The ZUM Team Shares the Best Advice We've Ever Received
On a gray and soggy Seattle morning I received a very valuable piece of advice while listening to one of my favorite podcasts during my daily dog walk.
Earlier that morning I begrudgingly slumped out of bed and, through tired, half-open eyes managed to get dressed and get my dog harnessed up. This part of my daily routine is always one of the hardest, yet I repeat the same steps over and over with hope that it will all change one day… because, why not?
While walking outside – headphones in, rain pattering on my jacket, and still feeling groggy and pessimistic about what the day might hold – the podcast host let a few words slip into a sentence that was filled with lots of other, probably more profound, details on how to make change happen in your life. Even though the speaker did not, I paused (literally and figuratively) at the sound of those powerful words and repeated them out loud.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
In that moment I realized the power I already held to make change happen in my life. I decided I would no longer slump out of bed and grumpily begin my day with a mindset sure to set me up for failure. I must create change instead of waiting for it to happen. My mornings are now brighter and fresher, and I have even applied this simple concept to many other areas of my life where I want to see change and growth. Now, whenever I feel discouraged or unhappy with the way something is going, I don’t just accept it and wait for something new to happen. I remember what the podcast host said, how powerful those words made me feel, and create the change.
READ ON FOR MORE ADVICE FROM THE REST OF THE ZUM TEAM.
If you’re going to do it, do it right.
My mom passed along this advice from my paternal great grandmother “Granny”. She was an Italian immigrant and passed away years before I was born. This piece of advice goes through my head every time I am working on an event, project, party, cleaning, cooking, etc. Because, why cut corners? Why not make it the best? What’s the point of even doing it, if you’re not going to go all out?"
- ANGELA POWELL
Stay curious.
Early in my career as a designer, the importance of learning had already been pounded into me by many advice-givers, but my mentor shed new light on the idea for me. “Never stop learning,” my mentor said, “about design and new things too, even if completely unrelated – keep your creative side fueled.”
Up until hearing this advice, I was under the impression that if I learned everything there was to know about design, then I would have the tools to constantly produce amazing work. What I realized I was missing, thanks to my mentor, was the inspiration that comes from immersing oneself in a variety of new topics and experiences. I had to learn to be an observer of the world, to glean insight and information from a myriad of subjects and experiences, to add to my internal catalog of ideas and fuel my creative side.
I encourage you as my mentor did, to stay curious and never stop learning, because perhaps the answer or inspiration you are looking for will be found where you least expect it.
- ARIEL GARCIA
Just roll with it!
High school was a tough time for me. Luckily, Mrs. Galloway, who was like a second mom to me, was always there for encouragement and wisdom. I remember her telling me that when life is challenging, sometimes all we need to do is “roll with it.” I’ve carried that mantra with me through the many twists and turns of life. So when you feel defeated and at the end of your rope. Don’t give up. Don’t fight it. Don’t question it. Just do what you can with what you have. Just roll with it!
- JUN YOUNG
The Golden Rule
Many of us were taught the Golden Rule when we were little – in my case, it was taught by my first grade teacher and has stuck with me ever since. “Treat others how you want to be treated,” she said. Sounds simple enough. Shower others with kind intentions and you will be rewarded with the same. As I’ve grown older, I have come to realize the Golden Rule is so much more than that. It is not as simple as an act of kindness, but a practice of empathy and compassion. To put yourself in another’s shoes and imagine what they need and how you can help ease their worries in some way. Because, deep down, we all just want to be understood.
- ZOEY VONG