Good advice is harder to come across than you might think. Most times, when someone tries to give you advice, you shrug it off, thinking you already know what they've just told you. Yes, Kathy, I know getting back together with Pierce is making the same mistake again and again and hoping for something different. I get that!
...The best advice is the one you never see coming, never thought to ignore, but the one you actually listen to. Let's talk about them.
Reddit user, u/noob_24, wanted to know what they should think of when times are tough when they asked:
What is the best advice you have ever received? The advice that has impacted your life the most?
There's No Secret
fixing homer simpson GIFGiphyMy current boss says something as a joke that has helped me a lot more than he realizes, I am a mechanic but am not always the most confident (even when I know what I'm doing). He says "only one way to fix it, fix it." Weirdly enough it always makes me focus and remember there's no secret trick he knows that I dont, just got to do it. Applied that to other areas of my life and it helps so much more than I would have thought
This...Yeah, That Makes Sense
Don't skimp on things that seperate your ass from the road.
This includes furniture, shoes, tires, safety equipment, etc.
My back used to be a train wreck until I started wearing better shoes and sleeping on a much better bed.
There's No Point In Fearing The Inevitable
"Don't fear death. If you can't escape, then why waste your life fearing it? When you die, you'll regret keeping your fear from enjoying your life to the fullest."
The best part is that I asked a random kid sitting next to me that I barely knew because I was so worried about death. He pulled through for me though! Thanks random kid from art class! You taught me a lot!
A Little Bit Of Workout Is Good For Everyone
I have scoliosis (22 degrees). Throughout my teenage years as I started getting taller, I started to experience pain, burning under my left shoulder blade. My best friend's dad, an orthopedic surgeon, would often tell me that if I made a habit of working out and built some muscle around my spine it wouldn't hurt so much.
It took me until I was 18 to actually do it. And holy sh-t! It works! Now I recommend strength training to everyone.
Any Of These Are Great For The Workplace
There are a few pieces of advice I always cling to.
- "You're not there to make friends."
Said to me by a friend when I had just become a manager at my job and was struggling to discipline or correct behavior. I'm at a different job now, not as a manager, but it still helps me when I'm feeling that "everyone hates me and thinks I'm stupid" feeling
2. "No one is ever in control of a situation. You have to give the illusion of control."
My brother told me this when giving me advice before working in healthcare. At the end of the day, what happens, happens, and all you can do is roll with the punches, make your best decisions, and try to come out on top.
3. "You can't help someone who didn't wanna be helped"
See Who Stays And Who Goes
My dad kicked me out of my home state when I was 19. I was a decent kid who got good grades and had a lot of potential. But all I wanted to do was party. I knew that I would not make it in college so I just went to work and partied. The crowd I was hanging around with was pretty rough. They were always getting into some sort of trouble
So my dad told me to get out. He said to go anywhere and come back in a few years to see where my "friends" are. So, not really having anything else to do, I moved across the country, went to work, and partied until I was broke. Then I found that the bills were not getting paid and I had no food so I stopped partying and started focusing on living
A few years later I moved back home and found that my dad was right. The "friends" never grew up and were still getting into trouble all of the time. Some even went to jail for a while. I never hung out with them again
Choose To Lose
"Pick a failure."
Sometimes the only options available involve some sort of failure. That's ok. Just pick one, own it, and move on. There's almost never an instant, magic solution without long term consequences. That rare time there is, learn to really embrace it.
Talk Less, Smile More
I went to work in construction right out of high school. Before my first day my grandfather told me, to be successful, keep your ears open, your mouth shut, and constantly outwork the person next to you. I lived that advice and it has served me very well.
Don't Worry Too Much
Nobody's looking at you. They're worrying about how they look.
The cure for imposter syndrome is to realize that everyone else around you also has imposter syndrome.
Ask And Learn First Before You Act Stupid
It is better to ask and seem stupid; then not to ask and be stupid.
You Better Listen To Nick Fury
"Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on." -Nick Fury - Avengers
Put my anxiety into perspective and doing things will not be the end of me. Less afraid of the unknown future and stuff like that.
No One Can Cause Or Fix Your Pain
No matter who you blame for your distress, your pain still exists and you continue to suffer. While we can't always control the pain in our lives, we can control the amount of suffering we have in response to that pain.
Let The Anger Go
Anyone you hate probably isnt worth the time it takes to hate them or the enegry it takes to insult them
Take Care Of Yourself
All the love you need is within you.
Literally, it's your brain that dishes out the happy stuff. Others just have an indirect effect on your happiness.
KidneyBeamsYou Have Them For A Reason
"Use your vacation hours, and don't be afraid to call in sick every now and then either". No need to work like a dog and ignore your benefits to please a boss who doesn't notice. Vacation/staycation days are gems that everyone should take!
It's Not Just The Advice, But The Person Telling You
"Try to learn something new every day." Told to me by a Polish concentration camp survivor when I was around 8 years old. I still miss you Mr. Rodowicz.
It's A Partnership
Marriage shouldn't be a 50/50 split. It should be a 60/40 split where both are trying to be the 60%.
Along those same lines...
Marriage isn't "you vs. me" - it's "us vs. the problem"
My husband and I try to keep that in mind when arguing. We'll take a step back and use our combined brainpower (building ideas off each other's ideas) to solve the problem together. It also gives you this camaraderie of "hey, we figured out a solution together!" even if the problem was originally one of us being mad at the other for something they did.
Always Respect Uncle Iroh
avatar the last airbender GIFGiphy"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not" -Uncle Iroh
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- People Share The Worst Piece Of Advice That They've Gotten ... ›
- People Break Down Which Pieces Of Life Advice Can F*** Right Off - George Takei ›
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.