The way I see it, you can give advice in basically one of two ways: You can offer someone advice while you’re still attached to it, or you can offer it and let it go.
If you offer others advice and are attached to it, then you are much more likely to take it personally if they don’t follow what you say. Now, you might not want to hear this, but taking it personally when others don’t follow your advice is really a very selfish thing to do – because somehow you’ve turned their struggles (for which they needed help and advice) into something that is now a problem for you. Not only is everything not about you, but also when others ask for help because they’re struggling, it’s definitely about them.
If you really want to help others, offer advice, but do it in an unattached way. In other words, “Hey, you know, it might be worth considering….” and then you can offer your thoughts. By letting go, you respect the autonomy of the other person. You are not your advice; your advice is merely a collection of thoughts that you have and words that you say. When you fully realize that, it’s much easier to give advice and let go. What people do with your advice is up to them, just like it’s up to you what you do with others’ advice for you. We are all free to make the choices that we do, and when we give advice in an unattached way, we honor that freedom.