There will always be times in our lives when we don’t know what to do. There will always be questions that we seek the answers to, or worries we need calmed. So who do we turn to when the going gets tough?
The Internet, of course!
In our first installment of Advice With Aunt Quora, we ask questions that could help lead you to a better you. All answers were retrieved from the great minds of the Quora community. Let us know what questions you have, and we’ll see what the best of the Internet has in store for you.
How do you know you are on the right path in your life?
Answered by: Diana Folt
When you no longer hate Monday mornings.
I love a girl and want to propose to her. But her maternal side has a bad history of diabetes and heart disease. Would it be wise for me to marry her considering the diseases might be carried forward to her and my kids?
Answered by: Divesh Nair
I would suggest you don’t marry her. If your kids develop any of these conditions you will resent her for it. And quite frankly she probably deserves better than being pre-judged on what her output of kids will be.
How do I prevent shyness or gain self-confidence?
Answered by: Brandon Lee
In many ways, confidence is a byproduct of mastery. You could be shy about social interaction because you simply aren’t familiar with it, just like how you could be shy with dancing, sports, playing an instrument, or public speaking because you’re not familiar with them.
If you’ve ever been very good at something, usually you’re confident about it. You’ve done it a hundred times, you know it inside and out, you know all the nuances.
The first time you rode a bike you probably weren’t confident. But after riding it time and time again, you became more and more confident in it and you probably wouldn’t have a problem now, if I asked you, “show me how to ride a bike!”
Like learning to ride a bike, take baby steps. One step at a time. You might make a mistake.. but don’t be fearful of mistakes, it’s how you learn! And after more and more attempts, you start to become more and more confident. Soon, you won’t have a problem making sharp turns, going very fast, and maybe even pop a wheelie.
This is with everything in life. If something is unfamiliar, that’s ok, practice! Have someone coach/teach you if they are willing. Take a small step. Get better, learn, and then take another step. Rinse, wash, repeat.
Shyness and the lack of confidence are not the same as the ability to learn. You can learn, you can grow, it’s possible to be very confident in who you are and be comfortable in your own skin.
What is the single greatest piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Answered by: Torey McMurdo
“Don’t eliminate options until you have options.”
Was told this during a conversation with a college professor.
Told them I planned to move to Washington, DC, after graduation to take a job in government. They asked if I had a job lined up and I said no. “Well, then, don’t eliminate options until you have options.”
I ended up moving to Silicon Valley instead. Six months later I found myself working at a consulting firm in Menlo Park run by Condoleezza Rice, Stephen J. Hadley and Robert Gates. Turns out my “Washington job” wasn’t in Washington, after all.
So, like I said: Don’t eliminate options until you have options.
What are valuable skills that many young people are losing?
Answered by: Ken Eckert
I have a doctorate and by any standards before this century am lucky enough to be very well-educated. Then when I go home I feel foolish when I go for a walk with my father. He knows what kind of bird that is; what it eats; how it will sound. He knows those trees, how they grow, what kind of fruit or leaves they will make. He knows what will grow in that soil. He knows those clouds and what weather it will bring. He knows if you tap a wall with a hammer the pitch will be lower when you hit a 2×4 support.
I just don’t have that level of “natural intelligence” about my surroundings. Nevertheless, when I talk to my students I feel like I am Daniel bloody Boone. These are skills requiring you to spend time outdoors with real birds and not angry ones on a tiny screen.
Does true love exist?
Answered by: Jon Davis
Yes. Right now it is 11:54 pm and my wife and I are in the middle of some huge, stupid fight over something that isn’t that important. I know, however, that there is no one in the world I would ever want to be with besides her. That’s because we truly love each other. Now if you will all excuse me, I am going to stop venting and go apologize.