My mother used to say, “Advice is free, but you still have to be careful to take only what is worth having.” At the time, I thought that sounded like something mothers say when they are trying to keep you from making a mess of your life, and at that time, I was usually very busy making a mess of mine.

The tricky part is that advice often comes from people you know. People who love you. People who worry about you. People who absolutely mean well. And sometimes, if we are being honest, people who might be speaking from a place that has less to do with wisdom and more to do with jealousy, fear, or envy wearing a faux discerning heart.

That is why good advice requires more than good listening. It takes discernment. You have to ask yourself… Does this person want me to grow, or do they want me to stay comfortable for them? Are they warning me because they see danger, or because they are afraid I might actually do well and even fly?

The best advice I ever received was not a rule. It was a filter. Keep what is useful. Leave what is heavy. Be grateful for the people who speak into your life but keep control of your own path. Always remember that you are free to make your own choices, but you are never free from the consequences of them. In other words… Think before you act.

Because advice may be free—but peace, purpose, and confidence are far too valuable to spend on every opinion that shows up talking like a favor…