Everyone has it and gives it away freely to others, but never uses it for themselves. That curious thing is advice. It needs no investment or expense. How good it would have been if those who indulge in copious advice take a small step to put those advice into practice in their own lives!
The ‘advisors’ have a typical expression: I have an infallible right to say all these things. I am above others. I am capable of dealing with problems calmly and I never get upset before adverse situations.
But in reality, most people have no right to advise others. We should respond to a person facing a problem only after assessing how we would be responding to such a situation.
I remember some persons who advised me when I passed through some adverse situations. Then I wondered how easily they are able to deal with such situations. Soon I understood that when these people passed through similar situations, they did not exhibit the same power with which they advised me! It is easy to take a class on how to face a raging cow coming towards us. But, it is not that easy to act when you face the raging cow yourselves.
Some people are experts to say that we should take everything positively. But when these people face some challenges, their true color comes out.
Of late, a teenager told me about a teacher, who keeps advising all the time. “We are fed up with her advices’ he told me. I have understood from my experience that it is true. Whenever I tried to give some pieces of advice to my children, they would retort: “O Dad, would you please stop this advice? We know it!” No one likes to listen to advice. On the other hand, everyone likes to give advice!
We may be approaching some people to get some sort of solutions while we are passing through bitter experiences in our lives. Just as we ask for direction when we set out for a journey. Those who know the way well never stop their vehicle and enquire about the route. It is exactly like this that people seek advice from other people.
There are moments in my life when I felt ashamed for seeking advice from others. Because later I learned that they disclosed my personal problems with others. Later, I got a perfect solution for this from the Holy Bible: “If you want to take a decision by yourself, do not go after others, but seek the answer from your own conscience.” How accurate is it!
In a way, writing is a sort of advice; speech is also a sort of advice. Mostly, what is shared through writing and speeches are things which the writers and speakers have never practiced in their lives. Advice puts burdens on others. But, life examples inspire. So, let us be slow to give advice and quick to lead by example!
