I Am Totally Unqualified to Give This Advice, But Here it Is Anyway

The third and fourth episodes of Question of the Day were about advice that you could give people in 10 minutes that would have some sort of positive benefit. James Altucher’s advice including wearing a doctor’s lab coat whoever you go, because then people will think you are important and in a hurry. He’s not wrong. 

I think the best advice I could give anyone would be to be more like my husband and less like me. If you know both of us, you are probably nodding your head. In case you don’t know both of us, I’ll try to explain. 

I am the kind of person who gets mad and stays mad. I can still remember mean things people said to me in elementary school, and I am still mad about them. 

Guy cannot remember mean things our children said to him THIS MORNING. So, he definitely is not still mad about them. 

I am NOT saying that my advice is to have a crappy memory. No, rather, what I am saying is, learn to let stuff go. It definitely weighs you down when you lug around all that resentment, and Guy is definitely better off without it. So, try to be like that.

When I was growing up, among the things I learned from my parents was that charity should always be given generously. In fact, I remember hearing my father calling people for a UJA campaign and  explaining to them that unless they actually felt the effect of their donation — in that, because of the donation they did not do/buy something else, it didn’t count. Also very good advice, and I definitely think it makes your life better if you follow it.

The advice I would give my children (if my children were to actually need advice, which they do not, because they already know everything and do not need ANY HELP from anyone, ESPECIALLY NOT ME) is this: remember that as much as you believe the opposite to be true, your parents actually have your best interests at heart. Everything we say and do, we say and do because we want to spare you the mistakes we made. 

On the other hand, the advice I would give myself and any parent is this: Let your kids make their own mistakes. They are not you. You cannot save them from the world or from themselves. 

Probably most people will go for James’ advice over mine.