Pearls of Wisdom

[nd32479]

As is the case with many families, we all have life experiences that can be past onto others that can learn from them. I am sure we all have a ton of funny life lessons from strip joints, dating, etc.

However, I figured I would start a thread honestly try to pass on some of life's lessons for the betterment of brotherhood. Hopefully this becomes a living thread that evolves as we each learn a valuable life lesson (again...not looking to use this thread to share funny life lessons from stripe joints, etc. That would be a good thread though).

I would like to start with one of my top ten pieces of advice.

- Start to invest today! I don't care how much or what you invest in. Just do it.

If you are just starting off, open an interest bearing savings account or invest in CDs. These do not have the best returns, but will get you in the habit. Just get in the habit of putting $25-$50 away every month. As you earn more, start to increase the amount. Learn to take it out of the payroll and directed to a seperate account so you don't even miss it.

If you are lucky enough to work for a company that offers 401k or stock options, then by all means use it to the fullest. Seek out financial advisors. You can find good ones who are just starting off who will work with you even if you can only afford the $50 a month. Just interview a couple, get references and don't be afraid to switch advisors if they end up not providing good service over time.

Start to read investment articles. It is not rocket science, but simply a different language. You just have to become familar with the terms, then it will all start to make sense.

Just a couple quick numbers.

Investing $100/m from age 25 to 65 @ 8% return = about $338,000.
Investing $100/m from age 45 to 65 @ 8% return = about $59,700.

The early you start the faster the compounding interest builds. And trust me, once you start...you will find ways to invest MORE, and MORE.

I could go on with this whole thing...but take it from someone who has wasted tons of cash over the last 20 years, start investing today. If you do, you will have financial freedoms you never imagined way earlier in life than most people have at the typical retirement age.

[Reaper316]

I'll join in and support you ND.

As many of you know I work in the Medical field and I've seen about all there is to see as in bad shit happen to people.

I've seen young kids get beaten until they are brain dead, people get shot, stabbed, knifed, beaten.

I could go on with gruesome stuff but my point is live life to the fullest. That is said a lot these days and very common, but you dont know how many young people die. It also might not be from some tradgic trauma accident. It can happen natually as well.

My point being is we don't realize how much time we have or will be given so do what you want with it and have some fun. Money isn't everything and even homeless people are happy (it's been documented).

There is a really great quote that I like "Dance like nobody's watching. Love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's heaven on earth."

[APAT]

-Don't waste your time with people who treat you like crap. Whether its a friend or significant other. First ask them what the issue is and try and resolve it. If the individual reverts back to his/her old ways. Dump em.

-Once a cheater always a cheater. People who cheat are morally flawed. Chances are they'll do it again.

-Acting cool is lame. Be yourself and people will love you for it.

-Your shit in fact does stink.

-Admit you're wrong when you are. People will respect you for that.

[keyser28146]

- The measure of a man is the way they treat people who have no ability to help them.

- Always try to say something positive about people and recognize excellence.

- Never put down a coworker to a customer, coworker, or boss.

- The appearance of expertise is a trapping of one's reliance on education instead of experience. It's root is vanity, not knowledge. It is often a good idea to balance opinions of "experts" with research and most importantly, historical context. When someone finds it important to flaunt their credentials, it is most likely because they know they have only the shallowest understanding of a subject and their argument is unsupported by facts and mostly by supposition.

- Never be too certain of anything when forming an opinion.

- When making scientific arguments, be aware that science is in it's infancy and unless proved by avid and repeatable scientific process, it is theoretical and unproven, no matter how likely. It doesn't hurt to remember that before evolution, Spontaneous Generation was the prevailing theory. Consensus is a word that has no place in science, only politics.

- Never give money out of guilt. There is a 90% chance you are being duped. Seek out charities. Good ones do not seek you out. Soup kitchens and churches who are involved in communities are both good choices.

- Take your time and choose the right mate. 90% of your happiness or stress will stem from this one single decision.

- Take extra time when making decisions that cannot be unmade, if it is possible.

- A good deal today will be a good day tomorrow. If someone doesn't want you to take time to think about a purchase, it's a ripoff.

- Never trust a scientist or religious leader who gets involved with political figures.

- Stress is the #1 killer. Learn to manage it. Practice "letting go" of things.

- All your friends, enemies, and family may die before you do. Treat them accordingly.

- Be careful not to opine on things you haven't experienced.

- Be tolerant of children.

- Be kind to animals.

- Recognize something greater than yourself.

- Tell less than you know, have more than you show.

-Save at least 10% of your money.

- Politics + Anything = Politics.

[Deslock]

What I've learned.

That is very wise Keyser.

Things I've learned over the years:

Tell people that you truly care about that you love them.
Friends, family, whatever. With my heart condition I've learned the hard way when you're on a hospital bed wondering if you're going to live to see the next sunrise, all the shit you own, all the money you've made and kept in the bank;
it all means NOTHING. You cannot, nor will, take it with you to the grave.

The only true thing in this life that you will truly own is your memory with them, and your reputation with others. One day, all you will be is a memory with others. Make sure it's a good one. Mother Teresa wasn't remembered and Sainted because she was a total bitch. Your personal reputation is the only true thing you will ever own for your own namesake. Everything else you owned will be crap your loved ones will fight over, sell, or be given over to charity. I saw this myself after my own beloved Grandfather's passing. The only thing I asked for after he passed was two of his pictures. The passport picture from when he immigrated to the U.S., and another of his brother wearing his uniform, where he's proudly holding his new baby with his wife, because they both became dear to me when I finally met them. You couldn't ask to meet two more kind or loving people.

I've faced death himself right in the face more than several times, and he isn't nice.

Be kind and loving to others. You never know what day is going to be the last one on God's green Earth. Tell those that you love that you care about them.

Be a true friend. Be willing to forget and forgive sometimes. None of us are perfect. We are all human, and make stupid mistakes from time to time.
Time heals all wounds.

When I was laying there in a hospital bed wondering truly if this day was my last, the shit I owned, or the job I had at the time, was the farthest thing of my concerns.

Be kind.

Live hard. (I mean it. Be willing to take those chances, whatever they are. You won't regret it.) There is nothing worse in this life than personal regrets. Take a F'n chance. If it didn't work out, it's better to be a failure, than one that never tried in the first place. Be brave. Take that chance, You only have one ride on this "Merry go round" we call life. Make it be worth something, if only for yourself. You deserve it, no matter what others may tell you.

And love even harder.

Stand up for yourself.

Life is waaay too short to trapped in a shitty job or relationship. Once again, be brave and believe in yourself. Move on and grow. Let the past be the past.

That's all I can say.

[jmhc74]

Never trust a fart.

[RaTix]

Never listen to anyone who hasn't climbed the same mountain as you, or climbed it as high.

Between two sides of every story, the truth always lies in the middle.

To add to what Keyser said on some things, you can never be truely firm in your position on something, unless you listen to the opposing ideas.

Leaves of Three, run and flee
Leaves of Four, eat some more.
Leaves of Five, go get high.

[Nuguistic]

I've always lived with the notion to respect my elders because they've been through things that i havent even thought of. And i think that comes from being young and the youngest of my two other brothers.

Being a good listener is something i also try to do, people have things to say that i may think of later on in my life that could help.

As far as negative energy goes, i don't even think twice about it. drop them like a bad habit. I heard someone say once "show me your friends and i'll show you your future". Surround yourself with positivity and you will not regret it.

I'm gonna really like this thread, thanks for starting this. I hope to learn a lot from what you guys have gone through.

[keyser28146]

Here's one I forgot.

When getting advice, be careful to not place undue stock in someone's advice who has been unsuccessful. Seek out the advice of successful people.

[Deslock]

When getting advice, be careful to not place undue stock in someone's advice who has been unsuccessful. Seek out the advice of successful people.

This is only true in a sense. True wisdom is also in learning from the mistakes of others. Taking heed of it, and not following down the same path to the same destination.

There is nothing wrong with failure. We all try and fail at things sometimes. It helps us grow, learn from our mistakes, and try even harder to do it right the next time, which takes guts and determination. I've learned that when life knocks you down, true strength is in finding the internal fortitude within yourself to get up off the ground, dust yourself off, and keep going on. Despite what life and others may tell you. Todd Mcfarlane (The artist behind the revival of Spiderman and the Spawn series) said that in the begining, he had so many rejection letters from comic companies; that he could wallpaper his entire house with them. But he persevered and kept going on.

He's now a multi millionaire.

Bill Gates went to several computer companies to sell them this program he created called "Windows", that put in the code for you when you clicked on it, instead of having to manually enter all those old complicated string codes that computers first had; and they literally laughed him out of their offices. Especially IBM.

So he decided to promote it himself.

Guess who got the last laugh.

As I said before, better to be a failure at something that didn't work out, than be a coward that never had the bravery to even try in the first place.

As the old adage goes: "To err (make mistakes) is human, to forgive, divine.

If you try something and fail at it at first, stop and do some critical thinking. "Is it me, or them?". Figure out if it is something you should still keep persuing, or if it's a fool's errand and move on and let it go and proceed with your life in a different direction.

Good God almighty, I've done so much, and made some whopper mistakes in my time. I've been a punk rocker, a Soldier, started my own graphic art buisness on Music Row in Nashville, ended up being a retail manager for years, drove big trucks for a few years, and am now in my second marriage. My first being an outright total failure.

God have I made mistakes, and then some.

But I learned from them. Yeah, some of my mistakes tanked on me from time to time.

My new wife and marriage has totally been a blessing from God to me. I own a beautiful home, a halfway decent job, and friends that love and believe in me.
I will go to my grave with very, very few regrets, and had one helluva ride on this Earth. And I've become one Helluva Chef.

My main point here is that if you try to do different things in life, and things don't work out, don't let it beat you down and become discouraged and depressed and give up on life. You never know what opportunities await for you around the corner that you'd never, ever expect in a million years.

I've been a gamer since video games even F'n existed, like back in the old "pen and paper" D&D days before the nerds took it over. And I loved playing computer and video games since the Atari 2600 came out. One day I was playing SWBF1, and I was soooo f'n tired of getting teamkilled and all the idiots out there, that I checked out this link that some dude I've never heard of called of all things "Zabka", that I figured out "What the Hell, I'll check them out".

And it was one of the best things I've ever done in my entire life. You've all become my friends, and I truly care about you all.

Don't be afraid to try out new things, even if you're afraid of possible failure.

You have no idea where this adventure of life might lead you. Don't let fear of the unknown to stop you.

It might just be the best damn thing you've ever done.

(Yeah Norm, I know I promised the High Council I wouldn't post anymore long assed posts, but I had to on this one, ya just gotta forgive me on this one.) ;)

[keyser28146]

Well, what I mean is, say you want to be an actor.

So you talk to someone who was in LA for 2 years trying to make it, and then gave up. That is not a person to talk to about how to succeed as an actor.

Anything that requires perseverance and passion to attain has to be a decision you make internally. I didn't say there was no value in talking to people who have failed, just that it's important not to place undue stock in that opinion.

If you want to find out how to be a successful real estate agent, talk to both someone who tried to fail and the best one in your city, remember the lessons from the one who fails, but FOLLOW the advice of the one who succeeds.

[APAT]

If your gut tells you something is wrong........TRUST IT.

If your gut tells you something is right.....meh.....could be right or wrong.