Be forgiving of yourself and others
“I’m a firm believer that you only have 100 per cent to give every day, not 110 per cent. Some days I am 80 per cent ‘worker,’ 10 per cent ‘healthy eater,’ and 9 per cent ‘friend,’ with only 1 per cent left over for ‘wife.’ But other days I’m 90 per cent ‘wife.’ I wish I could tell my younger self that you just can’t be everything to everyone, every single day! You’ll burn out. I’ve learned to forgive myself on the days my percentages are unbalanced and to be forgiving of others as well.” – Keltie Knight, “Entertainment Tonight” correspondent and television host
Being busy isn’t an accomplishment
“This world glorifies being busy and has a narrow definition of success, so it becomes all too easy to prioritise everything else. We see extreme self-sacrifice as a badge of honour. As a mother and entrepreneur, I’ve totally fallen into this trap in the past, thinking that I need to put everyone else’s needs first. So I would tell my younger self to always make time for those things that bring me the most joy, whether that’s a hobby or a relationship or something else. In fact, I see my current business as a gift to my younger self and to other women to not be afraid to put their happiness first. – Carla Birnberg, CEO and Founder of Your Box Box
You’re beautiful the way you are
“Growing up doing competitive dance, I was always judged on my performances. Often, judgement about my body type and physique went hand in hand with that. If I could, I would go back to the first time I ever felt bad about myself because of what others said about my body, and tell myself that their opinions don’t matter. The only person who should have an opinion about your body is you. If you define your beauty by other people’s standards you’ll never feel good enough, but if you learn to love yourself, you can’t go wrong.” – Cheryl Burke, professional dancer