Advice I Wish I Knew When I was Younger

We all come from different backgrounds and have some sort of backstory that has defined our current path. I know for myself, my life could have been somewhat different at the beginning if I had key advice given to me at a pinnacle age. I am not talking about common sense, but tidbits of knowledge that make the difference in surviving certain life, financial, and health situations. Here are some tidbits that I have found to be true:

Let People Do What They Want, When They Want, As Much As They Want, With Whomever They Want

Let people be and don’t try to change them to fit your agenda or conform them to your ways. Walk in love and let your actions speak for themselves. If you do not care for someone, the old saying goes, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you”. People are going to do what they want anyhow so let them, unless it is illegal and involving you. The great thing is you can choose to be around them or not when they do what they do.

The Less You Say The Better

How many of us have applied the foot to mouth when talking to someone and realized we cannot take back what we said. Or it is amazing how one can say something and mean something different from what someone else thinks that person means. With certain people, I can talk loosely around and with others I have to be on my guard because they think the world might end based on what I say. Here is an example.

You tell your parents that your college exams are tough during finals. In their mind, they think you are going to fail the class, work fast food the rest of your life and live on the streets. A little extreme, but some people think the worst, especially parents because most parents want the best.

Save 10% of Your Income & DON’T Touch It

This is the one piece of advice that I wish I had known and followed at a young age. Oh, how I wish I had been brought up in a family who knew to teach me to open a savings account and save at least 10% at a young age. This might seem like common sense, but if a person is not taught, then they don’t know. Try to put something away for the hard times, because there will be ups and lows and you have to be prepared for the lows.

Strive To Be Healthy, Wealthy & Wise

Money can cause distractions that can make us deviate from the ultimate life goal of happiness. Everyone wants to get rich and have this and have that. To me, a piece of happiness is a combination of being healthy, wealthy, and wise. Find yourself first, keep yourself, and let the money come as a bi-product of the knowledge you gain and wisdom in how to use that knowledge.

Don’t Ever Ask Your Boss For Your Paycheck Early

Whether you know it or not your boss could be a kind person, but at the end of the day they value their position more than yours. Sorry to burst your bubble, but everyone is replaceable at any given time.

Any feather in your cap could make the difference in you keeping your job long-term. One of those feathers is proving to your boss that they need you more than you need them. It shows a sign of weakness when you ask your boss for a paycheck early. Asking for something early that you did not earn can send the wrong signal. It is never good to be dependent on someone so always appear to have the upper hand.

Stay On A Consistent Sleeping Pattern

We have all heard to get 8 hours of sleep, but what about a consistent pattern. For some people this might be nearly impossible with their schedule working graveyards, but whatever amount of sleep you get, make it a pattern and stick to it.

Don’t Pop Your Knuckles

No one wants to hear the sound of popcorn kernels popping without the smell of that buttery deliciousness. Some say it is bad for your joints, although it has not been fully proven harmful except given a few case studies that proved it otherwise. If I were you, I would not take that risk of getting arthritis at a later age.

Learn How To Down-shift

Do you want to spend money on a brake job? I didn’t think so. This might not be a common problem in Kansas where it is flat, but here in the Colorado Rockies, it is normal to smell rubber burn over the pass. Just take that right hand of yours and switch the shift stick into a lower gear. If you are driving with your feet, then use your right foot. Read your car manual first and buckle up!

In Conclusion

Learning tidbits of advice and actually doing them can make a world of difference in life situations and even keep you alive. For any health advice, always consult a professional medical physician. Don’t keep this knowledge to yourself. If you found this helpful, please share this article with the people who need it.

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Stephen C. Willis is the founder of MeMakeMistake — fix any mistake and send all types of digital greetings (launching in May 2016).
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