International Day of the Girl

Yes, it's a calendar day just for girls. To that end, CNN asked prominent women what they would tell their 15-year old selves. 

What a huge question.  I far like myself better now than at 15.  I think that if, at that time, there had been more "you go girl" mentality, I would have been a stronger person.  If there had been more sports for girls, I would have been the athlete and not the person cheering on the sidelines.  (But I was a feminist even then and never let a boy tell me I couldn't do something.) 

What would I say to my 15-year old self -

Be bold, be brave, you are not what other people say about you, appreciate your mother more and stay true to yourself.  Don't hold a grudge but remember, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.  Learn from mistakes and realize you will ALWAYS make them.  (And, there are a lot of boys in the sea; don't waste time pining over just one.)   And, as Scarlett O'Hara said, tomorrow is another day. 

Here are a few of the best CNN quotes:

Do not fear failure.  Do not let negative experiences - and there are always plenty - get in your way.  In your life, many things - especially the biggest heartbreaks - will only make sense as you look back, not as you are experiencing them.  Many of what seem at the time to be your biggest setbacks will end up leading to your biggest opportunities and in ways you can't predict.  

So don't let that voice of doubt - the obnoxious roommate in your head - have the last word.  As Montaigne said, "There were many terrible things in my lie, but most of them never happened."  

Arianna Huffington

Have a dream, a goal and a vision for yourself and work single-mindedly toward it - not just professionally but personally as well. 

Family is very important - a close, loving, supportive family will sustain you through all your ambitions, your climb up the ladder - when things go well and when they don't.

Perhaps the most imporatnt thing I could say is to never be thrown by failure and mistakes,  Each and everything that happens, even if it was not what you hoped that would happen, is a valuable, life-learning tool.  And you will only achieve success if you know how to learn from your failures and mistakes.  It's vital.

Christiane Amanpour

Ladies, what would you say to your 15-year old self?

Comments

RosieReader said…
I'd say "can you believe that all the older women in this photo shoot seem to have colored their hair? I hope you have abetter sense of self when you're their age than they do."

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