Ever feel that as you age, you are amazed by the wisdom that comes with it as a result?
When I look back on the younger me, I can now see I was as a very naïve but super determined person.
I had some wonderful role models and my grandmother was certainly one of them. She taught me a lot especially about being a strong independent woman. My mother also had a big influence on me growing up. She taught me a lot about resiliency and perseverance.
I am not sure if I realized the amount of wisdom I could learn from those older and more experienced than me as I entered the workforce after taking my PR program.
I thought being 'youthful' - was the 'it' factor coming into the workforce with a bunch of new knowledge from completing post-secondary school. Cringe moment right here after writing that last sentence.
Although I felt like I had imposter symptom from the very first day, I was the fake it to you make attitude kind of girl.
Don't get me wrong, there were several amazing mentors, especially early on in my career, that took me under their wing and really supported me in my early career path. I learned a great deal from them and I am so grateful that they saw the potential in me.
I had so much to learn at the time and they believed in me. You need those kind of people in your life because they are game changers. If it wasn't for them, I would not have had the opportunities I was so fortunate to be a part of over the years.
When I look back on my younger years, I neglected to think about the fact that some day I would be considered that 'older' woman in the workforce. And that has been an eye opener. Not to mention how much things have advanced when it comes to global technologies and connections.
If only I had realized back then what I know now, I would have asked them so many more questions about their lives and what lessons learned were their most valuable. But it's never too late to make great use of the time I have left on this earth to learn more about all the amazing women around me. This is my new quest in life.
I don't want to just learn from those older than me, I want to explore all fabulous women of all ages. Sometimes it's not the number of years that makes your experience epic but the life altering experiences that can shape you at any age. There is space we can hold for each other no matter where we are on our journey.
As a middle aged women, I feel we can add value to one and other's conversations. We have many lived experiences and we can learn so much from them as we share the stories that made us who we have become today.
Chances are, we have greatly suffered in many stages of our lives be it through grief, loss, tragedy, failure, illness, discrimination, injustice, physical, emotional and or mental challenges and possibly even some form of violence or harassment. And the list goes on.
We've also experienced many successes and positives in our lives which I am sure were mostly achieved by hard work, dedication and commitment. Hopefully, we have reached a point where we are getting way more comfortable in our own skin and know ourselves better than we ever did.
We may have even realized by now that some of the darkest moments and hardest decisions in our lives were the ones that made us stronger.
The younger generation has not been without their challenges in a short amount of time either. The tragic events that we are all witnessing around world are unsettling and I am sure that weighs heavily in the back of their minds.
Experiencing a global pandemic and navigating the loss of living a life that up until that point allowed us to live pretty freely. At that age, you are all about being anywhere but home and out socializing with your friends. While social media has its positives, I think it must be exceptionally difficult as a younger person to see the world through that lens. I can't even imagine how difficult it can be at times for them.
The outlook on life must look a little more concerning for them with the current cost of living and inflation. Industries like healthcare need serious addressing before it crumbles and we are without the proper care and treatment we require. Global warming and climate change affecting their lives in the future is also something they see and think about way more than we ever did. They have no choice.
They are growing up seeing things that we were never exposed to when we were growing up. While some of these things may have existed in the past, they were not so widely reported on a global stage. Ignorance was bliss for us as we got to enjoy a bit more of a peaceful existence in this little corner of the world.
Young, old and everywhere in between, everyone has a story. Life is not always fair and none of us escape the pitfalls or hard times. Another reason why, when you are in a happy time, soak it up.
I hope throughout your life, whatever you have faced, you found growth and you continue to find growth. And that any shame or disappointments from your past do not define you or prevent you from loving the person you are today.
Today, right now - in this moment you read this post, is the youngest age you will ever be!!! Embrace it! Love yourself. Nurture yourself. If you aren't there, find your path there because you deserve it.
Aging is a gift, so let's celebrate it.
The scars, wounds, traumas, broken hearts, extra weight, wrinkles et all! God damn it, we've been through a lot of shit and we deserve to be heard, seen, have fun and join forces to build one another up.
This is where I hope we find strength and compassion for everyone's story. Let's be real and raw about our struggles and share what helped us overcome them or how we continue to face them. Let's come together, young and old, and connect our shared experiences.
Are you with me? If you are, would you be interested in sharing your story with me?
Jules 💜
Comments