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?

Loving these

@hangrylady

Never be financially dependent on a man. Thanks DM.

This. Aside from food, shelter and love, probably the most important single thing you can do for a female child is to get them to understand that they should never rely on a man for money.

It's fairly cheesy but for some reason, it did resonate with me when I heard someone on TV say it years ago:

"You miss 100% of the shots you never take."

So basically, you'll never get anywhere if you don't even try. It's helped me to try numerous things instead of avoiding them for fear of failing.

@DrinkReprehensibly I was watching Shang-Chi at the weekend and there was a line in that which resonated with me and is very similar - "if you aim at nothing, you hit nothing".

@hangrylady my Mum said the same to me. I'm so glad I took that on board.

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Then quit. It’s not worth making a fool of yourself over.

And ‘Noah built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic’ so don’t always trust the ‘experts’ !

"It is better to have known that you've lost than never to have known that you've won."
I love this one and makes me laugh, it's from DEL BOY but to me, it's like move on now, don,'t dwell.

"Be yourself, everyone else is taken".
Oscar Wilde
All about self acceptance which resonates a lot as you get older. Wouldn't life be very boring if we were all the same..

“There are no medals”
“Guilt is a wasted emotion”
“Perfection is the enemy of creativity”

“What’s the worst that could happen”. I apply this to many things. Most consequences, when you break it down, are just the possibility of disapproval. Stop caring what others think and you will be more free.

Don’t marry her.

"Once is happenstance, twice is their default behaviour pattern: & it's highly unlikely to change" . From a Counsellor on how to spot abusive tendencies in others. Or any tendancy .

@AmazingBouncingFerret

“Never chase after a boy or a bus, there’ll be another one along in fifteen minutes.”

My Grandmother.

Your Grandmother is a wise woman!

I don't even remember when I read this one, but "If you can't get out of it, get into it." In other words, don't let yourself feel cross and resentful about the things you have to do but dislike doing. If they're unavoidable, then try and find ways of making them more enjoyable.

None of us are promised tomorrow.

Let your conscience be your guide.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Perfectionism is fear in a fancy coat (Elizabeth Gilbert).

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.

If you sit by the river long enough the bodies of your enemies will float past

Raised a (watery) smile at the time, but afterwards I've found it's so often true

Wayne Sleep said to me: yes dear you must take every single opportunity that comes your way, and if they don’t work out don’t sweat it, another one will be right along so grab that one too

A taxi driver once said to me and friends, we were a little drunk, 'The first time is a joke, the second time is a joke, the third time its beyond a joke' I have used that many times since when someone has been annoying me.

Always trust your gut instinct.

Someone once said to me (I forget who) that there are circumstances when things just are how they are. It’s how you deal with it that will decide whether you sink or swim.

Bitterness is like pouring a cup of poison and drinking it yourself

Comparisons are odious.

My Mum “never heat a bottle” made my bottle feeding months so so much easier with a baby who took a bottle cool or at room temp. As she pointed out no one microwaves their boobs for 30 seconds!

My RE teacher said “there’s no such thing as a soulmate, if you keep looking you will ALWAYS find someone you’re more suited to; the reality is knowing when you don’t need to bother looking”
As 15 year olds we thought he was talking rubbish, as an adult I know he was right.

@BunsOfAnarchy

Literally just now. Just finished a call with Samaritans. 'You can't run several marathons in a day. You'd be exhausted and your body will shut down. It's the same with your mind. Space those marathons out.'

Its okay to take things slow. And sort through big life changes one at a time. Because there is still a finish line you'll get to. It won't disappear. It'll still be there and you will cross it. Just be proactive and work at it at your own pace. It's brilliant. Because in one day I've tried to get a job, sort a mortgage and a child's school admission and I've ended up so exhausted that my head is hurting and I'm in tears.

Those words have helped me so much.
Samaritans are just brilliant.

You're stronger then you know.. sending love and hugs xx