Words of wisdom: The advice that's guided us through our lives

Ten high-profile people share the best advice they ever received and the profound impact it has had on their outlook

Some of the prominent people offering advice and perspective for the new year.

Most of us have words of wisdom that we live our lives by — whether it’s the pep talk your best friends gave you in a bathroom on a night out, the calming words from your mother on the other end of the phone when things were going pear-shaped or a simple inspiring message from a wise stranger.

Getting the right advice from someone is one of the most precious gifts you can receive.

To celebrate the season of giving, we asked high-profile people to share the best advice they’ve ever received.

Who knows? Maybe their gems might help you find your mantra for 2025.

Tara Flynn. Picture: David Creedon

Actor and writer Tara Flynn

“If you don’t love it, don’t do it”

The best advice I’ve ever been given career-wise: if you don’t love it, don’t do it, because there are so many thankless days. 

There are so many things that don’t bring joy or money or the next job, whatever it is. 

Love it as best you can, and give it your all in the moment, and then you can’t really regret it. If you don’t love it, it’s probably best not to do it.

Daithí Ó Sé

TV presenter Dáithí Ó Sé

“Why take criticism from somebody you wouldn’t take advice from?”

It’s not that I got advice from anyone but it’s something that I read one time. 

I read it about six or seven months ago and it’s really stuck with me.

I think it’s important to get the message out there particularly when it comes to social media and reading things about when you put a picture of yourself up and all of a sudden you have all of these people chiming in. 

The bit of advice I have really that I think is important is: why would you take criticism from somebody you wouldn’t take advice from?

You have all these people [online] saying, “You look shit, you look fat, you look thin, you’re bald, you’ve big ears,” and you don’t even know these people. 

I’d take advice from somebody I really respect and I take criticism from people I respect too, but I’m not taking it from someone who has nothing to do only sit down and say bad things about people all day. 

I think it’s very important for young people too.

Hugh Wallace, architect and presenter of The Great House Revival.

Architect Hugh Wallace

“There is no road without turns”

My mother said: “There is no road without turns.” I’ve always heard that because if you wrong somebody, the road will change. 

Equally, if somebody wrongs you, the road changes. And it does change. You can’t be rude to people. 

That doesn’t mean that you can’t say what you think but you have to be circumspect. 

Things come back to bite you. It’s a very simple one. When you get annoyed and angry, that’s the time to say it.

Laura Dowling.

Pharmacist Laura Dowling

“Always be kind”

My mom gave me the best advice from a very young age: always be kind because you never know what’s going on in someone’s life.

Being a pharmacist, sometimes you’re on the receiving end of people who may not be too happy, or they might be a bit rude to you. Or, they might come in under stress.

If you were to take it personally, you’d feel that they’re taking it out on you. 

But if you treat them with kindness and a smile, you can see the relief on their face because you don’t know what’s going on in their life.

People who come into a pharmacy are generally sick, or they’re looking after people who are ill.

I’ve always found that when you’re kind you often see it reflected back to you.

Oh My God What A Complete Aisling co-author, Sarah Breen. Photo by Ruth Medjber @ruthlessimagery

Author Sarah Breen

“Get yourselves an agent”

Shortly after Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling came out, my co-author Emer [McLysaght] and I bumped into Donal Ryan and his lovely wife, Annie, in Neary’s.

We didn’t believe we needed a literary agent since we had each other but we took Donal’s advice and ended up signing with Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown.

We’ve never looked back.

David Puttnam, Oscar winning producer. Picture: Miki Barlok

Film producer, educator and environmentalist David Puttnam

“Choose your enemies well”

My father gave me an important piece of advice when I was younger. He said, “Choose your enemies well; they can help define the things you stand for.” 

And whether I like it or not, I think I can define myself by the battles I fought — climate, communications, and the digital world.

Louise Cooney

Social media influencer Louise Cooney

“Have courage and be kind”

I was given this quote as a framed print from my former boss when I was leaving my full-time job to go self-employed, almost eight years ago. 

It travelled over and back to New York with me when I moved there and I still have it. 

I try and live my life with that, go after what you want, dream big, be a nice human and never forget to appreciate the truly kind people you meet along the way.

Micheál Martin. Picture Chani Anderson

Politician Micheál Martin

“Do what you love in life”

The best advice I’ve ever received was from my mother and that was to do what you love in life. 

Don’t be listening to people who say if you do that, then you won’t get a job, and so on. 

Do what you love and it will lead your life in many directions. 

I often visit schools and whenever I’m asked what is the one piece of advice I would give to students, that’s exactly what I tell them.

Aimee Connolly, founder of Sculpted By Aimee.

Beauty entrepreneur Aimee Connolly

“Listen to your gut”

It’s what my mum had always advised me [to do] growing up and something I still listen to daily at work. 

Your gut or instinct is so powerful to have a sense of how a situation is feeling, and I would be lost without it.

Comedian Emma Doran. Pictures: Nina Val. Location: The Terrace at the Conrad, Dublin.

Comedian Emma Doran

“Time moves on”

I don’t know if it’s advice but [this] would have been said to me when I was younger: “Time moves on.” 

At the time when I heard that, I was like, “Oh, shut the fuck up. My life is in tatters.” 

But I actually do say to myself now in a way to try and keep things in perspective. 

When you’re having a bad day or think “Oh, this is after going absolutely pear-shaped”, I have a little pep talk myself. It’ll be fine.