Another response to the question I ask every 40-something I interview: What 3 “gifts” would you give a 20-something as her “Forty-Godmother”?
1.
Approach every situation as though it’s one option among many and not your only option. You need to know that there are so many options and really believe it. Don’t just feel like it’s some coffee chat piece of advice. I think it applies to job interviews and jobs and relationships and everything else because there’s a time when your options will be more limited, but it’s not in your twenties.
2.
Learn everything you can…fun things and things for you not just work things. This is the time you can do that. You should start learning for our future life. If you think you want to learn something like a language or maybe you always wanted to play the piano…do it now. I think about this all the time. I’ve always wanted to be this awesome figure skater or I wanted to play violin. Why didn’t I learn? Why didn’t I start in my twenties? By the time I was 30, I would’ve been accomplished. By the time I was 35, I would have seriously been good at this thing. Yes, have hobbies, learn everything that you really want to.
3.
And you know what I would say? This is my new attitude. I think I washed my face every single day from the time I was 16 until the time I was 42 because that’s what you’re supposed to do. You know what? Who gives a f***? I fall asleep with my make-up on every other night. Fall asleep with your make-up on because there’s Botox and there’s Alpha Hydroxy and it will all be okay. Don’t be so neurotic about your skin care or your regimens or your hair, whatever. Feel fine. Getting caught up in that is a nightmare. I guess that’s probably what it is. Don’t be so neurotic about beauty. Fall asleep in your make-up once in a while. That’s it. It will all be fine.
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