10 Pieces Of Advice From Your Parents You Should Actually Listen To
Although you may not like your parents every day, you definitely love them every day.
Their words of wisdom stick by you during every challenge life throws your way, despite the fact you often disagree.
Hearing them repeat the same advice (on what seems like a constant loop) more often than not makes you respond with an agitated, “I know."
Deep down, however, these guiding words make our journey through life more comforting and heartening.
Through the good and the bad, these words echo in our minds.
No matter where life takes me, these 10 pieces of wisdom from my dear old mom and dad are mantras I will always rely on:
1. “Think before you speak.” — Dad
If you’re anything like me, you want to take out your anger on the person who upset you.
You think it’s okay to go ballistic on your sibling after he or she insulted you, but your dad will be the first to tell you to stay calm, cool and collected.
Get back to a relaxed state and think about the best, most composed way to say how you feel after 24 — maybe even 48 — hours have passed.
2. “Carpe diem.” — Mom
Sure, it’s clichéd, but nothing is better than hearing this Latin aphorism meaning, “seize the day.”
Sometime, our moms are unhappy with how we view and handle situations, but they just want the best for us.
They want us to be smart, safe, secure and not easily unhinged.
We only have one shot to be young, so take advantage of the time you have and carpe diem!
3. “Don’t text and drive.” — Dad
Someway, somehow, your dad always knows when you’re on the phone in the car.
And let me tell you, when I get this text, I put my phone down right away.
He uses his psychic dad powers to keep me safe, and I could probably be a lot more thankful for that.
4. “Give a firm handshake, and look them in the eye.” — Mom
There really is nothing worse than talking to your mom before an interview or before meeting someone important.
Your nerves are already through the roof, and then here comes your mom with a lesson on handshake etiquette.
It may be ill-timed, but she's always right.
No one will hire you if you give a weak handshake and can’t hold confident eye contact.
Shout-out to moms everywhere for getting their kids hired.
5. “Sharks don’t sleep.” — Dad
Yes, he compares us to sharks.
We all hate being dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn, but he's right when he (albeit constantly) says, "There's no time like the present."
We all know your dad is a true “shark” when he wakes up at 4 am to make a living for his family. If he can do it, we can, too.
We can sleep when we’re dead.
6. “You are who your friends are.” — Mom
Ugh, this is a dreadful statement.
We get it, Mom, you're skeptical about our friends.
Although it's incredibly annoying to hear her complain about who we spend our time with, we also know there is truth to her words.
Moms will always be the first to tell you when they have a bad feeling about someone you’re hanging out with.
Do yourself a favor, and listen to your mom.
Surround yourself with good people, and it will keep you out of trouble.
7. “You’re pretty.” — Dad
The first man you ever loved is your dad.
Hearing him say this may mean nothing, until you realize it's exactly what you needed to hear.
He also may tell you you’re pretty when you have no makeup on and are sporting a very messy bun on your head.
In your tired, groggy state, you probably think he's crazy for thinking you actually look good.
But deep down, nothing makes you happier than this little confidence boost.
8. “These are the cards we were dealt. This is your hand. Make it work to the best of your advantage.” — Mom
After complaining to your mom about whatever crappy thing is going on that day, the last thing you want to hear is you just have to deal with it.
At the end of the day, however, everyone is dealt different cards.
Some are good, and some are bad. Moms are always there to remind us we have to learn to deal with them.
9. “Pain is good.” — Dad
No, he does not mean this literally; these are just words of motivation.
It means hardships in life are a good thing because they make you stronger. Take the pain in stride, and work hard to achieve whatever it is you’re doing.
One time, when my dad and I were training for a triathlon, I was struggling to bike up a hill.
He biked next to me and pushed my back to get me up the hill, screaming, “Pain is good!”
With his words replaying in my head and him guiding my way, I got up that hill.
10. “Learn from your mistakes.” — Mom
We all hear this one after getting in trouble for doing something wrong. Your parents will be the first to make sure you recognize your mistakes.
Our moms will back us up no matter what we did, but they'll also be the first to make sure we learn from our experiences.
At the end of the day, there are no people in this world who want to see us succeed more than our parents.
We sass them, yell at them and get annoyed way too easily, but that will never put an end to their outpour of love and wisdom.
If there's ever a time when you feel you just can't win, maybe it's time to call up your dear old mom and dad.
They just might know the perfect thing to say.
