Q&A: 3 pieces of advice I would give my younger self?

It feels good to grow older. More often than not it feels good to age a little, live life for a bit, and learn some important things that will stay with you. This month I received an interesting question from a reader to come up with advice to my younger self. Here is a roundup of some of the pieces that came to mind:

Hoi Lisanne, if you could give 3 pieces of advice to your younger self what would they be?

1. Know when to listen to other people, but also be a little deaf sometimes.
   Asking a cake baker for advice on how to write a short movie obviously might not be the best idea. At the same time, most of the unsolicited pieces of advice come from loved ones, and their opinions are often well-intended. They care about you and want to see you do well more than anyone else. While most of those opinions are well-intended, it doesn’t always serve the direction we’re heading toward. Most of our experiences are unique, and so what has worked for me, does not have to work for you. Advice is great when it comes from someone who has walked down your path, who has already accomplished what you aim for, and even then we have to figure out our paths that are unique to us. It’s incredibly valuable to seek guidance from individuals who have more experience in the specific area you’re exploring. Observing others and their help has always been important to me. On the other hand, considering the source before acting on any advice is equally important.  If I had listened to the naysayers I crossed paths with in my life and allowed them to project their fears on me, I wouldn’t be here today. So know when to listen, and try to be a little deaf to others sometimes.
2. Spend your time with things and people that lift you, inspire you, or give you positive vibes.
   Our time and attention are our most valuable assets in life. I try to be mindful of what kind of things or people I spend my time with. If you want to find some meaning in what you are doing, then put the way you like to spend your time first. So many occupations or careers may look great from the outside and sound great as well, but it’s worth nothing if, at the end of the day, you don’t like to spend your hours doing it. So give yourself some space to figure things out. Energy flows where attention goes. So great things can happen.
3. Change what you can control, and let go of what you can’t.
   It’s a simple one, but not always easy to live by. Yet, when we continue working on things that we can change, the odds are that life will work out the way we want it more often than not.

Thank you for reading. This reader’s question is part of the Ask Me Anything series. Want to ask me a question for next month? Send me yours team@lisanneswart.com