What advice would you give to women? This 3.5 video by Glamour magazine poses this question to women ages 5 through 75—I found the answers inspiring and the video is a lot of fun! There are great nuggets of wisdom throughout the video, but what's especially interesting is a common theme between the responses among these women who are in different stages of their lives.
A 7 year old girl states simply "be yourself" which is a good summary of the advice that follows throughout the video. The teenagers continue with phrases like be confident in who you are, love yourself, and be proud of who you are. The advice that resonated with me the most came from the 33 year old who delivered her line with conviction and almost pleads with us to "do you and be you and be shameless while you do it." Other advice from the women (and maybe a few mantras to post on your mirror!) include : Stay true to yourself Always follow your gut Be proud of who you are. Be yourself Be authentic Don't worry about what other people think of you Don't let anyone else define you Be yourself and don't be intimidated Listen to yourself "Be yourself" is great advice, but how do you actually do it? How do you live aligned with your core and why is living authentically important? Knowing who you are at your core provides a firm foundation for expanding your presence in the world. Your values inform your decisions and actions and living more aligned with them creates greater peace and harmony in your life. For example - if you are a naturally outgoing, social person who feels ignited when you get to work with people, doing data entry behind a desk all day will not be fulfilling. This is a straightforward example, but consider how not being authentic in your relationships, professional aspirations and lifestyle can impact your overall wellbeing. In the Empowered Women's Circle we practice the "how" of being authentic so that we can deepen into personal fulfillment and experience more joy—I invite you to learn more about the upcoming Summer Season starting in May!