Well, I've broken this rule. I've got two tattoos and I'm contemplating a third. I got my first, super original tattoo – a Chinese character on my ankle – when I was 18. Although it's not very attractive and a total cliche, every time I glimpse it I remember what my life was like as a carefree teenager, so I don't regret it.

My next tattoo was a tiny turquoise star etched into my foot in Las Vegas in 2006. My bestie Chrissy had a matching star inked in the same spot, but in pink. They're so teeny, the tattooist even said, "The minimum charge is forty bucks and that covers a star about twice the size, if you want to go bigger?" Normally I'm all for a free up-size but I didn't think having permanent pen applied to my skin was the right time to prioritise "good value"!

But getting to my point: Sydney journo and author Sam de Brito wrote a book, No Tattoos Before You're 30 a few years back (around the same time I was getting that second tattoo, actually!) and it offers some sage advice. I was flicking through it in a shop yesterday and landed on this page, below.

On a related side note, my husband sometimes loses his shit at other crazy drivers when we're on the road and I usually gently remind him, you never know what their day is about. Maybe they just lost their job, or their wallet. Maybe they're sad or depressed. Maybe they're just an arrogant douche, but whatever it is, I'm not going to ruin my mood - and that of the people in the car with me - because of someone elses actions.

So back to Sam. The page I landed on was a great reminder to not get caught up in other people's "stuff", because it's almost never about you...