Dedicated to the best people I know
I would not be who I am today without their guidance and support, which is why I’m passing on a few of the major pieces of advice I’ve gained from those I know and love. Here are three life lessons from the awesome women in my life:
1. Never be ashamed of your ambitions
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the women in my life, especially my mother, it’s that you should never be afraid to take pride in your goals or ambitions. Your dreams are not naive, and your dedication to them is valid. It’s easy to feel insecure nowadays about your lack of internship or job experience, your major, the number of extracurriculars you’re in, etc., but as long as your involvements are meaningful to you, nothing else matters. I personally have had the unfortunate experience of someone criticizing me for not being a STEM or business major, but if I’ve learned one thing from the successful career women in my life, it’s that your passion is enough to let you excel. If you care about something and put forth the effort to pursue it, others will see that ambition and find it inspiring. Your passion for your goals is all that you need, and this is something that everyone should take pride in because it’s the mental fuel necessary to keep going.
2. Take advantage of any excuse to get together and pass on tradition
This lesson is one that I’ve learned from my grandmother who never passes up an opportunity for a family gathering. Without her influence, I wouldn’t feel so connected to my family’s past. Whether it’s cooking, baking or crafts, I take a little piece of my family’s history with me in every endeavor, big or small, because my grandmother has carried on generations of tradition. I always feel like I have a support system in everything that I do because my grandma has consistently made sure my family gets together to celebrate the little things. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a family birthday party every year of my life!
3. Be supportive, never jealous
I find myself very lucky to have female friendships that center supportiveness and not jealousy. It’s difficult to avoid feeling insecure when another person gains things that you haven’t yet accomplished, but if I’ve learned one thing from the women in my life, it’s that their win is never your loss. We can be happy for one another without feeling bad about ourselves. It’s especially important for women to lift each other up after every success, because we are so often pitted against one another.
These three life lessons are some of the messages I try to take with me in everything that I do, and in every new friendship that I form. Supporting one another is one of the most important things that we can do to encourage our mutual growth, whether it be in school, work, life, etc.. I’m grateful for the healthy relationships that I have with the incredible women in my life!