Good Advice

A couple of days ago a friend of mine remarked how funny she found it that guest speakers always try to dispense what they consider useful life advice when giving lectures on college campuses. They seem to really take to heart the possibility that what they have to say may have a profound affect on our futures. It seems like an enjoyable task: to mold us. I can understand the appeal; it's pretty satisfying when you're able to save someone from making the same mistakes you've made, teach others how to avoid the pitfalls you may have encountered and to prevent the frustration you've had to endure. I do, indeed, enjoy giving advice.

I've got to say, I also love receiving advice. Even bad advice. That's not to say that I heed all of the advice I receive, I simply enjoy learning how people see the world and what others find worth sharing. One of my favorite pieces of advice came from The Odd Couple t.v. show in the jury duty episode in we are shown just how “assume” makes “an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'.” Genius. As cliché as it sounds, I actually have gotten a lot of good advice in college, though none of it gat in lectures. For instance, one of my favorite pieces of advice comes from the same friend who made the aforementioned comment.

After all is said and done, you can't go pleasing everyone, so screw it.

It's actually a John Lennon quote, so I guess it's advice from him, but my friend is the person I heard it from, so technically it's advice from her.
The second best piece of advice I received was from a professor. I know, I was shocked, too. But it wasn't given in an class, nor was it truly very helpful, I just liked the analogy he used.

Think of your life post graduation the same way the Communists thought of Russia; have a Five Year Plan.

My final favorite piece of advice comes from a place of many pearls of wisdom: a bathroom stall.

Lovers may not be perfect but love can be.

I'll be sure to keep all this in mind on my way to the top.