Open Forum

I was scrolling through NPR's Life Kit archives this morning and the article, "10 pieces of well-worn life advice you may need to hear right now," caught my attention.

The article, well, it's more of a list, features the best "well-worn" advice each contributor has ever received. The advice is something each person comes back to time and time again. You've probably heard most of the sayings on the list, like, "It's OK to say 'I don't know'," or "It's not all about you," but the explanation behind the advice makes it impactful. Most of the advice is cliche, but it's a good reminder that sometimes something simple can be very memorable. 

When I'm feeling behind or stressing about a project, both at work and at home, I find myself saying, "It'll get done because it has to get done." It reminds me that even though I may feel the pressure in the moment, it's temporary and I can push through to accomplish my task. 

What's the best well-worn or cliche advice you've ever received? @Quinn Drew and @Amy Finkelsteindo you have any advice to share? 

@Taylor Evans Ghosal thanks for posting this! As I've shared before, I am a pretty big believer in "signs from the Universe." I know I was meant to see this post on this day because I'm actually going to see Betty Who tonight at the Riv here in Chicago! (Betty Who is quoted in #5: go where the energy goes)

The "advice" that I tend to keep coming back to is something a friend quoted to me about a decade and a half ago (wow, time flies!): "It'll all be ok in the end. If it's not ok, it's not the end!" 

I should say: things do not always FEEL ok. Things do not always feel like they're GOING TO BE ok. But it's nice to remember that as we're working through tough stuff, there will eventually be a resolution. And we'll eventually figure out a way to feel ok about that resolution, even if we don't initially. 

@Taylor Evans Ghosal what a great little article! Along with @Quinn Drew I also like "Go where the energy goes." I have a quote on my phone attributed to Albert Einstein, "Stay close to anything that makes you glad to be alive."

I also really like "It's not all about you." There's an acronym QTIP--Quit Taking It Personally. I've learned the hard way that so many times when I think someone is mad at me or thinks I'm doing a terrible job, it's really not about me at all. That person has something else going on in their life that they're reacting to and it has nothing to do with me! I come up with all these scenarios in my head where the universe revolves around me and...it really doesn't :)