Jim's Cafe - Saturday, January 17, 2026

[Inastorm]

Hi Everyone,

Thought id open the cafe today and I hope everyone is doing okay.

Question:

What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

For me, I had a manager tell me if I was ever coming to him with a question or a problem, I was to always bring the answers with me too, never arrive empty handed. It's been good advice and empowers me to try and come up with the answers to problems myself without relying on someone else. I find that by the time I've come up with a few answers I don't need to talk to anyone else about it, as I've already figured out myself.

Another good piece of advice from 'someone else' was you can never run away from yourself.

If you were to teach a class in one thing, what would you teach?

For me, id say woodwork, though i would need to get much better at it myself before I did that. But its something I enjoy.

Some tags but everyone's welcome:

@Angie @Lisa the Goatgirl @Baywasp @FFurry @1Lefty @JMG @seabird @Auri @AvidFan @bubblebear @puffymilk @Witty_Sarcasm @Lane @1964dodge @SillyOldBear @Mid Night @may71 @AmberMarie @Reality @cinnnamonflakez @Citizen Insane @LumberJack @Licorice @Lifeisthis @JanisSPK @Inanimate @ClassicsFan @Bergerac @full @KM76710 @Atreides @cymbele @Fbr27 @Butterfly @cev77 @Unenthusiastic @chiastic_slide @PrincessPure @FlamingoWrangler @Shadowlands @capitalism @Pebble mouse @Congratsbaby @Something.idk @I_waste_everything @meow124 @Gonz

 

[bubblebear]

Hi thanks ina for starting cafe thread, been thinking I should do that myself some days.

@Just_a_guy @unnoticed @bobbob @Shadowlands @charlietgirl @Megan. @Citizen Insane @NoOneC @Chipetele

@SquishyMacleod

 

[Congratsbaby]

Hi Everyone,

Thought id open the cafe today and I hope everyone is doing okay.

Question:

What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

For me, I had a manager tell me if I was ever coming to him with a question or a problem, I was to always bring the answers with me too, never arrive empty handed. It's been good advice and empowers me to try and come up with the answers to problems myself without relying on someone else. I find that by the time I've come up with a few answers I don't need to talk to anyone else about it, as I've already figured out myself.

Another good piece of advice from 'someone else' was you can never run away from yourself.

If you were to teach a class in one thing, what would you teach?

For me, id say woodwork, though i would need to get much better at it myself before I did that. But its something I enjoy.

Some tags but everyone's welcome:

@Angie @Lisa the Goatgirl @Baywasp @FFurry @1Lefty @JMG @seabird @Auri @AvidFan @bubblebear @puffymilk @Witty_Sarcasm @Lane @1964dodge @SillyOldBear @Mid Night @may71 @AmberMarie @Reality @cinnnamonflakez @Citizen Insane @LumberJack @Licorice @Lifeisthis @JanisSPK @Inanimate @ClassicsFan @Bergerac @full @KM76710 @Atreides @cymbele @Fbr27 @Butterfly @cev77 @Unenthusiastic @chiastic_slide @PrincessPure @FlamingoWrangler @Shadowlands @capitalism @Pebble mouse @Congratsbaby @Something.idk @I_waste_everything @meow124 @Gonz

There's too many good advices. I can't choose one.
I would teach English literature.
Thankyou for the tag. ⭐

 

[AvidFan]

Probably careers advice when I was at school. I wanted to be an air steward, they said it's not all it's cracked up to be, you should go to uni... So I did.

So I have, and probably would again, teach people English and also how to use tech to basic competence levels.

 

[Citizen Insane]

Thanks for the tags @Inastorm & @bubblebear

I'm cool, almost done with my daily workout! ^_^

- Best advice, too many to name I suppose.

I don't listen well to advice in general, but I can take great inspiration from people just by who they are and how they go about life, health & mental health with all of their past & current experiences. That includes many people I've met on SF.

- Teaching a class:

Mental health (with a bit of philosophy angle in there), .. like for real - It should be a subject- It represents so much of life and not just the "major (negative) events", it constantly affects people's behaviour, thinking, feeling and the whole "finding meaningful experiences" and all that!

 

[AmberMarie]

Good Morning.... and thank you for opening @Inastorm and for the tag

What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

i was 14, i was complaining loads about my mother, and a friend of mine's mother told me that Anytime i am annoyed at someone for something, to look inward before i complain. That once you look inward, you will find that you are doing the same thing. One must change said annoyance before one is allowed to complain.
i raised my kids that way, and learned loads of tolerance.

If you were to teach a class in one thing, what would you teach?

Puppeteering... and costuming. More specifically... costuming puppets.

 

[Lane]

Hi and thanks for opening and tagging me @Inastorm.

My college roommate said, "when in doubt, dont do anything".
Another,myneighbor who was like a father to me said, "dont live above your means, live under"

I'd teach a painting class.

 

[Fbr27]

What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

One boss said to me once "Don't suffer. The past is already gone, think about the future"

I don't know how he knew so much about me given that I didn't ever talk to him about my life.

It was really weird.


My mother always said that "A degree doesn't mean that you have an education". It is an odd phrase, but it is about being wise/good/decent vs. having knowledge but being bad in another areas of life.

It makes sense.


If you were to teach a class in one thing, what would you teach?

I have no idea. Maybe english? I know something about it. I could probably be a english teacher if I didn't hate the idea of being a teacher.

I could really teach a class about the world religions I guess. Or about space. Or basics mathematics.

I could probably teach Excel also.

Who knows.

 

[Windhover]

What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

un-paid-for advice: human life is very short, so do what you want to do.
paid-for advice: My neuropsych said either I must begin medication, or to run an hour ever day to bring my anxiety down out of the un-sustainable level. (stating it positively as I can; after many years I'm still working up to the goal of a daily hour-long run)

If you were to teach a class in one thing, what would you teach?

I'm not able to teach anymore as I am uncomfortable and at times overwhelmed around large groups of people.

Thank you for including me @Inastorm . ☕️

 

[Gonz]

A friend told me I wasn’t doing anyone any good by putting their problems ahead of my own, it was just another way to avoid dealing with things, but if I were to focus on getting myself together first then I might.

I wouldn’t mind teaching history, but I’d find myself going off on long tangents about things only I care about.

Thanks for tagging me @Inastorm

 

[JanisSPK]

My very first thought…told to me by a Bhuddist therapist I had years ago….
Don’t try to apply logic to an illogical situation, it will only keep you confused…..
Wake up every morning with first thoughts about some kind of gratitude before your feet hit the floor.
And my dad used to say “If you have your health (all kinds) then you can do almost anything”

I love teaching yoga and meditation. To all ages🪷

 

[FFurry]

Thanks @Inastorm ! The best piece of advice is never to reduce anything to simple terms, including this 😂

I could teach exercise and weight training. It's the simplest thing I know that might have the most impact on those who think it's complicated or requires deep knowledge (it's not and doesn't!)

 

[Congratsbaby]

Thanks @Inastorm ! The best piece of advice is never to reduce anything to simple terms, including this 😂

I could teach exercise and weight training. It's the simplest thing I know that might have the most impact on those who think it's complicated or requires deep knowledge (it's not and doesn't!)

Any advice for someone who struggle to do it everyday? ( Exercise )

 

[JMG]

Thank you for posting this cafe for yesterday Inastorm, and for tagging me too.
Great theme/questions. Enjoyed reading yours and everyone else’s answers. Here’s mine.

What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

If you were to teach a class in one thing, what would you teach?

1. Best piece of advice I’ve been given is a bit hard for me to pick in a way, cos have had lots of counselling over the years. But I guess some of the best pieces are to try not to worry about what others think (even family) and to be as connected with my own values as I can be.

2. The thing I’d want to teach would be a combination of effective communication and also how to deal with complex feelings. I have had to navigate both those things for most of my life due to my family mostly being a bunch of ignorant morons (thank god for my mom and uncle at least, they are some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever known).

Anyway, I don’t consider myself “expert” level with effective communication and feelings management, but I think I’m good enough at understanding, and explaining, about them that I could be a good teacher of those things. Also I like to think that the fact that I am a deeply caring, pure hearted and passionate person would also help in a natural way with people struggling with those things. I’ve had to find a way to keep myself calm despite dealing with EXTREMELY frustrating (and in some ways, rather unjust) feelings, so I like to think I could help people stay calm amid so much complexity.

Sorry for long answers, these were quite thought provoking questions for sure. I enjoyed answering them very much.

 

[Gonz]

Any advice for someone who struggle to do it everyday? ( Exercise )

Second this. When I have a particular goal in mind, I’m pretty good about it, but once I achieve that, motivation and discipline go out the window.

Pringles taste good and Youtube is right there; it’s not my fault.

 

[Inastorm]

Any advice for someone who struggle to do it everyday? ( Exercise )

My advice if your struggling to exercise everyday is to look at making it easy and really achievable. Start with a 5 mins run or walk and increase by 1 min per day. In a month that would be approx 35 mins a day.

 

[AvidFan]

Any advice for someone who struggle to do it everyday? ( Exercise )

Second this. When I have a particular goal in mind, I’m pretty good about it, but once I achieve that, motivation and discipline go out the window.

Pringles taste good and Youtube is right there; it’s not my fault.

One thing I would suggest is gamify it in some way. Am sure there are apps or something, that will encourage you and give you points or levels, depending on the exercise you do and make it fun/motivate. One example is the app I'm using to do my virtual walk - so all the steps I do take me along a virtual journey (like US Route 66, or the Appalachian Trail etc). This has certainly helped motivate me and get me doing steps on days when I might have not bothered otherwise. I'm sure there are other apps for more general things - Habitica springs to mind (do the thing or your avatar gets sick!), but there may be others. Don't know if any of this helps - just that gamifying seems to hack parts of the brain wired for motivation etc!

 

[Congratsbaby]

One thing I would suggest is gamify it in some way. Am sure there are apps or something, that will encourage you and give you points or levels, depending on the exercise you do and make it fun/motivate. One example is the app I'm using to do my virtual walk - so all the steps I do take me along a virtual journey (like US Route 66, or the Appalachian Trail etc). This has certainly helped motivate me and get me doing steps on days when I might have not bothered otherwise. I'm sure there are other apps for more general things - Habitica springs to mind (do the thing or your avatar gets sick!), but there may be others. Don't know if any of this helps - just that gamifying seems to hack parts of the brain wired for motivation etc!

I see. Thankyou for the suggestion.

 

[Congratsbaby]

My advice if your struggling to exercise everyday is to look at making it easy and really achievable. Start with a 5 mins run or walk and increase by 1 min per day. In a month that would be approx 35 mins a day.

Seems attainable. I have a set exercise regime though that's no more than 15 minutes per day ( I can't afford to do more at the moment atleast )

 

[KM76710]

Best advice was to live my life on my own terms and to leave others to do the same. One of the reasons I am less likely to be harsh about how anybody lives their own lives or to judge them. I judge whether it is right for myself. Live and let live,

Teaching. I could probably do well with passing on woodworking which I have done. Been doing carpentry most all of my life. For a classroom style of teaching likely it would be anything to do with history or biography.