Advice from Rod Halsted - Take My Advice, I'm Not Using It!

Allen & Unwin
Aug 4
2 min read

Get some advice from Rod Halsted, author of Take My Advice, I'm Not Using It!

Take My Advice, I'm Not Using It! by Rod Halsted

Rod Halsted’s life has been anything but ordinary—a wild, hilarious, and often dangerous ride from outback pubs to city backstreets, from sharing beers with prime ministers to dodging bullets from the law. Now older, wiser, and sober, Rod looks back on the chaos with sharp humour and hard-earned insight.

Below, he shares one of his trademark pieces of advice—straight from a man who has lived more lives than most of us dare to imagine.

These days, I’m taking my own advice—but I’m happy to share it, too:

• Try being honest and grateful instead of judgemental and resentful. Laugh a lot, especially at yourself, and be kind to everyone: family, friends and strangers alike. The world will be a better and happier place with you in it.

• Don’t break the law. Don’t sell drugs. Don’t ever use hallucinogens, hard drugs or needles. If you must experiment, stick to straight smoko. The stuff grown using chemicals to give it extra kick will fuck you up big time. There is no doubt in my mind that field-grown marijuana has enormous medicinal value and should be legalised. Cocaine, smack, acid, meth, ketamine, ice and all the other manufactured street drugs are poison, and anyone dealing in them needs bringing down. The ones financing the illegal drug trade, the so-called legit businessmen you never hear of, should be gaoled for life. If I hadn’t lived the life I have, I wouldn’t be such a powerful voice against drugs and crime. Choose that life and it will almost certainly cost you more than a finger.

• Don’t drive drunk.

• Don’t thieve.

• Treat others the way you’d like to be treated. A happy heart is preceded by a clear conscience.

• You have to give it away to keep it. That’s everything: love, money, time, attention and laughter. Especially love.

• Forgive rather than resent. Resentment and secrets kill. To that end, I contacted FiL and made my peace prior to his death.

• Know yourself.

• Be yourself.

• Love yourself.

A final note: my oldest daughter once told me, ‘Dad, you should take your own advice and not give advice.’ I guess you, the reader, may concur. I can only hope my mistakes will assist you on your road to a happy destiny.

Watch a video from Rod himself with 3 more pieces of advice!