Loving Advice from a Parent to Son (or daughter) entering the Real World
This is the advice I wish to give to a young person, who is about to enter the real world after completing higher studies.
- Always do the things that agrees with your conscience; follow your own rules; listen to your heart and feelings; do your best to avoid taking actions against your feelings.
Do not do anything unethical or unlawful to make money or to save money. In the long term managing money in an ethical lawful manner brings more wealth and happiness.
We all have habits and we tend to take actions based on our established habits. Evaluate your habits; If those habits are not helping you, make a conscious decision to modify the way you think and behave, so that you can slowly develop new and better habits that would help you achieve your goals.
Manage your money effectively. Managing cash flow is important. Plan to ensure you have enough cash to satisfy short to medium term requirements; At the same time ensure you have savings to satisfy long term and emergency requirements.
- Take full responsibility for all your actions. Though you may not have realized this, you can take responsibility for everything that happens around you because you decide how to react to every situation. Do not blame others for any uncomfortable situations or mistakes (others always do what they think is correct based on the information they have).
When the situation demands a decision, make the decision quickly based on the information you have. If appropriate, ask for advice and guidance from someone with more knowledge and experience before making the decision.
When the situation demands to make a choice, choose wisely and efficiently.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Treat every mistake, every disappointment as an opportunity to learn and make yourself a better person.
Note that we have a comfortable life today because we are benefitting from the knowledge gained from mistakes made by countless people in the past (people such as explorers, inventors, doctors, engineers and scientists).
Manage Time wisely; allocate time for all areas of your life in a proportionate manner; always think if you are spending your time wisely; consciously decide to spend time on things that are beneficial to you in the long-term; minimize the time spent on activities that do not add value to your life.
- Accept everyone around you and every situation around you. Do not try to change situations and people. It is not easy to change the way others think. Train your mind not to get disappointed if others do not behave or deliver the way you expect.
- Be aware that you need to take care of you body and physical fitness. Manage your food intake and learn what is important to maintain a healthy body; at the same time remember that you are not your body; you can manage your body to help you achieve happiness and success. Ensure you have regular physical exercises to keep the body fit and maintain energy levels..
- Recognize that your mind, thoughts and beliefs are based on accumulated experiences and information. Mind simply re-circulate information relating to past experience. By taking conscious actions and being aware of how your mind works, will allow you to manage your life more effectively to find happiness and contentment; You can learn to manage your thoughts in a more efficient way without being influenced by past experiences which are no longer relevant.
- Be compassionate and care for everyone around you; Be mindful of the feelings of others. Treat others in the same way as a mother cares for her children.
