25 Pieces of Powerful Advice Everyone Deserves to Know

There’s always more to learn, more to know, and as we grow older we so often wish that we could go back in time to give some powerful advice to our younger selves. Oh to be 25 but with the life experience of double that age! Reddit user u/Unnamedaccount0 posed a question to the AskReddit community: “What ‘cheat code’ for life do you wish you’d discovered earlier?” and these 25 selected pieces of advice are sure to make a difference to everyone’s life.

Note: Featured image credit: pexels.com/KrisMøklebust

1. A warning to overachievers

You have to carefully calibrate how reliable you are at work. Too much, everyone comes to you for everything and before you know it, you’re doing five people’s worth of work while still sitting at your original paygrade. Do too little, you never get a pay increase and you stagnate.

— u/DerpsAndRags

2. Immediate greatness?

Learn to embrace sucking at what you do. People spend too much time hoping that they’ll be naturally gifted at something before getting serious about it. But in the meantime, the people who accept the fact that they suck at something for six months become the naturally gifted ones.

— u/Green-Jeweler4472

3. Waiting around

Stop waiting until you feel motivated. Make things easy enough to start, and the momentum usually follows..

— u/Obvious-Abroad2301

4. [Plays Destiny’s Child song]

Whenever possible, spend less than you make. You won’t remember all the nonsense you bought on your credit card, but you’ll feel the bill for years.

— u/Jelopuddinpop

5. On decision panic

A bad decision is better than indecision or no decision. You know you made a mistake and can learn, but at least you saved some time knowing how to recover from it and are not still stuck. Life doesn’t stop or wait for anyone..

— u/johnnybiggles

6. Toxicity

That for the most part, the only way to win the stupid sh*tty games that people LOVE to play, is not to play yourself. When surrounded by toxic behavior, and constant barrage of stupidity, you are allowed to remove yourself from the situation completely, and there is nothing they can do about it. Ghosting stupidity and toxicity is sometimes the absolute BEST decision.

— u/RomusLupos

7. No 1

Learning that not every opportunity is worth taking. Sometimes saying no to something exciting is exactly what gives you room for something better..

— u/kamillablonde

8. Help!

Always ask! If you need help with something, ask the nearest person.

— u/Strong-Second-2446

9. What’s on the menu?

Storing leftovers in single-serve containers with the name of the item and the date. I do not have to play “guess this mystery item”, I’m not throwing away spoiled food, and my freezer is well stocked with meals for the brain-fatigue days..

— u/EmergencyHumor8171

10. And the beat goes on…

Do what you want to do even if you think you are too old to do it… the time passes anyway..

— u/Kindness-Ambassador

11. Present?

You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to.

— u/No-Turn1951

12. We’re trying!!

Chill the f*ck out about 99% of stuff..

— u/darcys_beard

13. A skill to nurture

The ability to regulate emotions is a superpower. Most people don’t lose because they’re incapable. They lose because they make decisions when angry, heartbroken, insecure, jealous, or impatient.

— u/4lonhush

14. Solitude

You can be happy alone and should be able to be happy alone or you’re not really happy.

— u/CassiusCreed

15. You only get one

This is your life and you are living it. Things aren’t going to magically change; no one is coming to save you. If you want changes in your life, you have to do it yourself. Stop waiting.

— u/JonnyGalt

16. Be careful out there

Don’t always assume someone’s intentions are as good as yours would be towards them. Yes, this applies to the people closest to you too.

— u/Realistic-Truck54

17. Be careful in here, too

If all your friends and family are saying someone is bad news, they probably are bad news and you won’t change them by dating or being friends with them.

— u/Yahmine

18. A fight that nobody wins

Never get involved in workplace conflict. It’s a complete career killer regardless of who is right or wrong.

— u/maasd

19. Practical but lacking joy

Filling my sock drawer with all the same socks.

— u/MeetingRecent229

20. Sorry you’re leaving

The best way to get a raise is to get a job at a different company.

— u/_AJK_

21. No 2

Learning how to say “No” without giving fake excuses. Most people really don’t care that much and it saves you an insane amount of time and energy..

— u/Capable-Belt3958

22. Forgive & Forget

Knowing which battles are worth fighting and which ones are just causing you (or someone else) stress for no real reason.

— u/RajunCajun48

23. Own it

Quickly acknowledging a mistake, apologizing for it directly, and asking what I can do to make things right is a legitimate super power.

— u/mormonbatman_

24. Thanks, “Past Me”

Be proactive… make it a game to always be doing little things for “future you”.

— u/drona

25. where’s my clipboard…?

If you believe you belong, others will too.

— u/dbpcut