What three “gifts” would you give a 20-something if you were a “Forty-Godmother”? 40-something women share three things to help a 20-something get a head start on the confidence to make decisions that are right for themselves. No more woulda, coulda, shoulda.
1. Don’t take every no personally. In work and business, you have to listen to what you hear through a filter. You can’t take every single “no” or criticism personally — sometimes it comes from a bias from someone else’s side. Sometimes it’s not a valid point. Everyone has different opinions on things. No may just mean “not today”…not “I don’t like you” or “never”. If it is something you realize you have heard before start to pay attention, but otherwise, take it in, ask yourself where it came from, if there is any truth to it…and if so think about how you could address it. But don’t stew on it and let it slow you down.
2. Believe in yourself. By the time you are 40 you realize a lot of the things that upset you at 20 are bullshit. Now I don’t care. I am not so worried about should I do this or that. Am I getting fat? Is this the right thing to wear? Why didn’t that person call? Bleh….do what is feels good to you. I’m sure if I started feeling that way earlier it would have saved me some wrinkles.
3. And lastly, I would just say don’t do things that you don’t want to be remembered for.