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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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.