MY BEST LIFE ADVICE

 

I love podcasts whilst I'm driving and one of my favourites is Grazia Life Advice podcast which interviews women with something to say and asks them to pass on the best 6 pieces of advice they've had and the one worst piece. It's very interesting and thought provoking and then hit me thinking about the best advice I've been given over the years which inspired me to write this blog post. Some pieces of advice are practical, some emotional but they are all things I try to follow in my life and instil in my children.

 

1. Manners cost nothing

Rudeness drives me mad, there's just no need for it, something Tony & I have instilled in our children is having manners and treating people how you want to be treated. No one is better than anyone else and there's just no excuse for rudeness, arrogance and bad manners.

 

2. If it's not going to be a problem in a year’s time don't give it more than 5 minutes thought now- putting things into perspective

I've worried and worried about so many things over the years and cared far too much what other people think. Then one day I'd been upset about something that had happened at work and came home to see a terrible story of a mother losing all 3 of her children in a house fire. It really brought it home what does matter and what really doesn’t, and I now live by the rule that if it won't matter in a year, don't let it upset me now. It's got easier to put things into perspective as I've got older when you realise what's important and what really isn't.

 

3. Work hard, play hard

Hard work matters and to be successful hard work is imperative. I've always worked hard to be the best I can be at whatever I'm doing. But life is also far too short and I'm a big believer in enjoying life, having life experiences, seeing friends and living life to the full. Work hard play hard but try and get the balance right.

 

4. Be kind to yourself

If you don't look after yourself you can't look after anyone else. Being a mum is my number one priority followed by family then my business and like most working mums, it's often hard to find time for myself. A bit of ‘me time’ is so important though to gain clarity and clear your head. A few minutes a day doing either something small like reading a book or going for a walk or something bigger such as a massage or lunch with friends helps to bring balance in your life and helps you to feel good about yourself.

 

5. Be kind to others

Just be kind, it's simple. There's so much bad news these days from the huge tragic events down to trolling on social media. Why can't people just be nice to each other? Why do people go out of their way to hurt others? Being kind to someone can make their day and makes you a much more content person.

 

6. Kill it with kindness

I love this one! If someone has a problem with you 'kill em with kindness'. There's nothing irks someone more than someone being lovely and kind to them when they only have unkind thoughts.

 

7. Believe in yourself and accept compliments

I'm getting there with this one but it's taken me long enough. I can appear confident but deep down I'm not at all. However, over the past few years it's really clicked that am just as good & better than most of the people who are constantly blowing their own trumpets. When I'm not feeling confident I now have a firm mental talk to myself, get my head up, shoulders back and remember who I am.

 

8. Get your priorities right - what is vital, urgent, important, nice to do, no one will thank you for it anyway

Getting your priorities in this order is so important and all too often we bend over backwards doing things that no one will thank you for and they won't appreciated instead of concentrating on what is vital to yours and your family’s life.

 

9. Get everything ready the night before

I've always done this and I've taught my children to do the same. Getting everything ready the night before saves you time, helps you to be more organised and if anything goes wrong you at least know your clothes and equipment for the next day are already dealt with.

 

10. Don't save things for best

I used to always have ‘best cutlery’, ‘best crockery’, candles etc and they only came out once a blue moon but what am I saving them for, a visit from the King?!!! Who could be more important than you & your family to use your best things on? Life's too short so burn that candle, wear that best dress and get out your best crockery!!

 

11. Enjoy & live for the moment. Life is what's happening whilst you're busy planning your future

We're all so busy planning our next holiday, job progression, house move and how we can improve this and that, that we often forget to just stop and enjoy what's happening right now. None of us know what's around the corner so just stop and enjoy the here and now.

 

12. Don't go to bed on an argument

Arguments harden your heart and life is just too short. Always makeup before you go to bed!

 

13. Always have a smear test & check your breasts and moles

I have always gone for my smear tests religiously and a few years ago I had a scare after a routine smear test. Luckily for me it was detected early and everything was fine in the end but the statistics for women missing their smear tests is scarily high. It takes just a few minutes, it doesn't hurt, the nurses have seen everything before and it really could save your life. Likewise, both my parents have had skin cancer scares from malignant moles. My dads was caught early but my mum had left hers a bit longer and so had to have an operation and treatment. Luckily the cancer hadn't spread but it was a shock to the system. Check your moles, check your breasts, check your testicles and have regular smear tests. Don't leave it too late. 

 

14. Always take your makeup off at night and get a good skin care regime as early as possible

This is something I always do, and I hope I’ve instilled a good skincare regime into my 18 year old daughter now.

 

15. Be careful who you trust

I've been stung a few times with people I thought were my friends and who I thought I could trust. Sadly is does make you a bit cynical but I'm much more wary of who I trust these days. I think as I get older I'm a much better judge of character but you can never really tell who's a trustworthy person. Sadly some people are only friends if they need you for something, once their need in you changes so does their friendship.

 

16. The ones who you do the most for are often the ones that hurt you so put your own family first

In my job as a dance teacher I deal with many parents who want me to give their child the earth. I adore all my pupils and give them my heart and soul but sadly sometimes the ones you do the most for are the ones who can be disloyal to you in the end. I give my job my absolute all, but my own family will always always come first.

 

17. Don't procrastinate- Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?

I'm fairly good at this but like everyone sometimes it's easy to put things off and find a million and one other things to do first. However, you always feel so much better getting the not so pleasant tasks done and out of the way.

 

18. Enjoy the little things in life as one day you'll look back and realise they were the big things

A family walk, a cinema trip, a trip to the park, watching a film on the sofa together! All these small things are what makes up your family memories to look back on and you  have to make the most of every minute of these as before you know it your family are grown up and leaving home.

 

19. Have the courage to live a life true to yourself not the life others expect of you

It's so easy to constantly be trying to please everyone else and do what they expect of you, be it parents or teachers. However, you only get one life so it's important to do what's right for you and makes you happy.

 

20. You have the opportunity to make a difference in the world and in yourself. Make the day meaningful

Waking up every morning you are given another chance to think about your purpose in life. Before you get out of bed take a moment to realise that you have been given the gift of a brand new day. How can you make it meaningful?

 

21. Dress for success

Getting dressed every morning you have a small portion of time set aside to pick out how you want to present yourself. This simple task has a lot riding on it. As much as we don't want to believe it it's true, people are judged by the way they look. It's the first impression when you walk into a room that says, 'Here I am'! Your clothes make your personal statement so think how you want to present yourself to the world.

 

22. Most things are not as bad as you think they are

Often the thought of something is worse than the actual task so keep positive and just get on with it!

 

23. Be considerate of others & arrive on time

Always arrive on time when you are meeting someone. You might be busy and have a thousand things to do first but so are they and its bad manners to keep someone waiting and gives the impression you don't think their time is as important as yours.

 

24. Judge others favourably, you never know what battle they are fighting

Unless you have walked a mile in someone else's shoes you don't know what they are going through and some people are fighting battles we've no idea about.

 

25. Respect other people's opinions, even if they do differ from your own

An opinion is just that, it's your view but it doesn't make it right or wrong. Conflict and disagreement is not the problem, the problem is not giving value to other people's opinions.

 

26. An organised life is a calmer life

Time management & staying on top of things is vital in today's busy world. Start at home and keep everything as organised as possible from cupboards & wardrobes to important papers & daily schedules. Make a weekly list and keep on track for a calmer more productive life.

 

27. Your thoughts become what you are, what you think, what you believe

The Roald Dahl quote 'If a person has ugly thoughts it begins to show on their face' sums this up perfectly

 

28. Don't make decisions when you're angry and don't make promises when you're happy

Anger subsides and you will regret bad decisions made when you aren't thinking straight. Likewise, it's easy to make a thousand promises when you're on top of the world but these can all too often not be followed through and you'll be seen as someone who makes false promises and lets people down.

 

29. Try not to take things too personally. No one thinks about you as much as you think they do

We all worry so much about what other people think but in truth they're mostly too busy thinking about themselves to be worried about you!!

 

30. Always show people how much you care, appreciate, value and love them

From family members, to friends to workmates, always show people you love and respect how much you care or how much it means.