I seen the prompt asking, “What’s the most profound piece of advice you’ve been given? and ” and immediately thought about something someone told me before I left for college.
“People say experience is the best teacher, but the wise don’t need it.”
And honestly? At the time I had NO idea what that meant.
I was just excited to be going off to college. New freedom. New people. New experiences. I probably thought it was just another one of them sweet little sayings before I left home lol.
But baby… years later?
Now I get it !
Cause if you went to college then you already knowwwww how people act like certain things are just “part of the experience.” Like if you don’t do this, go there, talk to him, stay out all night, make reckless decisions, or have at least one “girl what was I thinking” story… then somehow you didn’t fully live lol.
And I ain’t gonna lie, when you young, that mindset really sounds normal.
But looking back now, I realize that advice was really telling me I did not have to do all the things (which let’s be clear I ain’t do all the things just some lol) just because other people called it normal. Some stuff really can just be left alone 😂
Like no ma’am.
I actually do not need that experience.
Y’all can have it though
And whew, the older I get, the more I appreciate that advice because experience WILL teach you… but sometimes the lesson comes with heartbreak, embarrassment, confusion, wasted time, unnecessary soul ties, or emotional exhaustion attached to it.
Meanwhile wisdom be over there trying to save you the entire time lol.
Now whenever I think about that quote, I don’t take it as somebody trying to stop me from living life. I hear it differently.
I hear:
“Baby, everything does not need a personal testimony attached to it.”
So did I take the advice?
Honestly… I thought I did 😂
At the time, I took it based on what I understood it to mean. In my mind I was like, “Okay got it. Make good choices. Stay focused.” Whole time I was missing the deeper meaning.
Years later I looked back and thought, “Ohhhhh 😭 THAT’S what that meant.”
Cause while I was out living my best little college life, having fun, making memories, and doing what felt normal at the time, I can remember feeling little tugs here and there.
Nothing loud. Just little moments where I probably should’ve slowed down and paid more attention.
So technically? Yes, I took the advice… I just don’t think I fully understood it until later.
So now I’m curious… what’s one piece of advice somebody gave you that didn’t make sense until years later? 😂💕
loveterrimarie 