Every time I interview a 40-something woman for 40:20 Vision I ask them what three “gifts” would they give a 20-something if they were a “Forty-Godmother”. In essence, three things to help you get a head start on perspective and gain the confidence you need to make decisions that are right for you. No more woulda, coulda, shoulda.
1. Patience. You don’t have to figure it out right now. Wait to understand things better. Wait things out. Understand that there’s a lot of life left to go so you don’t have to rush things. You don’t have to rush to get married. You don’t have to rush to move into their dream apartment. If you can take the time to think about things.
2. Compassion for other people. Looking back I really wish that I have been more able to see other people. See the people who are older than I am who totally intimidated me as human beings. To see that they have their own needs and desires and made mistakes and worried about things. They’re not just the asshole who cut you off in traffic. They may have had a really horrible phone call from a doctor and they need to get home. People have lives that don’t involve you. You need to be compassionate for other people.
3. Don’t forget to have fun. Enjoy it. Life is really good. It’s all good. It’s gonna be okay to really enjoy it.