Be Careful Of Advice

Yesterday, as I started my presentation to a classroom full of wealth management students at Michigan State University, I warned them about the “advice” I was about to share with them in the following hour and twenty minutes. I reminded them that when they hear someone like my Self share advice with them based on our experiences, they should take that advice as information to consider for their journey, but do not take it as a truth. 

Often, we look at people who have achieved “success,” want to know what they did to get there, try to follow their blueprint, and hope we will achieve the same success. While parts of their blueprint might work for you, there will be parts that don’t because you are not that individual–their blueprint is not your blueprint.

The same is true with advice. 

I shared with the class yesterday what I learned through my experiences as a financial advisor and what worked (and didn’t) for me may or may not work for them. My hope is by sharing my experience, my opinions, and what I might consider exploring if I were in their shoes, they can pick and choose what from my experience aligns with them and help them move closer to creating their own personal blueprint.

I told them I’m a thief—I look at what others are doing, take from them what aligns with my goals, values, and personality as inspiration, craft it to be my own version, and implement it in the best way to help me continue my Pursuit forward.

There are a lot of people giving advice based on their experiences under the false pretense that their way is THE way, when in fact their way is one of INFINITE ways–my Self included, although I try to be transparent in that the world does not operate in absolutes and what I have experienced has worked for me and might serve as inspiration for you.

So remember, seeking advice is an important part of finding your way along your Pursuit, but not all advice is going to be right for you–it’s up to you to digest the information you receive and determine how to use it best or discard it, as you continue the Pursuit of your authentic life.

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC