The Best Advice My Mom Ever Gave Me

My mom has given me plenty of advice over the years, usually when I wasn’t asking for it. But as an adult, I often rely on those maternal nuggets of wisdom. Trust your gut. Your best is all you can do. Delete that tweet you posted — I don’t like it.

In honor of the wise, the time-honored and the occasionally straight-up silly advice moms everywhere give on the regular, I asked 10 young women to share the best advice their moms ever gave them.

“Baby steps are still steps.” —Madeline
Parents go gaga over their toddler’s first steps, but we don’t congratulate ourselves enough for our own mini-milestones. Progress is progress, even if it comes at a crawl.

“Stop worrying about the what-ifs.” —Christina
Or the could-have-beens. Or the should-have-dones. Or the maybes. You can’t go backward, so stop looking in the rearview mirror and put your life in drive!

“Don’t make decisions after midnight.” —Lillian
Or on an empty stomach. Or after a few too many glasses of pinot noir.

“With every kick you get a boost.” —Nicole
Every kick in the butt from the universe is still movement. It might not always be in the direction you expect, but at least it helps you grow.

“It’s easy to love someone; it’s harder to like them.” —Amanda
Especially when the someone in question is your husband, your kids or even yourself. Liking the one you love (or see in the mirror) takes patience and a whole lotta forgiveness.

“If you don’t like the way I look, don’t look at me.” —Shelli
The resting bitch face is real, but it’s how God made me, y’all!

“Look down, not up.” —Ariele
While some people may have it better than you, many people have it worse. Don’t get hung up on an idealized social media image — be grateful for where you’re at.

“Be good. But if you can’t be good, be careful.” —Kay
Mama might not have raised the perfect angel, but she definitely didn’t raise no fool!

“Taking a shower will always make you feel better.” —Danielle
Feel free to replace “shower” with “bath” or “giant glass of wine.”

“Don’t go shopping for kiwis in a shoe store.” —Meghan
Stop settling for people who can’t give you what you need, and start looking for someone totally and refreshingly different. Not to mention, fruit and shoes in the same locale is a health code violation waiting to happen.

This post is sponsored by zulily.