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For Share a Smile Sundays #4, I thought I’d share with you some of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received. I could go on forever with different quotes and sayings I live by, but that would keep me writing until next Wednesday. So, here’s some advice that has really stuck with me, that has gotten me through hard times and that I stand by today. I hope you enjoy reading!
‘As sure as eggs are eggs, tomorrow will come.’ – While this quote doesn’t make sense immediately, it has a really great meaning to it. My mam told me this a few years ago, and it is one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard. Literally, it means that as sure as an egg is an egg, tomorrow will come. As certain that an egg is what it is, time will come and go, no matter what. Whenever I’m worried about an exam, or something in the future, this saying always reminds me that it will happen, the day will come and it will go.
‘There’s no better day than today.’ – Who else finds themselves saying: ‘I’ll do that… someday’ or ‘I’d love to go there… someday.’ This quote reminds me that there’s no time better than the present, and today is the only day that we are certain of having. So on days I say to myself, ‘I’d love to do that someday’, I always think to myself, ‘Why not today?!’
‘Don’t worry about something that hasn’t happened yet.’ – This is a good one. I know I’m not alone when I say that I plan things in the future, make scenarios about what may or may not happen, and work myself up into such a state worrying about something… that hasn’t even happened yet. What’s the point in investing so much energy into something that probably won’t happen? This ties in with ‘Take each day as it comes’, worrying about the future and things you don’t have control over is just a waste of time and energy. I’m sure that if everyone who was worrying converted that energy into doing something else, we would get a lot more done and be much happier!
‘Think of what you’d say to your best friend.’ – ‘My hair is frizzy’, ‘this top looks ridiculous on me’, ‘I’m going to fail’ – although we tell ourselves these things, would you say them to your best friend? If you’re a good friend, chances are, you won’t. At the end of the day, the only people we have is ourselves, so we might as well be kind. How you think of yourself reflects how other people will see you and treat you, so there’s no better person to be your cheerleader than yourself.
‘Would you rather know you did it and failed or regret not doing it for the rest of your life?’ – I’m a sucker for thinking ‘what if…?’ ‘What if it goes wrong?’, ‘What if it doesn’t work out?’ – I always find myself saying these things before I try something new or do something big, but I’ve come to realise that I’d rather take a chance, take a leap of faith and see that maybe, just maybe, things will go right and they will work out. I’d rather try to do everything that I’d like to and take a chance, so even if I fail, at least I’ll know that I tried.
‘Do your best, that’s all you can do.’ – I think this is a real Irish mammy saying, but it’s true. If I put 110% effort into everything I do, everyone I meet, every task I face, I know that’s all I can do. While you don’t have control over a lot of things, you do have control into how much effort and work you put into something. So, if you know you did your best, then you know that you did all you can do, and you just have to leave the rest to happen itself.
‘Whatever is meant to be will be.’ – Story. Of. My. Life. I say this quote about three times a day, and apply it to everything in life, good and bad. I really believe that things will always work out how they’re supposed to, even if they don’t seem like it at the time.
‘Always be the better person.’ – This is a toughie. If someone does something that annoys or upsets you, natural human instinct is to retaliate. But refrain, dear reader. The strongest people are the ones who don’t stoop down to another person’s level, although everything is telling you to do so. No matter what anyone does to upset or annoy me, I know that by being the better person and not backlashing them will always, always pay off. After all, if they’re upsetting you, they’re not worth your energy or time.
‘Surround yourself with good people.’ – They say that you are most similar to the five people that you spend the most time with. Really makes you think, doesn’t it? So, if someone who’s around me is negative or has a negative impact on my life, I simply don’t spend time with them anymore. Life’s too short to spend it with people who put you down, it’s a tough life but a good one, so you might as well spend it with people who make you happy.
‘Be you.’ – A short and simple one from my dad, but one that’s always in the back of my mind. It reminds me to always be myself, to stay true to my values and to live the life I dream of. It’s your life, no one else’s. So strive for every goal you want to achieve and live life the way you want to. If you can’t be true to yourself, then who can you be true to?
I hope I didn’t go into too much with those quotes, and that they make sense! There are so many pieces of advice that I live by, but I don’t think I could write them all even if I tried. Maybe one or two of these has inspired some of you, please share any quotes or advice that you love down below, I’d love to read them!
I hope everyone is having a good Sunday, Monday again tomorrow – how does this keep happening?!
*You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to*
Share a Smile Sundays essentials – chocolate doesn’t count on the weekends, right?