1. Stop Questioning Your Choices/Thoughts
Being able to make a decision and confidently believe in it is a wonderful thing. Why is the man in the suit, or the dude in class that contradicted you, the who is right or smarter than you? Newsflash, he’s not, and you should never feel like he is. Your opinions, needs, and preferences are every bit as valid, and you need to start believing that they’re so.
2. Learn to Say No!
Learning to respect yourself by not people-pleasing your way through life is a skill we all need to learn. Sometimes people will ask us to do certain things, whether it’s at school, in the work setting, or even with people in our everyday lives, setting limits is key for our mental well-being. This even comes in handy when dealing with that stubborn guy that won’t stop trying to ask you, even though this is the fifth time you’ve politely changed the subject. Thank you, but not thank you.
3. Ask the Guy Next Door What He’s Making
This is a good way to make sure you’re not being cheated out of a salary simply because of your sex. We all know this happens, and one way to deal with it is to proactively fight it, in spite of the unfairness of the situation. Ideally this would not be something we have to do, but until the world opens it’s eyes, we need to give it a little push
4. Speak Your Mind
A lot of times, in many traditional families especially, women are taught to be overly thoughtful about their words and actions. We are conditioned by society to be more timid and unsure about ourselves in comparison to our male counterparts, so do yourself a favor now and start raising your voice! This is how you get the raise, the position at your dream job, and respect from yourself in general. Trust me, after practicing enough, you will feel lighter, and more confident in every day situations.
5. Don’t Ever Let Anyone Intimidate You
Sometimes, it’s easy to look at other people, especially those that you feel have gotten ahead in life, have the “better” job, boyfriend, car, or whatever it may be, and feels small in comparison. That person was not birthed by a greek deity, in fact, that person came exactly from the same place you did! You may not be where you wish to be at this point of your life, but it’s important to not to compare yourself, and to never get your self worth from things you don’t have. Everyone’s journey is different and unique, and you have every right to be proud of where you are today.
5. Question Everything!
Okay, so maybe not everything, but do remember you have a right to question anything. The mechanic wants to charge for something extra? Why is that, does it really need to be changed, or is it purely aesthetic, does it actually affect its functionality? Don’t let shyness or uncertainty keep you from calling out something that doesn’t seem quite right.
6. Realize What Really Matter Early On
Living in the U.S. and being part of a consumerism culture, it’s tempting to make money and material things the center of our lives, it is the American Dream, right? Yes, it’s great to have nice things, it’s nice to have a great car, and to want a big house, but that’s not what life is about. When you’re laying on your deathbed the things you owned, the wealth you had won’t give you the satisfaction you got from the meaningful relationships in your life, as well as all your crazy wonderful experiences. Not pining over money and the nice convertible you don’t have will open your eyes to all the beauty that is found in the little moments in life.
7. Don’t Take Everything Too Seriously
Sometimes it can be tempting to jump in the shower and cry for half an hour about the exam we failed, the guy that didn’t text back, or the job you didn’t get. While it is important to try your best in everything you do and to care about certain things, it’s not good to let everything that goes wrong overwhelm you. Whenever something seems like it’s going downhill, step back, breath, let yourself feel all you need to feel, and realize that things are really not as bad as they seem. Life is a collection of good and bad moments, and good ones couldn’t exist without the bad ones. So carry on with your held up high, and know that “this too shall pass.”
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