 Credit: Style My Soul, www.stylemysoul.com | Hindsight Perspective Reflecting on the twists and turns of life’s journey, Style My Soul gathered seven pieces of advice that, in hindsight, might not be as golden as once thought. Our contributors range from advocating self-care to balancing work and personal well-being, sharing the worst life advice they’ve received and explaining why.
Always Put Others First The worst life advice I’ve been given, looking back, was “Always put others first, no matter what.” While it’s important to be kind and helpful, following this advice without balance led me to neglect my own needs and well-being. It taught me that caring for myself isn’t selfish; it’s necessary to be strong and present for others. Prioritizing self-care and setting healthy boundaries has since become essential for my happiness and success. Chinyelu Karibi-Whyte, Self-Esteem & Resilience Advocate, Pheel Pretty Stick to What You Know The worst piece of advice someone ever gave me was “Stick to what you know.” It was meant to be helpful, I guess, but it really just held me back from trying new things. It made it sound like going into anything new was too risky or a bad idea. But honestly, the times I’ve stepped into something I didn’t know much about were when I found the coolest opportunities. It was by being okay with not knowing everything that I found new things I love and got better at a bunch of skills. And that’s what really helped me move forward in my career. What I learned from all this is how important it is to be curious and tough. Instead of just staying with what I was comfortable with, learning how to do well in situations I wasn’t used to turned out to be super important for growing personally and professionally. - Swena Kalra, Chief Marketing Officer, Scott & Yanling Media Inc. Suppress Your Emotions In hindsight, I’ve received advice advocating for suppressing emotions and prioritizing logic over feelings. Yet, I’ve come to understand the importance of acknowledging and embracing emotions as essential aspects of the human experience. By honoring my emotions and practicing emotional intelligence, I’ve fostered stronger connections with others, made better decisions, and enhanced overall well-being. - Gideon Ruben, CEO, Your IAQ Say “Yes” to Every Opportunity “Always say ‘yes’ to every opportunity.” In theory, this sounds like a proactive approach to growth and success. However, in practice, it led to burnout and a lack of focus on what truly mattered. Saying “yes” to everything meant I spread myself too thin, neglecting both my personal well-being and the core areas of my business that needed attention. Prioritization and learning to say “no” became crucial skills for sustainable success. - Sarah Jeffries, Founder, First Aid Courses Manchester Quantity Over Quality As TP-Link’s Marketing Head, I’ve had my fair share of tips, good and bad. In hindsight, the worst tip I received was to “focus on quantity rather than quality” regarding marketing. At first, it made perfect sense — reaching more people meant more success. But as I looked more deeply into our marketing plans, I realized the problem. It’s like broadcasting a message to a room full of people. Sure, you’re talking to many people, but are they listening? We’ve reached millions of people, but if we don’t connect with them, our impact won’t matter. That’s because we’ve been so focused on reaching many people without ensuring our messaging and engagement are top-notch. At TP-Link, this realization changed our marketing approach. We focused on creating compelling stories, high-quality content, and building meaningful relationships with our audience. Rather than broadcasting, we personalized our approach to connect with people on a deeper level. Looking back on it, I’ve learned that quality always wins over quantity, especially in marketing. It’s not about how many people see your message. It’s about how much they care. We’ve seen a massive increase in brand engagement and loyalty when we’ve focused on delivering real value and meaningful experiences. So, if there’s one thing I wouldn’t advise, it’s compromising quality for quantity. In today’s ever-changing marketing landscape, authenticity and relevance are king. - Laviet Joaquin, Marketing Head, TP-Link Play it Safe and Avoid Taking Chances In retrospect, the worst life advice I’ve ever received was to always play it safe and to avoid taking chances. Although it might appear logical to avoid uncertainty and adhere to what is known, following this advice impeded both my personal and professional development. It is imperative to recognize the value of calculated risk-taking in order to capitalize on opportunities, gain insight from setbacks, and attain success. By venturing beyond my comfort zone and embracing challenges, I have gained invaluable experiences and accessed new opportunities. In retrospect, I recognize that my potential was constrained and I was unable to pursue my pursuits wholeheartedly because I was too cautious. Conversely, I am of the opinion that wholeheartedly embracing risk, while maintaining fortitude and assurance, is crucial, as it frequently culminates in ultimate gratification and personal development. - Jerry Theobald, Owner and Real Estate Enthusiast, AZ’s Best Pool Service & Repair LLC Prioritize Work Over Well-being One of the worst pieces of life advice I’ve been given, in hindsight, is to always prioritize work over personal well-being. This advice led to burnout and neglect of self-care, ultimately hindering overall happiness and fulfillment. It taught me the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and prioritizing my physical and mental health for long-term success and happiness. - Madison T, Ecommerce Manager, My Supplement Store
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