I’m always flattered when people ask me for advice. Personally, I don’t know much. Well, I know what my family has taught me, learned from the mistakes I’ve made and feel what my gut tells me. That works for me most of the time.
Regardless, sometimes people ask for advice, but what they really want is reassurance that they aren’t crazy. Sometimes they just need to vent to an sympathetic ear. Sometimes they just need to hear a voice that isn’t coming from their head. Sometimes they just need a hug. Sometimes they just need a glass of wine or a cookie. Wait, that might just be me.
Sometimes they do want advice. I tread lightly when asked what to do in any given situation. I try not to judge. I try to give them the help that I would want if our roles were reversed. I try to listen to my gut and remind them to do the same. Unless their life is in danger, I try not to tell them what to do, but help them look at their problem from a different perspective. Like a great person once said (Einstein maybe), you can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it.
So, if you are out there struggling with something that keeps you up at night, makes you antsy, or just generally concerns you, share it with a friend. As the saying goes, a burden shared is a burden halved.
Dammit, I miss you. Getting dating advice over the phone is just not the same. Still appreciated, but not the same as getting dating advice over a glass of wine.