The Advice is Right

I know many of you do not practice the annual New Year’s tradition of making resolutions. But, how do you feel about advice—giving or receiving it? In the December 31 edition of the New York Times, writer  Melissa Kirsch published responses from her readers answering her question: “What was the best advice you received in 2022?”  Here are some of the responses that came from across the country:

·   In your closet and your life, subtract whenever you add.

·   One respondent shared this from the “Ten Percent Happier” podcast: Stop and recognize happy moments when you’re in the middle of them. Literally stop and say out loud, “This is a happy time.” It’s a way to ground yourself in the joyful parts of your life. We do this with moments of trauma and crisis all the time. Maybe we should flip that script.

·   The best advice I received this year was to stretch my calves regularly. It cured my mild knee pain.

·   If there is an issue bothering me, I think to myself, “Will this still be an issue in one week or in one month?” If the answer is no, it’s a small problem so I let the stress go and move on.

·      When the wrench is on the nut, tighten it. In other words, if you’re already touching a piece of mail, deal with it. If you see a thing you’ll need soon, buy it now. If an uncomfortable conversation comes up, have it rather than deflecting it.

·   I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days is 100 percent, and that’s pretty good.

·   Put 10 pennies in your left pocket. Find something for which you are grateful. Move one penny to your right pocket. You should find all pennies have moved to the right pocket at the end of the day. Celebrate!

·   Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you have to do it, or that it’s good for you.

·   Be where your feet are.

What favorite piece of advice did you give or receive in 2022?And if you gave advice that you thought was pretty good, did you take it yourself?