Valuable Life Advice from Family Members: A Personal Journey

Growing up, we often receive invaluable advice from our family members that shape our outlook on life, career, and relationships. Here, we explore the best pieces of advice I received from my family and how they have influenced me.

Core Values from My Parents

From my parents, I learned the following core values:

These lessons have stayed with me, even when I had to challenge some of them later in life.

The Shadow of Richness and Power

One of the early pieces of wisdom my parents imparted was to shun the rich and powerful. I carried this belief until my mid-30s, but it led to an unprejudiced view of people based solely on their wealth or power. I viewed them with a certain skepticism, knowing that their success often came with privileges I didnu2019t have. This perspective made rich or powerful individuals less impressive to me, even though I recognized the value their success brought to society.

However, around my 30th birthday, I made a conscious effort to let go of this mentality, realizing that it wasnu2019t productive or fair.

No Advice is the Best Advice

On a related note, I discovered that no advice is sometimes the best advice. It might seem counterintuitive, but relying on my own judgment and doing what felt right for me proved to be the most effective. Family members, even with the best intentions, often advised me to take paths that could have potentially led to missteps and screw-ups in my life. Balancing their opinions with my own instincts and judgment has led to more successful outcomes.

Insights from Grandpa and Dad

Two pieces of advice from my grandpa and dad stand out:

Grandpau2019s Motivational Quote

My grandpa would say, u201CWithout failure, success is not possible.u201D This quote served as a reminder that setbacks and failure are part of the learning process, essential for achieving success.

This advice helped me view failures not as roadblocks but as valuable lessons. I learned to be resilient and persistent in the face of failure, which has been instrumental in my personal growth and career development.

Father's Advice on Storytelling and Argumentation

My father, a skilled storyteller, imparted an essential lesson: u201CWhen telling a story, start at the beginning and go through the middle, then stop.u201D While seemingly simple, this advice taught me the importance of clarity and focus. In both storytelling and technical explanation, knowing where to begin and where to end is crucial.

This lesson has proved invaluable in my professional life, helping me convey complex ideas more effectively to non-technical audiences. My father credited this advice to Lewis Carroll, adding a layer of depth to it, and it became a cornerstone of my communication skills.

Relationships: A Double-Edged Sword

Another piece of advice I received from my father was u2019donu2019t crave relationships, they are not what they are cracked up to be.u201D Instead, he encouraged me to love myself and keep busy. This advice helped me maintain my independence and prioritize my personal growth, rather than getting entangled in superficial relationships.

Chasing a Dream

My journey in education was a critical period of self-discovery. At 35, I decided that I needed to pursue a law degree to become the attorney I always wanted to be. This decision came with a seven-year journey, during which I had to disclose my lack of a degree. It was a despondent period, as I considered the long-term impact of this decision.

One day, I burst into tears and confided in my sister-in-law. She responded with a profound piece of advice: "The time is going to pass anyway; itu2019s what you choose to do with it that matters." Her words resonated with me, helping me focus on the present and future, rather than the perceived inflexibility of my timeline.

This advice has uplifted me throughout the years, reminding me that time is a precious commodity and that each moment is a choice to move forward with purpose and intention.