View from the Cheap Seats
August 22-28, 2016
Free advice
By William O. "Bill" James
This column was originally published in The Daily Record on Augst 17, 2015.
We live in an information society. We have more access to information and other people’s opinions than any time in the past. Every day there is more and more information available. This will continue to be true for all the days that follow. At least until we destroy ourselves in some type of nuclear holocaust.
Most of us carry phones in the palm of our hand that have access to more information than any one of us we could ever possibly absorb. Yet, with so much information, there are still so many questions. Questions that are often personal to the individual with the correct answers differing from person to person.
There is no shortage of people out there willing to give anyone that will listen an opinion on what they should do to improve their lives. Good or bad, the world is always willing to tell you what to do. When it comes to giving others advice about how to live their lives, we are often full of ideas. When it comes to taking care of our own lives, we often fall short. Sometimes, it is because we don’t know the answers. All too often, we know the answer but still fail to do what we need to improve our lives.
There is no one out there that can’t immediately identify some aspect of their life that could be improved by a simple change in the way they live their life. We know many of the answers, we just refuse to act on the information. The true irony of all this is that taking the obvious steps to self improvement is often easier than doing nothing. Not to mention the improvement in the quality of life offered by making these simple changes.
Take a moment and think about your life and where you get the most push back from day to day living. Identify some small things that can make your life easier. Give this some real thought and give yourself some free and meaningful advice. Instead of worrying about other people and trying to live their lives for them, how about living your own life? The trap we often fall into is thinking that the only way to make a real difference in our lives is to make big changes. The truth is that the small changes are all that are needed. We just have to remember that our lives are a work in progress and the small changes we make can lead to significant and lasting change.
The other thing about small changes is that they can be corrected easier than big changes. Life is a moving target and what works today may not work tomorrow. There is nothing about the life you are living that is beyond change, philosophically speaking. If there is nothing you can do to change your world, then change your attitude about the world you live in.
One step at a time. One day at a time. Be on the look out for the opportunities that life gives you and then enjoy them never forgetting that the real source of happiness in one’s life is making other people happy. Sometimes, the best way to make others happy is to keep your opinions to yourself. Advice and opinions, we all got ‘em. That is true for everybody, especially those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a criminal defense lawyer and co founder of the James Law Firm with locations in Little Rock, Conway, and Fayetteville, Arkansas. He may be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com.
