I love advice. Do I always take it? No, but I enjoy seeking it out to see and understand other people's perspectives and points of view on a topic. I always feel the more information I have the better I can be at making a good (or at least informed) decision. Sometimes advice is boring and sometimes it is nothing different than what I already know or what I would tell someone myself, however, every now and again, I come across something new or interesting.
Today was one such day. I read a copy of Real Simple, a lifestyle magazine while at the doctor's office this morning. Granted, as most offices go, this edition was from early this year - June to be exact - but, then again, we are talking about doctors' offices. They don't tend to rotate their reading material very often. And, actually, it was a good thing too. This particular article was written by Jancee Dunn, a New York City author, and covered the 10 best pieces of advice she received from her father. They are as follows:
1) Hold hands while you Hast it out. This is because when you're fighting, you don't become as angry when you're holding hands with someone. As she says, "you'll feel goofy," but it works. So next time you and your loved one fight, grab each other's hand, and you might find your fight is more manageable. :-)
2 and 3) Pay attention to anyone who wears a tool belt or Uniform. (a) this is to help you learn how to do it so that next time you don't have to call mr. specialty man and (b) people in uniform (mailman, maids / janitors, etc) don't receive the credit they deserve for the jobs they do.
4) You can never have enough baggies. Need more twist ties, shoe laces, electric chords/ plugs, or paper clips?? The more things you keep in "baggies" the less you have to buy later!
5) You can't go wrong with Clint. As her dad said, even the worst Clint Eastwood movies are better than some other great movies. I'm personally not a big Clint fan myself, but you never know. It might hold true. Nowadays I usually go for Tom Hanks or an animated film. Personally, when in doubt...Pixar is great.
6) Don't belittle the annual Sack Race. It might be dumb when you hit puberty until you are 30, but those annual family traits are needed and meant to be held dear. In my family, it's the annual bocci ball tournament at the Family Reunion, or the family member dressing as Santa to give out gifts to EVERYONE on Christmas Eve. These are the things that keep family spirit and traditions going!
7) Stop worrying. Aah, the age old adage. So true, yet so easily forgotten. As one of the Bad Boys said: "go woo-sah" something.
8) Carry a Hankie. They come in handy, and they don't disintegrate in your purse, as Jancee happily explained. She also points out they can be used for the obvious cold, to dry your hands when those dang towels are out, or to wrap up something like a cookie. However, sadly, ask a kid today for a handkerchief, and they look at you like you're speaking alien. Sad, but true - someone needs to bring back the "hankie"
9) No one's smarter than you. As she says, even if you have no idea what's going on in a conversation, ask a question or for someone to explain further. It's called the art of conversation, people, and most of the time, if you don't know something, chances are you're not alone. Plus, when you ask people questions, they get to talk more about something they know or about themselves, and people always love doing that. Then, afterwards, you now have more knowledge than you had before! Ergo, don't stay silent simply because you don't know something. That's now you learn.
10) You will want kids. According to Jancee's father, you will, even if right now you abhor the idea, want kids someday. Can't personally tell you what my take on that is, but it's worth mulling over.
Maybe you, too, have some great pieces of advice that you've learned over the years. Out of this list, #1 is my new all time favorite. :-) Spread the news, and start holding hands, people!!!
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