Write Down the Good Advice
Have you ever heard a great piece of advice and said to yourself, “Oh, man! That’s good. I should write that down.”
But you don’t write it down because you’re busy, then you forget that great piece of advice by the next day. Sometimes you might remember days or weeks later; other times, it’s just lost forever.
Yeah, that’s never happened to me either. 😉 j/k
I’ve heard a lot of great advice through the years. Some I’ve heeded. Some I ignored to my detriment. I never thought about writing down those nuggets of wisdom until recently. That’s when I started keeping a journal of ideas related to life, philosophy, and self-improvement. Some of the entries are my thoughts, but most are from folks much smarter than me.
Writing in the notebook, even if it’s just a sentence or two, feels oddly cathartic. Much like shading a vase of flowers in a coloring book. The drawing isn’t mine, just the interpretation. That’s how the advice in my journal is.
Some days a nugget of advice will hit me right in the bullseye. Pow!
Other days, it’s a complete miss.
That’s okay, though. The same advice today might’ve been dismissed ten years ago when I was younger and more assured of my decisions. That advice might not have any application ten years from now. It’s where I am when I interpret the wisdom and how (if) I apply it.
My journal isn’t meant to be anything more than a reminder to myself. It’s something I can flip through occasionally when I’m feeling a bit melancholy or undermotivated. It’s something I can consult when a friend or family member needs advice.
As such, I thought I’d share a few of my favorites.
“Don’t complain about how hard the labor was, just show them the baby.”
- business maxim
“Too many people spend time worrying about the worst-case scenario, without ever considering what the best-case scenario might look like.”- source unknown
“Don’t talk bad about yourself. There are plenty of people in the world willing to do that for you. Don’t help them tear you down.”
- source unknown
Those were the ones that hit me today, and I needed to hear them, especially the last one.
I have a bad habit of tearing down myself. I do it when I make stupid mistakes usually related to a failure of discipline (spending too much, eating too much, watching too much TV). I’ll really let myself have it and it doesn’t help me get better. It just makes me feel worse for the failure.
My girlfriend gently reminds me not to say those negative things about myself. Positivity comes naturally to her, and it’s one of her most endearing qualities.
So, what about you? Do you keep a journal of sayings (or anything else)? What are your favorite pieces of advice, and do you share them with your family or friends? I’d love to hear about them.