Five women share what they would tell a 20-something about what they know now that they wish they knew then….
On career…
If you’re doing something that you want to do or if you are on the path to doing that, keep the mindset that you have to work harder than anybody else. You need to establish yourself where you are and make it your priority. Whether it is the ultimate path for you or not…you will learn more and get much further by keeping the mindset. Never fall back on the summer job mentality. – 40-something, investment/finance, wife, mom, Chicago
On relationships…
I think the biggest mistake that we all make, not just younger people, is that we what we want to see in other people. Don’t try to see that. Change your vision. Try very hard to see them for who they are. End of story. They are never going to change and you just have to love them for worse and all or not at all. The only reason you have to be in a relationship is because that person enhances who you are as a person. They accept you for who you are and they enhance who you are by being together. It’s as simple as that. – 40-something, marketing / biz dev, divorced, remarried, no kids, New York
On self esteem…
I wish I could go back and change my need to please other people. — — 44, wife of 25 years, 4 children, sales rep and artist, Arizona
On control and change…
What you have in front of you is what you have to work with…take responsibility for it. You can change it. I’ve been a bit impulsive and took some risks …but it has all worked out. I’m happy with my life and wouldn’t be what I am today without my experiences. I own them and took charge of them. What you have in front of you is what you have to work with. If you don’t change it no one else will. There is no sliver platter and even if you get a silver platter…you will probably screw it up. — 49, widow, restaurant owner, Arizona
On not having it together…
If you could just understand that it’s not just you that feels this way. Very few people really have it all together. No matter how much they look like they have it all together. So everybody’s got their thing. Know that looking like you have it all together and being happy are completely different things. They are not synonyms. So at what cost are people presenting themselves in the world this way. – 40-something, CIO, global non-profit, CSR, California
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