VernetteOutLoud

The Best Life Advice, In Six Words Or Less

When it comes to life advice, I think about the two women who were such a big part of my life and who are no longer here to offer their sage take on things. In their absence, or because of their absence, I have come up with my own: Make the most of your time here.

Some of that time, is spent on Facebook. I used to be one of those people who would “announce” that they just cleaned up their Facebook friends list. And If you could see that update then you would know that you made the cut. That I still consider you a friend. Well…not only was that a pretty obnoxious thing to do, it dawned on me one day, that I might not have made someone else’s list. I cut that shit out real quick.

What does that little story above have to do with life advice? Well as it turns out, my “friends” list as it exists today, is now made up of people I actually know and like. So what better group to go to when I want feedback on something right?

Best Life Advice From My Friends

I asked my friends to share with me their best life advice, in six words or less and this is what they had to say:

Kendell: Define success by your own rules.

Stacy: Always be true to yourself…..

DeNyssa: Live, love, laugh, learn & give thanks!

Kendall: Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Avery: It doesn’t matter what they think.

Tessa: Run free.

Jason: Don’t try to please people.

Kyle: Be yourself.

Kim: What you conceive you achieve.

Melisa: Go big or go home.

Tanya: Life is short. Don’t wait. Travel.

Doh Be A Dick

Q: Doh be a dick.

Bellina: Do what makes you sparkle! 🌠

James: Be curious

Michelle: One word and I need this advice the most. Listen.

Brent: Have faith in God Almighty always.

Nicole: Take a chance.

Nyron: Learn from the mistakes of others (since it is better than learning the hard way).

Latoya: Make peace of mind your priority.

Rosanna: Don’t judge, and be kind.

Abigail: Live love : ) each day as your last!

Daniel: Party – wine – jam – party wine jam. (hahaha)

Rich: Always have vex money.

Jan: Live!

Tracy: DON’T WAIT TILL IT’S TOO LATE.

Raeanne: Get some sleep.

One Life To Live

Marcus: Give thanks and keep it moving.

Cynthia: Make JESUS your LORD and SAVIOR!!!

Traci: No one has it together.

Gigi: Live while you can.

Baidawi: Question everything.

Stephan: Never compare yourself to others

Janine: Be kind to yourself always.

Jolene: Be present now.

Lester: Everybody….could Dingolay.

Jonathan: Love never ends.

Damian: There are no limits.

KerriAnne: Have faith.

Alana: Be the best you can be.

Clare: Follow your gut instincts.

Gillian: Don’t give up, must go on!

Corrine: Don’t make promises when you’re happy.

Kathryn: Always start with prayer and coffee.

Kezianne: No matter what, always give thanks…

Martyn: Another person journey is not yours.

Garth: Never give up on you.

Camille: Live love laugh.

Sheldon: Do good. Work hard. Play hard.

Ryan: Master yourself.

Tracey: To thine own self be true.

Olivia: Worry less, do more, love you.

Joni-Dale: Keep doing good , blessings come different.

Khafra: 3 words: Everything. Slight…Pepper.

Sunshine: You Only Live Once – Live!

Portia: 💚Love God and put him first!

Cleopatra: Dream big, set goals, take action.

Abbi: Always be honest to yourself.

Omari: Once there is LIFE there is HOPE

Richard: I want four doubles, slight pepper.

There are some real gems in there! And I realised two things: I am blessed with great people in my life and this could be great list for baby-names. No clue why that thought came to me…but it did.

Sooo, what’s your best life advice in six words of less? Please share below.

Some advice for real life

SomeHmm I thought by now I would have a little insect, that resembled me somewhat or at least had a few of my traits to pass on some of those “when I was your age, young lady…” remarks to. However, I planned and God laughed.

Still, I live in joyful hope.

In the meantime, however, at the ripe old age of 3faux I think it is time I pass on document some of the most profound advice I’ve received from some important women in my life over the years. Here’s to sharing the um…love:

Do you know what a penis is? Stay far from it. ~ Aunty Carlie, my mother’s sister

This my dear friends pretty much sums up my version of “the talk”. Yup. Talking about sex was taboo in my house so my Aunt gave me this pearl around the time I started secondary school. I was about 11 years old. And yes, I knew what a penis was.

I had a little brother and my mother, ever the time manager bathed us all together until we were old enough to notice differences and start asking questions. However, why I should stay far from a penis…was a mystery at 11. For the record tho…I did follow her advice until the ripe old age of 24. Auntie would be proud. Talk about business in the road. HA!

Why are you pursing A-levels? You’re pretty, you’re smart, you should find a rich old man, marry him and then you can do all the things you are working so hard for now…but with money and your terms. ~ Mrs Ali-Mohammed, my 6th Form Teacher

This was the gem I received just around the time I got my first report in 6th Form and was completely crushed because this my first ever “bad” report. I was an A student all through secondary school, so first term 6th Form was a major eye opener. My teacher, seeing my pain, thought she should save me from further heartache.

All I will say after years of studying and failures, big wins and life unfolding in the most unexpected way is: I should have listened.

Always leave room for disappointment. ~ Gloria Superville, my mother

My mother used to say this to the sibs and I whenever something we really wanted/thought would happen didn’t. You work hard at something, you give it your best shot, you plan, you plot and something will still go wrong. This was her way of saying be prepared for anything. To let go of the outcome!

Planned to go to the beach and rain fell? “Always leave room for disappointment.”

Didn’t get the grade you expected. “Always leave room for disappointment.”

Still childless, with not even a puppy as a dependent? “Always leave room for disappointment.”

This was what she said to us the last time I saw my dad as well. It was Christmas time ’89, and my father who was already gone and was now a “visiting-father” came to see us about two weeks before Christmas Day. He left with the promise to return to take us toy shopping on Christmas Eve.

That was all we could talk about for those two glorious weeks of anticipation. My mother knew though. She kept telling us to leave room for disappointment. We didn’t. He never came. And my issues about men not showing up for me, were cemented.

Of all the things my mother ever said to me, I think this one pretty much sums up most of the men I’ve known. Except for my brother. He is the best men I know.

I suppose it’s no coincidence I chose this quote for this post and I’m sure when I’m on Oprah’s couch someday*fingers crossed it will happen sooner rather than later*…we’ll talk about this.

Sooooo now that I’ve veered off into some heavy territory, and we’re all sufficiently uncomfortable, I will end this post.

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Please feel free to share some of your own “pearls of wisdom” below!

5 Things I Learned While Being Sick On Vacation (and a BOUNS)

What started out as a promising runaway to Miami, quickly escalated into an epic mouth-breathing, body aches and pains, snot fest (with a little orange-brown situation happening at one point)…gross I know but I can’t be the only one to have had that happen.

I’m still fighting this cold and now I’m also fighting the dependency I’ve developed after taking NyQuil for the last few days. It.is.very.addictive. I tried not taking any last night and I was up until after 2 a.m. trolling Netflix for something to put me to sleep.

Didn’t work. And I’ve been stuffy and miserable all day.

There is no sugar-coating this: being sick while on vacation effing sucks. Granted, one should always attempt to go/be on vacation while healthy and happy…life, however, has a way of turning the best intentions on their head. Thus, I’ve decided to curate a few of my thoughts on the matter so that others can learn from my misfortune.

1. Sleep. Never underestimate the healing power of restful sleep. You’re on vacation, ergo you have the time to relax! This has been my saving grace over the last few days. Despite the NyQuil dependency, sleep was the best thing to happen to my body since this cold began. Also, getting enough rest, means less stressing out. Less stressing out means getting better faster.

2. Hot showers. Because they can be almost medicinal to aching bodies. My advice: Take full advantage of your hotel’s never-ending supply of hot water. Add in a citrus/ginger body wash and the steam can be downright heaven. Bonus: The steam clears up nasal congestion for a while.

3. Lots of H2O. Yes, I went on vacation thinking South Beach = Shots! Shots! Shots! Sh-sh-shots! And was sorely disappointed that the only shots I ended up having were NyQuil shots. But after being sick on vacation, there is nothing worse than cold, dry air (al la Miami in February) causing nosebleeds on already stressed sinuses. Drink lots of water. I actually used this app to keep me on track. Cuz you know drinking water with no appetite is not something you’re going to remember to do.

4. Make time to do something fun. This trip I wanted to explore Little Havana and try Cuban food. My recommendation if you’re sick: Take a guided tour. Lots of cities offer tours by bus or boat which is a great option if you’re too sick to explore on foot. Or in my case, the guided food tour I wanted to do was booked solid. So I mapped out the advertised locations, which were all on one street just a few blocks from each other (proving one can use the downtime spent in bed productively) and then convinced my travel buddies to do a “self=guided” tour anyway. We only made it two of the spots but they were both worth it! Score for me!!!

5. Be prepared. Negotiating a pharmacy even in Miami was not much fun. I was told I could not get Advil Cold and Sinus without a prescription. Freaking Advil! Going forward, I will travel with some vital supplies just in case: decongestants, NyQuil gel caps, and some pain relievers. Because with my luck, a headache and a runny nose are very distinct possibilities.

Bonus tip:
If you’re going on vacation, start taking some preventative measures a few days BEFORE you leave because if you’re like me, there will be little sleep and non-stop exploring once you get to your destination. It also helps to find out what the temperature is like in the city you will be visiting BEFORE you get there as well. That way you don’t end up with summer clothes in freezing Miami. (I also cannot believe I just put freezing and Miami in the same sentence…but I digress.) Start getting a little more rest, drink more water, load up on multivitamins and definitely beef up on your Vitamin C. Wash your hands and avoid touching your face and eyes. That last part applies to the airport and plane ride especially.

Excellent list for sick days, vacations or being sick while on vacation!

Excellent list for sick days, vacations or being sick while on vacation!

There you have it folks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, (cuz I left the office early today due to the a/c being on Arctic Blast and my lungs not being able to cope with the stress) I’m going to spend the rest of the day in bed with Netflix. Maybe sleep will come this time?