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| Image from here & obtained via PhotoPin |
As part of the 30 days of lists, today I will be sharing the worst advice I've ever received. Apparently not every piece of advice I've ever received has been good. To prevent you from falling into the same traps, I've compiled this short list. Perhaps it will serve as a reminder that not everyone knows what they are talking about. :)
1. Always use protection (when having sex).
We hear this so frequently from the time we are in grade school all the way through high school and college from parents and teachers alike. This piece of advice has hit very close to home in recent years as people I know have either 1) struggled to become pregnant after being on the pill for so long or 2) gotten pregnant accidentally while on the pill.
Truth: You can choose to have sex before marriage.
Truth: You can get pregnant before marriage.
Truth: You can get pregnant the first time you have sex.
False: The pill always works.
False: Condoms don't break.
Truth: Realize that by having sex (married or not), you can potentially procreate (whether you are using protection or not).
My dad always blamed the Italian family genes on my cousins getting pregnant before getting married. #GenesDontMatter
So basically, what I am saying is this: Don't have sex with someone unless you realize and understand all of the above. That's the #truth.
2. Clean your plate.
That, my friends, is how Americans joined the #fatclub and got diabetes. Or maybe the latter was due to the enormous amount of sugar in our foods? Hmm… Either way, only eat what you are hungry for. My sister-in-law once wrote out #BigTummiesFTW. Guess what? #Fail.
Sidenote: She's infuriatingly skinny and still eats all of the sugar. It's soooo not fair.
3. Go to college.
There is nothing I regret about going to college … except the student loans. :( Seriously. I went into college with the notion that I was there for good grades and pleasing my teacher; I came out of college with the realization that I needed to push myself and test my limits whether or not it pleased my teacher or got me good grades. College was about discovering myself, my limits, and having fun with my classes. Unfortunately, my job does not reflect any growth I may have gained during my college years. In fact, most people's don't. If you know what you are going to college for and it is very specific and important to your chosen career field, go. If not, it may be better to hold off. In the end a degree may only be a point of pride and financial burden rather than a measure of true success.
4. Play hard to get (when dating).
The end result? No one knows what is going on.
Be honest with your significant other. Don't try to make one another jealous. It's not cool. Besides, by not being upfront, you're probably ruining any chance you have with the other person anyway. Treat people like you would want to be treated and always assume that they have the best in mind for you. They may not, but by assuming they don't, you are also assuming they are a jerk. Would you really want to date a jerk? … Or be friends with one? … Or be in the same family as one?
5. Never get rid of "fat clothes".
Argh. That bothers me so much.
It's this assumption we have that the older you get, the fatter you get.
Truth: I was 10 lbs heavier in high school than I am now.
While I don't feel that I was ever truly large, that number does make a huge difference on a petite figure. I went from buying a size 5 in jeans to a size 0. (Of course some of that may be vanity sizing…) Either way, you are not guaranteed to gain the "freshman five" or the "newlywed nine". For that matter, does it even matter if you do (aside from health reasons, of course)? In five or ten years, those clothes that are in style now will be out of style by then… so you'll end up replacing them anyway. Besides, who needs incentive to gain weight? Isn't it more painful to have to go shopping for new, more expensive clothing after gaining weight than to merely lose the weight and fit into the clothes you are already loving and wearing? #justsaying
While I'm sure I could continue to go on and on with bad advice I've received over the years, these were just the first ones that came to mind.
Have you ever been given bad advice? Any of the ones I mentioned above? Have you ever given bad advice? Share! I'd love to hear what your list might consist of!
* I'm participating in 30 Days of Lists (sort of). Are you?
