Listening to the older generations can be powerful. They have so much wisdom to pass on.
Being a woman is difficult. At least half of all women feel moderately or extremely stressed. A shocking 40 percent feels like they are close to burning out. There is much pressure to be the perfect woman: to have the perfect look, career, family, social life and more. There is more and more pressure to do more, be more, and give more.
This ‘more, more, more’ perfectionist attitude is damaging to our mental and physical health.
In fact, when older women are asked what their regrets are in life, it often has nothing to do with being more perfect or measuring up to more expectation, but more so about not daring to go for their dreams.
Words From The Older Generations
When older women were asked to complete the sentence “If I were a young woman now…” their answers included:
- What I wouldn’t give for 5 more minutes on the dance floor while my legs were still strong enough to carry me.
- This isn’t about stopping a fight for equality.
- I’d give myself the time to indulge in the things that I now understand are the most important.
- What I wouldn’t give to extend children goodnight kisses instead of moaning about having to get up early in the morning.
- If I had my time again I wouldn’t create a “to do” list, I’d created “to don’t do” list.
If you are a younger woman, listen to the advice of the older generation:
- Be more present
- Relax, breathe, and let go
- Go after your dreams
- Be kind to yourself and others
- Follow your heart
- Spend more time being, not doing
- Appreciate life’s precious moments
Remember, you don’t have to be a young woman to follow this advice. At any age and gender, you can learn from this wisdom. It is never too late to change your life and live it to the fullest.
If you are an older woman, what advice would you give to the younger generation? If you are a younger woman, what changes will you make after listening to these words of advice? Share you answers in the comments, we would love to hear from you.
Written by Kat Gal
