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People over 70 share the best life advice they were given that actually stuck

"We have the privilege of being able to look back at a life well-lived."

Image via Canva

People over 70 years old share best life advice.

Gleaning knowledge and wisdom from older generations is a right of passage in life. The best life advice usually comes from people who have lived some solid years and have real experiences under their belts.

In a Reddit thread of people 70 years old or older, member LMO_TheBeginning asked their fellow septuagenarians: "Best life advice you were given? We have the privilege of being able to look back at a life well-lived," they wrote. "So what's a piece of advice you were given that you still hold onto this day and would like to pass on to others?"

The community had plenty of sage advice to share. These are 25 of the best pieces of life advice that truly stuck with people 70 or older.

wisdom, wise, advice, life advice, maya angelou Maya Angelou Life GIF Giphy

"Mine would be 'the days are long but the years are short'. This definitely applied when the kids were young and we had so many weekend activities. I miss those younger days but boy have the years passed by quicker than I could have imagined!" —LMO_TheBeginning

"Told to me by an elderly man in a nursing home (I was there to repair his TV): 'I don't regret anything that I did in my life. But boy do I regret some of the things that I did not do...' Sage wisdom." —commathree4

"'Fail early, fail often' was another one. I was a perfectionist and do wish I took more risks." —LMO_TheBeginning

fail, failure, failing, fail gif, bob dylan Fail Black And White GIF Giphy

"Life never gets easier: You just get better at it." —poetplaywright

"From a manager I had in my job shortly after getting married to my wife. In a marriage he said you should commit to the relationship more so than love. He said love will rise and fall depending on your emotions but if you are committed to the relationship you can weather the low points. This year my wife and I will celebrate 48 years together. I am more in love with my wife now than when we first married and couldn’t imagine life without her. Best advice I ever received." —Santatim_NC

"If you're on time, you're late. It's nice to get to a place 10-15 minutes early and leisurely stroll in to your appointment. And if something happens on the way, you have a buffer and don't have unnecessary stress." —LMO_TheBeginning

"My dad always told me to take care of my teeth. He said 'As the passions of life fade, the love, the work, the play, you will hold on to the joy of eating til the last. So always take care of your teeth.' He had all originals until his death, and that man loved to eat! So do I." —luckygirl54

teeth, tooth, dental health, good teeth brush teeth Teeth Getting Up GIF by Paddington Bear Giphy

"My father taught me that you need to have your own principles and ethics, and not compromise them. I don't remember his exact words but the advice was along the lines of this country song by Aaron Tippin: 'You've got to stand for something, Or you'll fall for anything.' Thanks, Dad." —yarevande

"Women. Always be self sufficient." —sepstolm

"Happiness comes from inside and it is no one's responsibility other than your own. In a romantic relationship you should be able to be more of your true self... not less. Experiences satisfy longer than things. Family, whether it is the one you are born into or the one you make, is more important and will make you happier than almost anything else in life." —SultanOfSwave

love yourself, happy, happiness, happy life, being happy Love Yourself Dancing GIF by Pose FX Giphy

"When your gas tank gets to 1/4 full, fill it up immediately! (Or you may wind up near empty when you're driving a woman in labor to the hospital in a snowstorm and have a flat tire.)" —ANameIWontHateLater

"'I am farmer not hunter'. Told to me when I was in my fifties and I didn't quite get it at first. The person telling me this was the owner of a shipping supply company and politely explained that his goal was not making a killing on the sale, but to nurture every sale with the idea this is a customer." —Lopsided-Solution-95

"Live beneath your means." —MisterMysterion

"'No' is a complete sentence." —No_Ice_4794

no, saying no, no is a complete sentence, say no, no gif Disagree No Way GIF by Apple TV+ Giphy

"I was working is a warehouse making $3.74 an hour in Canandaigua NY in 1974, and my wife was pregnant. One day, my supervisor jokingly said, 'The heck with this place, I'm joining the Army!' The next week, I signed up to join the Air Force. Best decision I ever made. Fifty years later, I'm retired after six years in the AF and 35 years as a federal contractor, life is good. PS That warehouse burned down two months after I left." —INTPaco

"In high school I had to read a book called Help Yourself to Happiness. My big take away that served me well in life was that no one can hurt your feelings (unless they stick a pencil in your ear and hit your limbic system) it is all how you process the situation. Take control of your response to any situation and choose to be happy!" —Icrad17

"It is what it is." —MaeWestFan

"Everyone is on their own path. You can help someone walk theirs but you cannot walk it for them." —cherith56

walk, walking, own path, walk your path, walking gif Happy Feeling Good GIF Giphy

"My mom's motto was pick your battles. I'd add 'but don't let yourself become a doormat.'" —Sorry_Wonder5207

"When considering a bold move in my life. Some one said, 'try'. It worked out, and changed my life. Sometimes when in doubt, inviting people to dare; can be the best advice." —rodrigo-benenson

"My Nana told me before she died (at 94) 'You can always make more money, you cant make more time' - so take the holiday, spend the time with your kids, enjoying life is more important than just increasing your bank account." —Difficult-Desk5894

"Don’t get overwhelmed at first, things always come together like a puzzle. Basically don’t give up and see the job through." —Future_Ad5392

never give up, dont give up, keep going, never quit, see job through I Dont Give Up GIF by SVU Giphy

"'Never ever EVER make anything worse, harder or more complicated. Angry? Fearful? Annoyed? Unsure? Do NOTHING until you feel better.' It’s incredible to me how much better life is when you’re not stuck rationalizing or cleaning up messes made when something unwanted happens. I have heeded this advice for 8 years now (small example: I have not sent an angry text message in all that time) and the biggest hardest challenge I'm facing today is from 3 years ago when I failed to implement this incredibly helpful advice." —louderharderfaster

"Two things. First: nothing takes the place of tenacity. And second: I can always wait tables." —kstravlr12

"Don’t let fear make your decisions for you." —coggiegirl

"Everything will work out one way or another." —Selmer1526

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life advice

Modern Families

People are praising 96-year-old grandma's advice to 'separate your actions from your feelings'

"Don't lie to yourself by using your feelings as an excuse."

Image via Canva

96-year-old grandma gives advice on separating actions from feelings to accomplish goals.

The Silent Generation, those born from between 1928 and 1945, is made up of people who lived through the Great Depression and World War II. Defined by living through these hardships, their strength and perseverance continues to inspire younger generations today--including Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Alpha.

Over on Reddit in a subforum discussing how to become more disciplined, member Limp_Edu4797 shared an impactful piece of advice from his 96-year-old grandma on not letting feelings and emotions get in the way of remaining disciplined and working through hard things.

In the post, he shared: "For a long time, I was stuck in this cycle where I'd only be productive when I felt like it. If I was in a bad mood, I'd tell myself to wait until tomorrow. When I was tired, I'd take a Netflix break. If I was stressed about something, I'd procrastinate until my headspace cleared up," he wrote. "One day, my grandma was watching me complain about how I couldn't get anything done because I was 'too anxious' about some work project."

feelings, emotions, stress, anxiety, anxious Abc Reaction GIF by The Bachelorette Giphy

He goes on to explain that while he was expecting his grandma to have more sympathy for him, she instead offered him hard-hitting advice from her own life experience. He continued, "She just looked at me and said, 'You know, during the war, we didn't have the luxury of waiting until we felt good to do what needed doing.' Then she told me something I'll never forget: 'You need to separate your actions from your feelings!'"

He adds that his grandma notices young people these days "think their feelings and their actions are married to each other. Happy means productive, sad means lazy, scared means stop. But that's just a story we tell ourselves."

It's a lot different from how she experienced life. She told him, "I didn't feel like rationing food or working on the farm. But I did it anyway. Not because I ignored my feelings, but because I did it WITH my feelings."

do it, action, feel your feelings, keep going, perservere Yes You Can Lets Go GIF by Bridge and Tunnel on EPIX Giphy

When he tried to explain that things these days are just different, she didn't argue with him. "She just nodded and said, 'You're probably right. But here's what I learned: don't lie to yourself by using your feelings as an excuse. Don't say: I'm stressed, so I can't do it.' She told me to change the narrative and tell myself: 'I'm stressed, that's fine, so I'll do it stressed.'"

Her wise words are resonating with younger generations online. "I didn't know I needed this today. Thank you. Your grammas words are hitting hard for me this morning and I appreciate it! Fell all your feelings, they're valid, but stay disciplined with those feelings. Not in spite of them," one commented.

focus, stay focused, disciplined, stay disciplined, be disciplined Tiffany Haddish Goals GIF by BuzzFeed Giphy

Another wrote, "I think this is the root of many differences between our newer generations and our older ones. We are swung far in the direction of acknowledging our feelings, validating them, etc.—so far, perhaps, that we have arrived in a place where feelings dictate our actions. That’s what you’re describing. There’s a happy medium, and it’s required for healthy functioning adults. Sometimes situations warrant being overridden by emotion. Most don’t. You get to/have to choose what kind of person to be."

Another quipped, "I Can Do it With a Broken Heart but make it depression era," referencing the Taylor Swift hit.

taylor swift, taylor swift song, i can do it with a broken heart, t swift, taylor swift gif Broken Heart Dancing GIF by Taylor Swift Giphy

Others were slightly skeptical of the advice she gave. "I get the validity in this, truly. But, we’ve also acknowledged how their stiff approach harbors trauma responses that can last generations. It’s okay to have hard feelings. We can acknowledge them, but she is right to encourage you to keep moving forward. But, we should always listen to our bodies and see where that feeling is coming from," another shared.

Ultimately, many appreciated the focus on re-framing your mindset to accomplish goals and remain disciplined. Another commented, "So much to 'discipline' is what????? The mental game. There are lots of ways to attack the mental game. At the core is…re-framing….reframing our mindset, how we look at, process our thoughts, approach to things we know we should do, want to, but don’t. Grandma was on to something with her 'separate' feelings from actions approach."

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life advice

Mental Health

15 hard truths that people swear made their lives so much better

You might be the bad guy in someone else's story.

via Liza Summer/Pexels

A woman learns a harsh truth about her friends.

A significant part of adulthood is realizing that many uncomfortable truths are indeed real, even if we wish they weren’t. At first, these harsh truths may dampen our spirits and make us feel that the world is a bit colder. However, understanding some of life's hard lessons opens us up to greater possibilities and can help us overcome the obstacles holding us back.

Harsh truths help us realize when relationships aren’t as great as they can be. They also prevent us from having too much faith in people and institutions that will ultimately disappoint us. Knowing dark truths can also help us appreciate the things that are truly beautiful, honest, and good. A Redditor named Rare_Can_5418 asked the AskReddit forum, “What difficult truths, the sooner you accept them, the better your life will be?” and received over 6,500 responses. Many of them were centered around harsh truths about relationships and the fact that even if we do our best in life, we can still end up with the short end of the stick.

The key is to keep going and never let failure get you down.

Here are 15 of the “difficult truths” that made people’s lives a lot better.

1. Stop comparing yourself

"There will always be someone better looking, better educated, younger, more experienced, more intelligent or wealthier than you. Do your best, live without regret, have empathy and kindness, give when you can, expecting nothing in return. Focus on your heart value more than what others have."

"Comparison is the thief of joy."

Research shows we have a tendency to compare ourselves to highly visible and highly skilled people, which makes us feel worse. We wonder why we can't cook as well as our foodie friend or why we're not as organized and put-together as our Type A neighbor. No wonder comparisons make us feel like crap!

harsh truths, hard truths, life lessons, reality, adult life, adulting, psychology, imposter syndrome, askreddit, life hacks Comparison is the thief of joy. Giphy

2. Some people won't like you

"You can be sweetest, juiciest peach on the tree. But some people don't like peaches."

"In Spanish, there's a saying: 'Nadie es moneda de oro para que lo quiera todo el mundo,' which translates to something like nobody is a gold coin to be liked/wanted by everyone else."

Worrying too much about making everyone like you is a quick path to becoming a people pleaser, an impossible task that takes a serious toll on your mental health.

3. Things are just things

"They don’t have feelings. They don’t care if you give them away or sell them or throw them out. If a thing is useful, keep it. If not, get rid of it."

Psychologists refer to perceiving that inanimate objects have feelings as anthropomorphizing. Psych Central says that humans project feelings onto objects to relate to them more deeply. "People generally anthropomorphize to make sense of events and behaviors they experience. Further, attributing emotions, attitudes, mental states, faces, and values to non-human things can help you feel connected to something," Sarah Barkley writes in a PhD-reviewed article.

harsh truths, hard truths, life lessons, reality, adult life, adulting, psychology, imposter syndrome, askreddit, life hacks Things don't care if you throw them away. Giphy

4. Not all friendships last

"Surprisingly though, the ones that last are not necessarily the best (or even good) ones."

"Most friendships are based on convenience, I've found. Unless two people are willing to put in a lot of effort, time and distance will do more to end a friendship than any disagreement."

It's natural and OK to outgrow friendships. If you've put in a solid effort and it's not working the way it used to, being comfortable with letting the relationship go will do wonders for your guilt and stress levels.

5. You may be the bad guy

"You can do your best with someone and still be the villain in their story."

"One of my current favourite memes is: I don't care if I'm the villain in your story, you're the clown in mine."

The truth is we're all just people doing our best, even the people who have wronged you.

harsh truths, hard truths, life lessons, reality, adult life, adulting, psychology, imposter syndrome, askreddit, life hacks You might be the villain in someone's story. Giphy

6. You can't change people

"You can only help people who actually want it. If they’re not ready to change or put in the effort, there’s not much you can do. Realizing this can save you a lot of frustration and help you focus on people who actually appreciate your help."

"It’s always tough having those friends who are constantly complaining but doing nothing to address what they are complaining about. But as an adult, you just have to sit there and listen. No point in offering help to someone who isn’t asking for it. Kinda like how it’s really tough to teach someone who isn’t interested in being taught."

Expecting others to change is bound to lead to disappointment. There's a saying that goes, "When people show you who they are, believe them." Hoping and wishing and working to make them somewhere else, more often than not, gets you nowhere.

7. How we judge ourselves and others

"We judge ourselves by our intentions. We judge others by their actions."

"In psychology, this is called fundamental attribution error."

The Fundamental Attribution Error is a psychological phenomenon where we assume someone's actions reflect their personality without considering the situation. It's like when we blame someone's driving skills for being in an accident instead of the curvy road.

harsh truths, hard truths, life lessons, reality, adult life, adulting, psychology, imposter syndrome, askreddit, life hacks We judge others differently than how we judge ourselves. Giphy

8. Depending on people

"Once you're an adult, there really isn't anyone you can 100% depend on except yourself. There will still be people in your life to lean on, but everyone has their limits in how they can help you."

Perhaps one of the harshest truths of all, but once you accept it, the path forward becomes extremely clear. It's up to you to make everything happen, and there's really no one else to blame if you don't.

9. Nice doesn't equal good

"Nice people aren't always good people."

"One of my bosses doesn't greet/make small talk and is known for being quite firm. He's been the most helpful throughout my most difficult period dealing with tragedy. Some people with that personality type simply get things done when you need them done without the chattering."

Niceness can even be toxic when it's not coming from a place of genuine authenticity. Sometimes hard conversations and conflict are necessary, and avoiding them is not healthy.

10. Everything is temporary

"You can suddenly lose anything and anyone at any time...and maybe all at once or in quick succession without so much warning."

11. Nobody is thinking about you

"In general, people in the real world are oblivious to you. You're not even a blip on their radar. If you're insecure about something you wear or how you look, remember: nobody cares."

Worried about something small like how the sleeves on your shirt fit you? It's OK if you care, but no one else will. People are far too consumed with their own lives and problems to remember the minutiae of some stranger they saw in passing. Accepting this is incredibly freeing!

harsh truths, hard truths, life lessons, reality, adult life, adulting, psychology, imposter syndrome, askreddit, life hacks Nobody is paying attention to you (and that's a good thing). Giphy

12. No one is coming to save you

"No one is coming to save you, so you have to do it all yourself."

"And once you internalize this and do it, your self-esteem will be through the roof."

13. Nobody knows what they're doing

"Before i graduated high school I thought, thank god, I finally won’t have to deal with annoying obnoxious kids and I’ll be treated like an adult, I come to find out 95% of adults are worse then the actual kids, nobody knows what they’re actually doing and life is actually a big joke."

This realization could help cure your Imposter Syndrome. Most people are just making it up as they go along and so you shouldn't feel ashamed of doing the same.

14. Love is reciprocal

"If a romantic interest is not giving you the same attention/respect you give them, they don't really care about or want you, and you're in for a world of hurt if you keep telling yourself otherwise."

harsh truths, hard truths, life lessons, reality, adult life, adulting, psychology, imposter syndrome, askreddit, life hacks We accept the love we think we deserve. Giphy

15. Who's good for you?

"People who are good for you will make you feel happy, joyful, accepted, cared for, and filled with fun times, despite any differences. People who are not good for you will make you feel anxious, sad, down, slighted, judged, and never check in on you if you're not okay, and won't even bother noticing when you're not okay. Genuine people will never let you suffer in silence or watch you suffer. Stay away from those who make you feel negative emotions and thoughts."

These are called harsh or hard truths for a reason. It's human nature to feel self-conscious, feel like an imposter, try to change people, or worry if other people like us. But the more of these you can free yourself from, the better you'll feel.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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harsh truths

Pop Culture

In 2011, Denzel Washington shared a 54-second vision to unlock your potential that still resonates

It was a life-changing commencement speech.

via University of Pennsylvania/YouTube

Denzel Washington speaking at the University of Pennsylvania.

Denzel Washington is a generational talent, beloved by both critics and fans, and has starred in some of the most important movies of the past 40 years, including Glory, American Gangster, Training Day, Malcom X, and Flight. But his success didn’t come overnight. Like most actors who weren’t born into Hollywood royalty, he endured countless failed auditions until he finally made it.

The actor shared his life-changing advice on failure in 2011 during a commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania, and the insight remains as relevant today as it was then. Recently, it was reshared on Twitter by Blake Burge and received 2.5 million views. In his speech, Washington warns the graduates who are clinging to the idea of having something to fall back on if their dreams work out. Instead, he believes they should position themselves to “fall forward.”

Washington shared a positive example of the power of persistence by juxtaposing a failed audition at the Cort Theater on Broadway when he was younger with a recent performance at the theater where he played the lead. However, he also warns against being afraid of failure, which can lead to an eternity of regret.

Denzel Washington's advice on failure

— (@)

Last year, I did a play called Fences on Broadway. Someone talked about it. Won the Tony Award. And I didn't have to sing, by the way. But here's the kicker. It was at the Cort Theatre. It was at the same theater that I failed that first audition, 30 years prior… The point is every graduate here today has the training and the talent to succeed. But do you have the guts to fail?

Here's my second point about failure. If you don't fail, you're not even trying. I'll say it again. If you don't fail, you're not even trying. My wife told me this great expression. To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. Les Brown's a motivational speaker. He made an analogy about this. He says, "Imagine you're on your deathbed, and standing around your deathbed are the ghosts representing your unfulfilled potential, the ghost of the ideas you never acted on, the ghost of the talents you didn't use. And they're standing around your bed, angry, disappointed, and upset. They say, 'We came to you because you could have brought us to life,' they say. 'And now we have to go to the grave together.'"

So I ask you today, how many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes? You've invested a lot in your education, and people have invested in you. And let me tell you, the world needs your talents.

Washington’s speech teaches people a bittersweet lesson by providing a window into seeing all the possibilities that their lives can hold. But also, like a visit from the ghosts of Christmas future, it gives people a dark glimpse into what their life can look and feel like if they don’t pursue their dreams. In the speech, he shares a great piece of actionable advice: “To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.” This is an invasion to everyone who hears it: What do you really want in life, and what can you change to get it?

Here is the entire speech.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

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life advice

Mental Health

Feeling stuck in life? Real people share 10 time-tested ways to 'unstick' yourself that actually work

"Just take one thing you need to be doing, and do it for two minutes."

Canva

Men falling into quick sand, molasses, meditation.

First of all, you're not alone. Feeling "stuck" can—and usually does—happen at any stage of life. It's not a reflection of your success status, your love attachment, or even necessarily your choices. But it can feel like you're walking in sticky molasses with no way out. These feelings could range from mere procrastination on small tasks to a bigger picture "stuckness" wherein you might feel an existential angst that seems to freeze your ability to make change.

While many therapists offer helpful solutions on how to get "unstuck," non-experts have creative ideas too, and they are surprisingly simple.

In 30 seconds flat, Stanford professor Graham Weaver shares ways to become unstuck, which he also imparts on his students. He begins by asking four questions: "What am I avoiding? I need to go right at that." So, let's say you've got mounds of paperwork on your desk and just can't bring yourself to go through it. This creates a cycle of stuckness, because until you tackle that task, you might not be able to move on to the next thing. Naming it is the first step to addressing it.

@grahamcweaver
How to get unstuck. Four simple tips. #growth #stuck #selfimprovement #mindsetmotivation #lifeadvice #personaldevelopment #goals

He then advises to ask the question, "Where do I start?" Good question, right? His answer is easy: "Translate my goal into something simple I can do today." This could merely be sending an email about a job opportunity or, ya know, going through at least a portion of that mountain of paperwork.

The third question he proposes is, "How do I 'win' today? Just write down three things I can move forward on today, and then get up and repeat that tomorrow." Your three things can be as simple or complex as you'd like. Example: Pay the minimum payment (if not all) of a bill. Send an email about a project idea. Change your sheets.

And lastly, he asks, "What are the habits that are interfering with where I want to go?" This is probably the most important and possibly most difficult when trying to assess your stuckness. (For me, it's a lack of focus. I'll begin doing something creative or practical, and then I'll start scrolling Instagram for hours. Since I can't change that, I put my phone in a drawer for as long as possible and give myself a goal of at least one hour without it. Baby steps.)

See on Instagram

Just recently on Reddit, someone posted the question: "How do you quickly get out of a rut situation and take actions?" They describe feeling stuck, and in part share, "I want to learn skills. I want to mainly overcome fears and complete tasks that I’ve been neglecting to do. Now I always feel like I’m not good enough. I don’t have the proper plan and basic idea how to achieve goals. So my mind automatically chooses to procrastinate, yet in the background, all I do is worry about my life problems."

Redditors recognized themselves in this statement and many had solid ideas. The first commenter suggests literal movement. "For me, the way out was exercise. To start, once I got so frustrated with myself for lying around and doing nothing that I couldn't take it anymore, I would get up and go to the gym and use that frustration to get me moving. I noticed after I went to the gym I would feel so good, both physically and mentally. This spurred me to get more things done around the house, instead of just doing nothing."

homer simpson, the simpsons, treadmill, excercise Homer tries to use the treadmill. Giphy 20th Century Fox

Another echoes Weaver's idea of creating smaller goals that can help one, as he said, "win today." This Redditor shares, "What I have found works for me is just getting something done to build momentum, even if it's a small thing. Then I layer another small thing on top of that and keep going. Some people say do the difficult things first and get it out of the way. I am not built that way. I fear what's difficult and procrastinate. So I build up to it by gaining smaller victories."

This person offers what's called The Two Minute Method. "The two minute method (it has a million other names as well) is good. Just take one thing you know you need to be doing, and do it for 2 minutes. Generally, once you get going, you'll be able to do it for longer than that. The great barrier is inertia—objects at rest want to stay at rest."

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While there were many other helpful answers from everyday Redditors, this person listed three excellent ideas in a row of things one can actually do right now to make a significant change: "If you’re on social media and often catch yourself mindlessly scrolling every time there’s a lull in the day, challenge yourself to delete the apps. For a week, for a month, etc. See how you feel!"

They add to motivate yourself through music. "If you’re a music person, put together some playlists based on the mood you’re trying to set. Need some light background noise for reading? Throw together some chill instrumental songs. Need a workout playlist? Gather all the songs that get you amped. If your library isn’t that deep you can always search for playlists on YouTube/Spotify."

And lastly, "Might sound silly, but meditation can be a great tool to help look inward, boost your morale, and set intentions for what you want to focus on. You can look up: affirmations meditation, motivation meditation, unstuck meditation."

Here's one of many meditations focused on unsticking:

guided meditation, anxiety, feeling stuck, therapy www.youtube.com, John Davisi

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motivation

Joy

15 people share the one sentence they'll never forget because it completely changed their lives

"Never try to hate anyone; often they don't care, and you're left doing all the work."

via Canva/Photos

A woman having a revelation.

There’s nothing quite like having a breakthrough moment. When you hear something that completely reframes how you view a relationship or challenging life situation that helps you move past the barrier and into a new headspace, it can be exhilarating. It’s like scratching an itch that you didn’t know you had.

"Breakthrough is that moment when frustration, struggling, fear, worry, or anxiety disappears,” famed personal development coach Tony Robbins once said. “It's a moment of insight, recognition about who you are, and the realization that you are more than the moment. It's a radical, massive improvement in the quality of your life, and as a result, all those you have the privilege to touch."

A Redditor on the Confession subforum asked people to share the “one sentence that completely changed their life,” and they received over 1,000 responses from people who heard the right wisdom at the right time and never forgot it. These sentences are powerful truths that helped people stuck in a rut realize they had the power to change or move on.

advice, breakthroughs, confessions, wisdom, moments, thinking, advice A mom consoling her daughter.via Canva/Photos

Here are 15 sentences that completely changed people’s lives.

1. Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.

"That's a spin on an old saying, 'They tried to bury us, but they didn't realise we were seeds.'"

2. Never try to hate anyone; often they don't care, and you're left doing all the work.

"Said by a friend of mine at a very critical time in my life. It's been said in other ways, but that one stuck with me for the last 35+ years."

"Makes me think of this gem: Never get in a fight with a pig. You both get covered in sh*t but the pig enjoys it."

"Hate corrodes the vessel it's carried in."

3. Have you had a bad day, or did you have a bad 5 minutes that you let ruin your day?

"I love this one explained with money. If I gave you $100, then I stole 5, would you burn/throw away the rest?"

"I need someone to remind me of this sometimes! I'm not neurotypical and I can tell sometimes that when things can't go to my plan or agreed schedule it can be like a monkey wrench in a gear and just PAUSE my life in a way I hate sometimes."

A woman upset on the couch.via Canva/Photos

4. People are quick to accept that the smallest change in the past can dramatically change the present, yet refuse to accept that the smallest action today can completely change the world.

"Hindsight’s 20/20 as they say, and it’s easier to know the difference between the outcome compared to the present. Whereas our current actions, we really have no way of knowing how it’ll affect the future, as there are so many other variables that could affect things, and we can’t see into the future."

5. Don't set yourself on fire to keep others warm

"This reminds of an African proverb I heard: Beware the naked man who offers you clothes."

6. I love you enough to let you hate me.

"My mom told me once during a heated argument in my teens, 'I love you enough to let you hate me.' Powerful."

7. Never break two laws at once; that's how you draw attention to yourself.

“If you have a body in the trunk, make sure you use your turn signals.”

"My dad was in law enforcement and told me that was how they often caught people. An example he used was at night when someone forgot to turn off their high beams there was a reasonable chance they might be an impaired driver."

12. You never know what someone is going through, always be kind.

"Always react with kindness. It costs you nothing and can make most situations much better."

13. Righty tighty, lefty loosey.

"Lives rent free in my head and has helped me every damn day of my life! Hahaha!"

"Especially when putting together furniture, saved me hours with allen keys."

14. The price of procrastination is the life you could have lived.

"Love this one!"

15. Let today be the day you learn the grace of letting go, and the power of moving on.

"I needed this thank you."

This article originally appeared in May.

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39 sayings people swear by to help them live a better life

"If you don't make time for your wellness, you'll be forced to make time for your illness."

Photo credit: Canva

Living your best life is the greatest gift you can give yourself.

Life is full of lessons learned, some of which come through our elders and some that we learn the hard way through our own experiences. The learning never stops, of course, and whether or not we hold onto what we learn depends a lot on how we commit it to our memory.

Sayings, adages, quotes, aphorisms—all of these things help us keep what we've learned at the ready, like a toolbox of advice we can pull from as the need arises. Whether they're words of wisdom from famous thinkers or quippy phrases from a beloved grandparent, when we repeat them like a mantra, they can remind us of how to live our best lives on a daily basis.

We asked our Upworthy audience "What's the best advice you've received to live a better life?" and over 1,000 responses later, we have a roundup of sage advice that we can all learn from.

Here were some of the most popular answers:

Communication

"Ask these three questions before you speak:Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?"

"Stop talking and listen, and don’t just pause waiting to speak your turn, actually listen. Two ears, one mouth for a reason."

"No is a full sentence!"

"Be careful what you say as it can never be undone."

money, finance, financial advice, budget, budgeting Money is something a lot of us struggle with.Photo credit: Canva

Money

"'Save your money' from my grandpa! Glad everyday that I learned to be frugal. I still spend money on things I want, but I don't care about having something just because others want it. (New cars, fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, etc!)"

"Buy lands, build houses, not cars."

"This has to do with spending money, My husband was a public accountant, he always told me, if I really, really need it, buy it, if I just want it, think about it. After giving it some thought you don’t want half of what you buy or need it. A very wise man, my husband."

"'Never pay retail and always have good insurance.' My mom"

Work-life Balance

"Don't kill yourself at work, they'll just replace you tomorrow. Advice from a hundred year old patient."

"Don’t burn the candle at both ends."

"Nobody on their deathbed will ever say, 'I wish I would have spent more time at work.'"

"Leave the job at the jobsite when you come home. It will still be there tomorrow."

health, wellness, fitness, being healthy, health advice Health is wealth, as they say.Photo credit: Canva

Health & Wellness

"If you don't make time for your wellness, you'll be forced to make time for your illness."

"Put down the anger. Carrying it with you doesn’t change anything except your stress levels and general mental load. Anger is fine if that’s what the emotion is in a moment, but take the time to acknowledge the feeling, let it all out and then let it go."

"Take good care of yourself while you are young. You may live long enough to wish you had. I took that advice seriously. Im 77 and still going strong."

"Get sober and stay sober."

Perspective

"Anytime something seems like the end of the world ask yourself 'will this even matter a year from now?'"

"The past is history the future is a mystery and now is a gift. That’s why they call it the present."

"Don’t sweat the small stuff- P.S. everything is the small stuff."

"People on their deathbeds, 'I wish I would have taken more chances and done the risky stuff, life is short, don't play it safe, have fun. Come sliding into home plate like, 'Wow, whatta ride!'"

love, relationships, dating advice, dating, love stories Relationships can be complicated.Photo credit: Canva

Dating and Relationships

"Leave the first time a guy says they don’t want you—believe them."

"If you’re instantly attracted to a guy - RUN in the opposite direction"

"As a young adult and dating, my Mom told me to not tell everything about me, leave some mystery."

"Also, when your spouse does something that upsets you, ask yourself, 'Am I going to divorce him over this?' It helps put things into perspective, enables you to let little things go, and not make mountains out of molehills."

Self-Help

"If you want people to stop walking all over you… you first have to learn to get up off the floor…."

"Don’t rent them space in your head."

"Don’t open a can of worms unless you are prepared to eat them!"

"Nobody cares as much about you as you do. Nobody remembers your awkwardness, your spelling mistakes, your bad hair day, or that piece of spinach in your teeth to the level you think they do."

golden rule, treat others as you want to be treated, kindness, treat people with kindness, kindness Basic human kindness goes a long way in life.Photo credit: Canva

The Golden Rule

"Treat Others the way you want to be treated!!!"

"My Mum used to say 'Never judge anybody; you don't know what they are living through.'"

"My mother always told me …… do one nice thing for someone every day!! ……. I can honestly say I do! Makes it easier that I volunteer in a nursing home !!!"

"The platinum rule - treat others how THEY would like to be treated rather than how you would like to be treated."

Classics

"Never take criticism from someone you wouldn't ask for advice."

"Everything in moderation, including moderation."

"If you think you can, you’re right. If you think you can’t, you’re right."

"If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all."

"Don't ask questions that you don't want to know the answer to."

"The difference between a stepping stone and a stumbling block is how high you lift your foot."

"If you want to keep getting what you’re getting, keep doing what you’re doing."

Finds more words of wisdom on Upworthy's Facebook page.

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