21 Tidbits of "Fortune Cookie" Wisdom and What They Mean

A little bit of wisdom can go a long way. However, the way people express such wisdom may or may not always be clear. What do some of the famed expressions mean to the users of such phrases and what might they mean to you?

Interpreting 21 Tid-Bits Of Famously Expressed Wisdom

1. “The early bird catches the worm.”

Everybody is familiar with this one if they grew up in rural areas or were someone that knew farmers. It means, if you get up early and get started, you’re the one most likely to get things done. If you’re not a morning person by trait, try developing the habit to get a half-hour headstart on the rest of your colleagues, friends, or family, and see what that little extra time in your day can do for you.

2. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

We all have frustrations and even doubts about our abilities. Sometimes, the people with the surest wills will get things done despite their shortcomings, lack of knowledge, or abilities. To simplify, remember what Tim Allen said as the famous character Buzz Lightyear.

“Never give up, never surrender!”

3. “Actions speak louder than words.”

The promises are great! But, are you delivering on those promises? This saying is a reminder that we are judged more by our actions than by our words.

4. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

If you’re hyper-focused then you might put all your eggs in one basket. If you put eggs in multiple baskets, you have a backup plan. That’s a smart move as there are no guarantees in life. So don’t put all your eggs into one basket and leave yourself nowhere to turn when things fall apart.

5. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

Happiness isn’t guaranteed. This saying reminds us that what we do with our circumstances is entirely up to us. We can feel hateful, and resentful, and some can even blame the world. Try stopping and smelling the roses, be thankful for what is good in your life, and choose to be happy despite what is troubling you.

6. “Haste makes waste.”

Hurrying through things can cause you to make mistakes, mistakes cause you to have to do things over, and doing things over leads to wasted time. We have a short amount of time in this world, so why not do things right the first time and worry about getting faster at things after you’ve mastered your skills?

7. “Patience is a virtue.”

Patience is a virtue means that while we all get impatient, we could all benefit from exercising a little patience. When the pressure’s on, and there’s a clock on a task, we can find ourselves feeling the stress. When there’s something that needs doing we want to get past it and onto the next thing, something we want to be doing. Why let your impatience stress you more than life will already stress you?

8. “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

We’re going to experience failures in our lives. The ultimate way to guarantee something fails is to give up. If at first, you don’t succeed at something, get back to work and never stop trying to accomplish those goals. It’s the journey to success that will make success that much sweeter, but you can’t succeed if you fail to keep going.

9. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

If you think you’re the only one that has felt overwhelmed by a daunting task or mission in front of you then you’d be mistaken. Life isn’t the easiest for anyone these days. This saying tells me to take a breath, and then take a step forwards in whatever harsh, scary, or unknown thing that needs to be dealt with.

10. “The grass is always greener on the other side.”

Envy is a common thing for humans to feel at some point. We take stock of our position and see someone or something else that makes us think there’s a better place. It’s not always true, however, and many get to the other side and find a new appreciation for what they had before.

11. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

Nothing in life is guaranteed. Just like the chickens that might not hatch, you can’t guarantee what you’ll have tomorrow before tomorrow is today.

12. “Live and let live.”

There are two ways to take this. Live and let live can be a statement about forgiveness. It can also be a statement about not harming others. It can be interpreted depending on the circumstances of the day.

13. “What goes around comes around.”

Philosophically, you might believe what you put out into the world you get back. Karma is sometimes a “bitch”, and sometimes a person has all the luck and good fortune in the world until they take a fall. Look at Donald Trump. A popularly loved president that put enough bad acts into the world that he’s facing a long uphill battle to not be a convicted felon, much less reclaim the Oval Office. Remember, what you do today, it might come back to haunt you later.

14. “Don’t burn bridges.”

People. We all need them. Whether it’s a good reference from a past employer or just having a few friends to help you move into that new house, your relationships are of immense value at some point in your life. Don’t torch the bridges you’ve walked across because you never know when you might need to turn around and go back, even if just to ask a favor or two of old friends.

15. “Look before you leap.”

Some people struggle with impulse control. Those impulses might be the thing that gets you into trouble. It was once very romantic to kiss the girl you took to dinner to show your interest, but what if today’s woman isn’t ready? Then you’re in trouble. The same goes for many of life’s decisions. Looking at the situation before you act is usually good advice.

16. “Never judge a book by its cover.”

There are 8 billion people, approximately, on the planet Earth. That means we as a race of people come from many different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The value of a person shouldn’t be judged by their outward appearance. Judge people by their actions and the quality of their character rather than their looks. But who among us hasn’t made this mistake?

17. “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”

This phrase is for those that constantly find fault with the things other people do, instead of doing it themselves. If you can’t be happy with the results other people bring to the table then it’s inherent that you do the task yourself. Of course, you could teach a person how to do it in a better way, if that fits with your circumstance. If not, you might be nit-picky.

18. “Time heals all wounds.”

In a perfect world, this would be nice. Time will put distance between you and your heartaches, but not everyone is equipped to live well with certain traumas and tragedies. Time will certainly help you to live with your wounds, but it is foolish to believe that all wounds heal.

19. “Make hay while the sun shines.”

Have you ever heard the old saying, “Strike while the iron is hot?” This is the same thing. It means to make good use of an opportunity while you can.

20. “You reap what you sow.”

Perhaps one of the most astute sayings about life is “You reap what you sow,” meaning that you will only get what you put into things. So, if you put half-hearted effort, evil, and darkness into life, that’s what you’ll get in return. Luck isn’t a thing. Luck is the result of planning and hard work, wisdom and commitment, all coming together.

21. “Practice makes perfect.”

Well, does it? Or does practice make you better? When in the world of men did anyone do anything perfect? Never, so take that one with a grain of salt. You can practice golf for three decades and maybe have a few perfect games but you’re not a perfect golfer until you never miss a shot.

There are tons more phrases we've heard or used as we've grown up. What's your favorite? Let me know in the comments.

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