We are bombarded by advice.
Social media. Newspapers. Friends. Acquaintances. So-called xspurts. Everyone puffs their chest and thinks they’re clever. Aren’t I smart? they tell themselves.
Some advice is helpful. Most isn’t.
Some we seek out. Most just shows up uninvited, like a badly timed voice note.
So let’s turn the question around.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Not read in a tweet. Not scribbled on a coffee shop chalkboard.
I mean actual advice from a real human, spoken or written, that stuck with you.
I had to dig into the memory vault to think of something someone told me directly, rather than wisdom I’ve scavenged from old books (some of which are packed with surprisingly solid life truths).
But let’s get real.
The best advice I can recall came from my mother. She used to say:
“Stay away from those boys. They’re bad.”
It wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t nuanced. But it was spot-on more than once.
Then there was my father, who used to sing a made-up ditty:
“Put your money in the bank, Frank — you’ve got to have money to start.”
It was silly, but it planted something lasting in my head.
I’ve been a lifelong saver because of it. Though, in hindsight, maybe what I really needed was a push toward investing and making money work, not just hoarding it.
Timeless Pieces of Advice from Remarkable Individuals
Here are a few gems I’ve collected — bits of advice that have stood the test of time, quoted by people from all walks of life:
1. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
– Oscar Wilde
Witty and evergreen. A reminder that authenticity wins, even when it feels uncomfortable.
2. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.”
– Henry Ford
Mindset matters. Belief fuels action. Doubt saps it.
3. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
This is not only practical — it’s powerful. Stop waiting. Start doing.
4. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
– Steve Jobs
Over-quoted, yes. But still true. Passion creates endurance. And quality.
5. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
– Wayne Gretzky
A sports metaphor for life. Take the risk. Ask the question. Try the thing.
6. “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
– Also Theodore Roosevelt
Apparently, Teddy Roosevelt moonlighted as a therapist. This one cuts deep in the age of social media.
Some advice lands. Some echoes. Some grows with us over time.
So — what’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Was it from a parent, a teacher, a friend, a random stranger, or the back of a matchbox?
References:
• Oscar Wilde, widely attributed
• Henry Ford, quoted in Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• Theodore Roosevelt, An Autobiography (1913)
• Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address (2005)
• Wayne Gretzky, widely attributed
