Saturday, November 10, 2018

The Best Advice


by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

I think the encouragement to keep reading is good advice for anyone, don’t you? I certainly never lack for books to read … and while sometimes I just read for pleasure, there are certain books that have influenced me greatly, changing my thoughts about life and about myself.

There are any number of quotes about advice:

"No one can give you better advice than yourself.” -Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC), Roman philosopher (Not sure I agree with Cicero.)

“Wise men don’t need advice. Fools won’t take it.” -Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States (Ben has a point.)

“I owe my success to listening respectfully to the best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.” -G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), English writer & theologian (Had to laugh at G.K.’s attitude.)

“Whatever advice you give, be brief.” -Horace (65 BC – 8 BC), Roman lyric poet (Totally agree with Horace.)

I’ve both given and received advice. Over the years, I’ve learned to wait before offering any, “Here’s what I think you should do … ” words of so-called wisdom. Wait and pray — and maybe end up not saying anything at all because maybe it’s not my place. And I’ve also learned to wait . . . listen . . . and pray when someone offers me advice. To be honest, receiving advice is always the greater challenge.

But I am thankful for the advice of others, sometimes spoken, sometimes lived out (no words needed.) Advice that has helped me be a better person, a better wife, a better mom, a better friend, a better writer . . .

Here’s one of the best pieces of advice I ever heard about how to deal with feeling overwhelmed. (I met Joe Cook and his wife while my husband and I were stationed overseas.):


Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, I remember Joe’s words — “Don’t wash the elephants that aren’t going to be in the parade.” — and I start eliminating “elephants,” — the things I don’t have to do. His advice makes me laugh — and it’s stress-relieving, too!

In Your Words: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

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The Best Advice - @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? Thoughts from @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Beth K. Vogt is a nonfiction author and editor who said she'd never write fiction. She's the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she'd never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She's a mom of four who said she'd never have kids. Now Beth believes God's best often waits behind the doors marked "Never." A women's fiction novelist, Beth's first novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, released May 2018.

Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there's more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us.


An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and also enjoys speaking to writers' groups and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband, Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at  bethvogt.com.

13 comments:

  1. Love that elephant-sized advice! Made me chuckle, too, and soooo true! Thanks for sharing, Beth

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    1. Good morning, Kelly. I'm glad I was able to start your day off with a laugh. It's funny how this piece of advice has stayed with me through the years.

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  2. In a time management seminar this advice surfaced, “Kill elephants, not ants.” The aim is to disregard all the hyperactivity it takes for ants to gather a little bit of food and concentrate on what gets the larder filled up. Ants can gather an amazing amount when they all work, but we writers live in isolation most of the time. This concept might make sense for those with self editing issues when writing drafts. Forget the distraction of changing verb tenses and get the draft done. After that, all the editing will go faster because it is now the elephant.

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    1. Warren: How interesting to see elephants show up again in a piece of advice! And yes, for writers sometimes we have to ignore the distractions and just write. And it's true in real life too -- ignore the distractions and do what needs to be done.

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  3. I love Mr. Joe's advice Ms. Beth. I have two favorites, that I just can't decide which one is most special. "It's taking up space in your brain, but it's not paying any rent." and "Remember, you can't boil the ocean; no matter how much you try." You're so right, we can learn so much from others when we apply the 2:1 rule, Listen twice as much as we speak. God's blessings ma'am.

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    1. Jim: I am so glad you shared both of those wise pieces if advice. They are excellent and can be life-changing. I hope you have a wonderful day, friend.

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  4. The best advice I received?
    I got two: "never compare yourself to others" and "don't talk about it; be about it".

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    1. Ingmar: Ooooh ... "Don't talk about it; be about it." I'm going to be mulling on that one for awhile."

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  5. Washing elephants. I love this because I seem to have many elephants. My favorite advice has to do with another animal--monkeys. "Not my monkeys, not my circus!" It is so easy to be pulled into things that really don't have anything to do with us. They just take our focus off what we NEED and SHOULD be doing. Thanks Beth for the advice. I too chuckled :)

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    1. Hi, Beth from another Beth: I, too, love the "Not my monkeys, not my circus!" piece of advice. I have a graphic for it. If you email me at bethvogt@bethvogt.com, I'll share it with you. Have a wonderful day!

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  6. Advice given, not heard. I told my son as he entered the work world, "Make yourself indispensable to your boss." It worked. 25 years later he is Vice President of a large company.

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    1. Jackie: Wow. And wow. And wow. Impressed with you for giving that advice. Also impressed with your son for listening to the advice.

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  7. Beth, I used to work for a lady who was in her younger years the daughter of the Canadian ambassador to Tokyo. She said to me one day, "You can learn something from everyone--even if it's what NOT to do." She was so right! --Roberta Sarver

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