No matter what stage in life you are at, the only constant factor is the torrents of advice pouring in.  Everyone has a better idea on how to run my life. Be it career, dressing, food, driving directions or even the way I breathe, someone would have their two cents to offer me. If these 2 cents offered to me were even worth their name sake, I would have been a millionaire.

The advice marathon begins right from the time you are born; Aunties and grannies advising mom on how to handle the new born brat, uncles advising dad on how to secure the child’s future, doctor on how to use the child to improve pharmaceutical sales. “Eat the egg yolk. It makes you strong”, “Read the answer paper again before submitting”, “do not make spelling mistakes”- that was the flavor of my child hood. As I grew up so did the gravity of the advice. People asked me to study the subjects they felt were important- the subjects that would get me a fat pay cheque in their opinion. They asked me to wear clothes that they thought would make me look better. They advised me on the hobbies I should be “investing” my time on -  “Why are you so interested in cars and bikes? Girls should be doing girly things” . They even charted out my future for me. They decided which college I should go to, What kind of person I should marry and how many kids I should have- all while i was still battling with the challenge of crawling on all four in my nappies.

I learned early in life not to let the advice get to me. I would just let the advisor do his talking and do absolutely nothing about it. But then came college and the world changed. The unsolicited advisors started taking offense when I refused to put their words of wisdom into action. This took a turn for worse when I started working. Career advice I believe is the easiest to give and the advice you are most likely to receive. “Change teams”, “pro-actively take part in the process”, “Improve your X,Y,Z”. The list is endless. I never introduced the advices to my life, They remained strangers and still do.But i did feel the despair. I could not help but think, why is everyone advising me? is their something grossly wrong? I would not be surprised. I have always had this inkling that i am not wht i am supposed to be. Advice makes me feel more and more like a sore thumb sticking out in a world of perfect thumbs- Nothing I do ever seems right. Nothing I wear is  right. Nothing I say is right.

As the Bard said, the world is a stage and each one gets to play the part of an advisee and advisor at some point in life. I plead guilty of advising too. Advice in itself is not the problem.  The problem starts when the advice is uncalled for; When the advice is binding upon you. It starts making you feel inadequate and ill equipped to face life. Why do people employ themselves as the guardian angel? I want to make my own mistakes. I want to live my own life on my own terms. When I want your advice, I shall ask you and even then I am not telling you I am gonna take it. I am insolent and I think for myself.  I am indecisive but I am not a puppet. So quit thinking I am gonna be the putty in your hands.

So here is my advice to the advisors- please keep that shit to yourself. I make my own crap