people think of you is not your business.

A car is a very dangerous weapon.

The grass isn't always greener but if you water yours it will stay green