It is crazy to think there are about eight billion people living in our world, and no two people are the same. I’ve always found a person’s experiences, ideas, and feelings to be so intriguing. Generational perspectives shape people’s beliefs and overall outlook on the world. I thought it would be interesting to ask four different women in my life the same questions to see their perspectives on life.
A Grandmother
Age: in her 70s
What’s one piece of advice/quote/saying you personally live by?
Work hard. Leading a good life, no matter what that looks like for you, requires hard work. You can make anything you wish for come true with your own efforts. Also, family always comes first – keep the people who are valuable to you close and don’t worry about anyone else.
Do you have any regrets or something you wish you had done in the past?
I wish I spent more time on myself. Had I continued in school to educate myself, maybe somethings would have turned out differently. Which is why my advice to younger generations is to work hard! Regardless of what form of education or personal betterment you pursue, it will take you somewhere well deserved.
If you could make a change to your life right now, what would it be?
I would not make any changes to my current life; I feel happy and fulfilled.
What are your secrets to a healthy lifestyle?
Never skip out on a healthy breakfast!
A Mother
Age: in her 40s
What’s one piece of advice/quote/saying you personally live by?
Always stay focused on yourself and your goals – your focus will determine your future. With that, stay positive through your journey! What you put into the world is what comes back to you, so keep positivity flowing.
Do you have any regrets or something you wish you had done in the past?
I regret not listening to some of the advice my dad would tell me when I was younger. I thought I knew the best, but sometimes your parents actually do know better.
If you could make a change to your life right now, what would it be?
A change I would make is to live more minimally, maybe in a smaller house, so I could travel. I would love to spend more time exploring parts of the world of interest to me.
What are your secrets to a healthy lifestyle?
A full, deep sleep can cure anything.
A Sister
Age: in her 30s
What’s one piece of advice/quote/saying you personally live by?
Mind over matter – you can do anything you put your mind to. Our minds hold an infinite amount of power than can overcome any challenges that come our way.
Do you have any regrets or something you wish you had done in the past?
No regrets, just lots of lessons learned.
If you could make a change to your life right now, what would it be?
To stop worrying. Worrying is a waste of precious time, energy, and money. Moreover, worrying about things you can’t control is the biggest waste of all – let things unfold how they’re meant to.
What are your secrets to a healthy lifestyle?
Physical, along with mental exercise. Meditation is a powerful practice.
A Sister
Age: in her 20’s
What’s one piece of advice/quote/saying you personally live by?
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Every experience life throws at you will shape you into a new and better version of yourself. No matter how hard, you will come out stronger.
Do you have any regrets or something you wish you had done in the past?
No regrets… you live and you learn, that’s the way life goes.
If you could make a change to your life right now, what would it be?
Stop dwelling on the past. The future holds bigger and better things that will unfold when the time is right.
What are your secrets to a healthy lifestyle?
Happiness.
A friend
Age: Late teenage years
What’s one piece of advice/quote/saying you personally live by?
Everything happens for a reason. I often overthink situations and question why certain things happen to me. But I always remind myself that everything happens for a reason! I will understand when I meant to.
Do you have any regrets or something you wish you had done in the past?
I don’t have any regrets, but I wish I had cherished more time with my family, especially since most of them live on the other side of the world. I’m getting closer to the age where I will soon be moving out, so I want to spend as much time with my family as I can.
If you could make a change to your life right now, what would it be?
I want to focus more on myself, be stricter on my diet, focus more on my skincare, and take my vitamins. Overall, I want to practice things that I believe will benefit me now and later on in life.
What are your secrets to a healthy lifestyle?
Water, water, water! Also making sure to take mental breaks – for me this looks like taking some alone time to watch my favourite show or even going on TikTok. Lastly, going to the gym with friends, I feel like going with others keeps me motivated and decreases the risk of giving up.
It is conversations like these that open my eyes to how short and precious our lives are. I hope through reading some of these experiences, you can take away a piece of advice or a change you would like to implement in your life!