The Best Advice I Never Got (But Wish I Had)

Do you prefer to buy your lessons, or would you rather get them for free?

Life will teach you either way, but the tuition is much higher when the lesson comes through pain, regret, or loss. Most of us repeat the same mistakes not because we're incapable of learning, but because we skip the instructions. We want the shortcut. We say, “I got this,” even when we don’t.

Think about that DIY bookshelf you bought. The instructions were right there, but you tossed them aside, confident that it couldn’t be that hard. And now the whole thing is leaning to the left. Life works the same way. We ignore the advice. We rush the process. We believe we’re the exception. Then later, when things fall apart, we remember what someone told us. We just didn’t listen.

There’s a quiet arrogance in the “don't tell me what to do, I’ll do it my way” attitude. The irony is that when we’re struggling, when we’re tired of getting it wrong, we all wish someone would have just told us the right way from the beginning—and that we would’ve had the sense to listen.

This series is called A Crash Course in Wisdom for a reason. It’s designed to be a toolbox you can pass on to someone younger or use to reflect on your own life. Because wisdom doesn’t come with age—it comes with reflection. And it’s never too late.

My grandmother was 85 when she asked me to teach her how to use the computer. She’d call and say, “Come over and show me how to do that thing again.” She didn’t pretend to know. She didn’t act like she should have already figured it out. She was wise enough to admit what she didn’t know. That was her superpower.

So, what about you? What are you still pretending to have under control? Are you repeating unhealthy habits even though your doctor told you to stop? Are you over-committing and under-resting, even though your body keeps whispering (or shouting) for a break? Are you putting off your dreams because they feel too far away? Or maybe, like me, you're out here giving advice—hoping someone listens and benefits from it.

In the coming weeks, we’ll talk through some of the lessons we wish we had learned earlier, the ones we’re still trying to live by, and a few that might only apply once—but will still be good to have in your back pocket. Some will be serious. Some will be funny. All of them will be honest.

This is about easing the burden of decision-making. It's about turning decision fatigue into clarity. Not because life gets easier, but because we start using better tools—stories, data, lived experience, professional counsel, and good old-fashioned common sense.

So here's your first assignment:
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received—or the advice you wish someone would’ve told you?
Now think of one person you could pass that lesson on to.

If no one comes to mind, that’s okay. Hit “reply” on the last Bronzecomm email and tell us. Someone else in our community might need it. Your voice matters.

And if you found this helpful, share it. Forward the Bronzecomm Newsletter to a friend and tell them why it spoke to you. Wisdom multiplies when it’s shared. The more we talk about what we’ve learned, the less we have to suffer in silence—and the more we get to grow together.

Let’s stop learning everything the hard way.