The very best advice
BY GREER MCDONALDEveryone has someone - or something - they turn to for advice. 
For some it's their best mate, a sibling or a bottle of whisky.
For others, it's their Mum.
We've all got a Mum and whether she's all up in your business or long departed, there's a good chance that she has enlightened you with advice at some stage.
For mine (I've mentioned this before), it was Que Sera Sera - what will be will be.
At the time I didn't think it was advice. I just thought it was an annoying little ditty that was semi-haunting, semi-sad.
Instead, as I've aged, it's become a mantra.
I've recently had some friends going through some pretty tough times and I kept finding myself harking back to those five words as my advice to them.
Her other advice is: "Don't panic, panic slowly."
I've never quite understood this line (and in fact I don't think she even gets it) but I'm pretty sure it means you're already panicking so if you must do it, do it slowly. Your thoughts?
Another gem from the mouth of mother? "Take a jumper - you'll get cold". Now, I was a complex and stubborn teen to say the least, but I'm happy to admit right now that Mum was always 100 per cent right on this one - I always got cold.
A friend told me the best advice she had received from her Mum was: "Whatever decision you make will be the right one".
How cool is that?
It answers almost every question. In fact, that statement alone could basically put me out of a blog job if everyone truly believed in it.
I've received fantastic advice from other people, not just my ma.
An ex-boyfriend's mum once told me: "A moment on the lips leads to a lifetime on the hips".
I scoffed at it at the time (as I scoffed down some yummy treat) but yeah, she was right. Damn.
A wise grandma told someone I follow on Twitter: "Remember 3 things: don't marry young, always play the field and never marry a jealous man."
Go Nan.
Another said their favourite bit of advice was "Don't sweat the petty things. Also don't pet the sweaty things".
Wise indeed.
Other advice I've gathered:
* "Sometimes 80 per cent is enough."
* "Work to live, don't live to work."
* "A happy wife is a happy life."
What do you think of all of this advice - is any of it good? Do you have any pearls of wisdom you live by or give to others? Who do you turn to for advice?
Got some blog post ideas or requests? Email me at greer2.0@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @GreerMcDonald or on Facebook.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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I work on the advice that every compliment you get for a piece of clothing, jewellery or haircut etc = $10. The more compliments you get, the more of a bargain it is.
Advice my Mum gave me as a child, which I have used on my kids (who are adults now)is:
"If in doubt, go without" - I have used that in many situations, whether it was buying un-sensible shoes, to whether I should go on a trip or not - it has done me good numerous times!
I do the Que Sera Sera thing to my kids too and myself - it's a goodie :-)
"You can't lose what is meant for you"...
from my ex girlfriends mother...a fast game is a happy game..this can be applied to any situation and it works
Good advice I've heard over the years:
On contraception: "Don't go jumping in puddles without wearing gumboots."
On love: "If she's ringing you every five minutes to find out when you are coming home, then you should think about finding another home."
On things: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
On injuries/illness: "Take it to bed, see how it is in the morning." and "You're on the right side of it now."
On saying what you think, without thinking about it: "Use your Inside Head Voice."
The early bird may get the worm... but the second mouse gets the cheese.
never trust a bloke with a beard and no moustache...
Never trust a dog with ginger eyebrows...
Never trust a woman...
One rule i've always tried to follow after learning otherwise the hard way is to always listen to your best mates/family etc when you are having problems. No matter how different their collective answers may be to yours they always turn out to be right - once you're looking from the outside yourself it starts to seem so logical...
My advice is: only regret what you didn't do not what you did do. My mum always says never trust a speller (when referring to guys) so far she has proved to be right!
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Sometimes, when I am worrying and panicking about something, I ask myself 'Is this going to matter in a years time'? And if it's not, I know it's something (theoretically) I shouldn't be worrying about. Of course, sometimes it's easier said than done!